Jenova Chen, co-founder of the video game studio Thatgamecompany, has detailed an unlikely two decade trajectory that began as a school project reacting to the Columbine High School massacre and later culminated in an interactive tribute to the painter Vincent van Gogh. In remarks prepared for the studio’s 20th anniversary, Chen described a personal and professional path that defied early cultural stigmas against video games in his home country.
Chen stated that he never seriously considered making video games during his youth. “Where I grew up, video games were seen as gambling, and oversexualized kind of soft porn, and overviolenced,” he said. “Nobody respected video games. My parents would be ashamed if I told them I would be making video games.”
Origins in a school response to tragedy
The studio’s foundational project was conceived as a direct response to the 1999 Columbine High School shooting in the United States. Chen and his team, then students, developed a game intended to explore themes of empathy and emotional connection rather than violence. The project sought to counter the prevailing media narrative that linked video games to real world aggression.
This early work established the philosophical groundwork for what would become Thatgamecompany. The studio was formally founded in 2006 and quickly gained recognition for titles that prioritized emotional storytelling over competitive gameplay or graphic content.
A shift toward artistic expression
Over the following years, the studio released critically acclaimed titles including “Flow,” “Flower,” and “Journey.” Each title moved further from conventional action oriented design toward meditative, visually driven experiences. “Journey,” released in 2012, won multiple Game of the Year awards and became a landmark title for demonstrating commercial viability in non violent, emotionally resonant game design.
The studio’s most recent major project, “Sky: Children of the Light,” launched on mobile platforms in 2019 and continues to operate as a persistent social world. The title expanded the studio’s focus on cooperative play and nonverbal communication between players.
Celebrating Van Gogh through interactive media
The company’s latest endeavor represents its most overt artistic collaboration to date. Thatgamecompany partnered with cultural institutions to create an interactive experience based on the life and works of Vincent van Gogh. The project, announced during the studio’s 20th anniversary celebrations, is designed to let players explore the painter’s visual style and emotional state through gameplay mechanics.
Chen described the Van Gogh tribute as a natural evolution of the studio’s mission to use video games as a medium for empathy and introspection. The project marks a significant departure from the anti Columbine origins of the studio, reflecting broader changes in public perception of video games as a legitimate artistic medium.
Industry context and legacy
Thatgamecompany’s trajectory mirrors a wider shift in the video game industry during the same period. Independent studios have increasingly found critical and commercial success by focusing on narrative, art, and emotional impact rather than traditional action or competition oriented designs. Major platform holders, including Sony and Apple, have featured Thatgamecompany titles as showcase examples of artistic game design.
Chen attributed the studio’s longevity to a consistent focus on emotional authenticity. He stated that the team has deliberately avoided chasing market trends or incorporating monetization models that could compromise the player experience. The studio has maintained a relatively small team size, even as its titles have reached millions of players worldwide.
Looking ahead
Thatgamecompany has confirmed it is developing new projects that continue to explore the intersection of interactive media and fine art. The studio has not announced a release date for the Van Gogh experience, but indicated it will launch on multiple platforms. Future titles are expected to build on the studio’s established design principles, focusing on nonviolent, cooperative, and emotionally grounded gameplay.
Source: GamesIndustry.biz
