Designing tricky things: An educational game about cancer treatment

Celly and the Big C

Celly and the Big C is an educational video game created in collaboration with The Big C cancer charity. It supports upper primary school-aged children to understand treatment in an age-appropriate, engaging and reassuring way.

The Big C identified a gap in resources for explaining complex treatment processes to younger audiences. They partnered with a team of concept artists and developers at Norwich University of the Arts to address this need. Celly and the Big C uses interactive play to introduce core concepts, prioritising understanding, empathy, and emotional safety. The project demonstrates how games can communicate complex ideas clearly and effectively.

Players step into the role of Celly, a T cell starting their first day as a white blood cell. Celly learns how to respond to unusual and cancerous cells with support from their technologically advanced friend P.O.E. Through carefully designed gameplay systems, players explore how treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy work as well as the risks they present. By encouraging curiosity and agency, the game enables children to learn through interaction at their own pace.

This project reflects Norwich’s growing contribution to applied games. It demonstrates the potential of games to support learning and emotional wellbeing alongside, and sometimes as an alternative to, traditional educational approaches.

Objectives

• Improved understanding of cancer treatment – Players will develop a clearer, more accurate understanding of what cancer treatments are, how they work, and why they are used.

• Reduced anxiety around discussing cancer – By framing cancer treatment through play and metaphor, the game aims to reduce fear and stigma, therefore helping children feel more comfortable discussing cancer.

• Increased confidence – The game supports children to engage in a safe environment by encouraging questions rather than avoidance. As a result, it empowers them to seek information and conversation.

• Support for families and educators – Celly and the Big C will act as a starting point for discussion, offering parents, carers, and teachers a shared reference point for sensitive conversations.

Engagement

The team presented the project at Norwich Science Festival 2026, with opportunities to find out about and live play test the game. Following this, the project team delivered a panel talk, Making Games about Tricky Topics, in which they discussed and answered questions from the public about the project.