Re-Mission 2, a series of games from the non-profit HopeLab, use the research and experience obtained from the first Re-Mission in 2006 to provide an even more accessible and engaging series of action games targeted specifically at adolescents and young adults with cancer. Games are based on actual treatment methods used to combat cancer and are intended to empower players and encourage treatment adherence. There are six different games under the Re-Mission 2 umbrella, each with a different premise and set of mechanics.

In one, titled “Nanobot’s Revenge,” you play as a nanobot who fires targeted treatments at a tumor constructed by the evil Nuclear Tyrant, preventing it from escaping into the bloodstream. As you progress through a series of levels, you unlock a wider array of weapons and fight against increasingly difficult enemies. Another game, titled “Feeding Frenzy,” allows you to play as a white blood cell who consumes bacteria, tumors, and cancer transports within a certain time frame. All games were designed in collaboration with medical professionals, game developers, and young cancer patients, and use studies conducted as part of the original Re-mission’s implementation to improve their design.

Five of the six games are available online, while the sixth — titled “Special Ops” — can be downloaded after five levels have been completed in each of the other games. Re-Mission 2 provides a series of games that not only emerge from an excellent idea but also follow through with fantastic execution, providing fun experiences that anyone can enjoy and that can raise awareness about cancer to a larger public.

Funders:
Vivendi, Livestrong Foundation, Entertainment Software Association Foundation, Cigna, Genentech, Annenberg Foundation