Alter Ego - Your other life, through text and choices

[MegaScientifical]

Several years ago, I was introduced to the game Alter Ego. At the time, I didn't pay much attention - Just play. You'd chose actions, moods, and see how the game treats you depending on them. You'd go from life to death, although death always seemed sooner than you'd like. You could say, and this probably is, that the point is to reach death by old age instead of any other reason. To live a good, stable life.

The webpage states the game was originally written and released in 1986. Since then, it was adapted for the web browser. While the site has not had an update in 4 years, it is still hosted. Try it out and see how far you get, or how quickly you can end it all:

http://www.playalterego.com/

[Ad Bot]

[auzman466]

There's also an iPhone app.

[MegaScientifical]

Yes, it is also for iPhone and Android. I can't vouch for those versions, though. I didn't know they existed until yesterday and only got my new android phone almost a year ago. Probably good since they came from the same site, though. You'll find links to each version on the website as well.

Edit: Here is a 'wishlist' of features: http://www.playalterego.com/wishlist.html

Most of these speak about how, to incorporate them, the game would need total rewrites to accommodate. Furthermore, translations are implausible for that sense. It's a lot of text, and people want more. Having translations means that much less likely to add such changes, since you'd need to re-coordinate translators.

[LegendZ]

I'm having way too much fun with this.

[ChexGuy331]

are you kidding me, I can't calmly hit a man on the nose?

0/10

[kanew2000]

Every time I play this game, I forget the correct sequence for the kidnapper and die.

[MegaScientifical]

are you kidding me, I can't calmly hit a man on the nose?

0/10

Someone has to flinch.

Every time I play this game, I forget the correct sequence for the kidnapper and die.

Not sure there is a correct sequence. There's some randomness to this.

[CharlesSpeaking]

Not sure there is a correct sequence. There's some randomness to this.

really? i thought the best answer required a high physical stat all along

[kanew2000]

I'm thinking the correct way to not get kidnapped is to not wait to run

tried it, it is

[CharlesSpeaking]

I'm thinking the correct way to not get kidnapped is to not wait to run

if i remember correctly, either two or three of the answers can be correct

i thought the car had a chance of crashing

[.:FancyPants:.]

Every time I play this game, I forget the correct sequence for the kidnapper and die.

i found the app on my old ipod a few months ago and on my first play in a long time, i died that way.
oh god i sat there all white faced for like five minutes wondering what the forget happened, deleted the app and it totally ruined my day.

[kanew2000]

i found the app on my old ipod a few months ago and on my first play in a long time, i died that way.
oh god i sat there all white faced for like five minutes wondering what the forget happened, deleted the app and it totally ruined my day.

yeah it's a pretty big put-off to die that way

also I just finished my first 'full' run, married old never had kids because every single wedding day but the last w/ Georgia forgeted up somehow and then I died of a heart attack during senior softball

all in all pretty damn satisfying

[MegaScientifical]

It's too bad you can't do every situation in each stage. I like doing things in order, but you can't tell which to skip without remembering what goes to what block from previous playthroughs. The list is chronological, at least to an extent, so skipping right to the bottom is a bit of a leap from where you were on the last situation.

[Flamecannon]

stood up at the altar?!
forget this aaaaahhhh!

TWICE?!?!?
TWIIICE!!!

In the end I finally got married, third times's the charm, I died with a fairly good amount of wealth to boot, retiring from business gets the chachingabangaranga. protip: use cheese!
What a quaint game, it is very introspective on the actions that occur during a lifetime, and how it's very unexpected of the outcome. It capitalizes on how detrimental it is to spend your childhood to the fullest, and that's great. I assume you know why you can't do every situation but that's alrighty.

[kanew2000]

It's too bad you can't do every situation in each stage. I like doing things in order, but you can't tell which to skip without remembering what goes to what block from previous playthroughs. The list is chronological, at least to an extent, so skipping right to the bottom is a bit of a leap from where you were on the last situation.

I think it's made for you to go down a certain path in the block and you'll have hit the bottom by the time that module is up, rather than completing it piece by piece.