10 Best Video Game Documentaries Of All Time
4. Thank You For Playing
Released: 17 April 2015
The most emotional video game documentary ever made. Thank You for Playing follows the development of That Dragon Cancer and the real-life story of a family coping with terminal illness. The film doesn’t really resemble a traditional video game documentary in the same way That Dragon Cancer doesn’t resemble a traditional video game. In fact, it is possibly the only documentary on this list where being a gamer won’t add anything to the viewing experience.
The content is often so far removed from the video game industry that you can forget they are making a game at all. Most of the 80 minute film takes place in the home of the game’s designer or in medical facilities. When you are taken to somewhere like a video game convention it’s almost a jarring change of scenery. Watching players demo That Dragon Cancer at this convention though turns out to be one of the most powerful scenes in the film.
Thank You For Playing highlights the limitless potential of video games as an expressive art form and can alter your view of the industry. It will certainly alter your view of video-game documentaries. You can find links for where to watch Thank You For Playing on their official thankyouforplayingfilm.com website, but in the UK it is available to rent for as little as £1.50 on YouTube and Google Play.