Pragmata director Yonghee Cho: 'I'm not a sad dad, I'm a very happy dad'

Pragmata's relationship between protagonists Hugh and Diana stands out: a deeply normal, in-over-his-head man and a wide-eyed, enthusiastic young android. Banter that could feel infantilizing, and a storyline that might come across as cloying as Hugh protects Diana, are handled with a deft touch.

Still, some reviews have lumped Pragmata into the "sad dad" canon alongside The Last of Us and God of War. Kotaku's Kenneth Shephard wrote, "Pragmata reads like it was made by people who think that fatherhood rules, actually, and that getting to provide a young mind with insight, fun, and dreams is a meaningful thing that enriches a person’s life." Director Yonghee Cho offered a simple reason why the game isn't a sad dad story: "I'm not a sad dad, I'm a very happy dad." He said he has a daughter about Diana's age and an older son, and that he put himself in the characters' shoes while creating the story and character actions.

pragmata, yonghee cho, hugh, diana, sad dad, kotaku, kenneth shephard, fatherhood, android, video game