thatgamecompany Reveals New Behind-the-Scenes Video Exploring the Beautiful “Dear Van Gogh” Experience
Hear From Artists, Musicians, and Game Designers on How the Legendary Studio Brought Vincent van Gogh’s World to Life in Sky: Children of the Light
SANTA MONICA, Calif. – September 25, 2026 – thatgamecompany, creators of Sky: Children of the Light, Journey, and more, today debuted a brand new behind-the-scenes video diving into the critically acclaimed “Dear Van Gogh,” an interactive experience featured inside of Sky, the studio’s popular cozy MMO, available for mobile, PC and console platforms. Dear Van Gogh offers players a new way to encounter one of the world’s most recognizable artists, Vincent van Gogh, known for being a pioneering post-impressionist painter of the 19th century – not simply by looking at his work, but by exploring an interactive interpretation of this world through art direction, music, movement and game design. The five-minute video is a meaningful and mesmerizing look into the marriage of video game storytelling and one of history’s most compelling figures.
Watch the Behind-the-Scenes Video on YouTube
“Reading the letters [between Vincent and Theo], I immediately started to cry to hear a story about a painter that focuses on these unconditional, unsung heroes,” said Jenova Chen, CEO and Creative Director of thatgamecompany. “It was tremendous to see how our game can actually influence other younger generations to rediscover one of the greatest artists in the world.”
The new video includes:
- How thatgamecompany translated Vincent van Gogh’s iconic style into 3D worlds for players to explore.
- How the team was inspired by the many letters exchanged between Vincent, his devoted brother Theo, and sister-in-law Johanna – culminating in a tale of familial bonds, commitment and love.
- How the team navigated the tragic circumstances of Vincent’s mental illness and untimely death, celebrating the artist while confronting the hurdles life presented him.
Dear Van Gogh released on July 17 as a standalone experience available in Sky: Children of the Light, which is free-to-play on iOS, Android, PC via Steam, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch. Sky received the iPhone Game of the Year award in 2019, ‘Best Mobile Game’ and ‘Audience Award’ at the 2020 Game Developers Choice Awards, and ‘Mobile Game of the Year’ at the 2020 SXSW Gaming Awards. thatgamecompany released Sky: Children of the Light in July 2019 and the game has since surpassed 300 million downloads.
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