After the game came up today in the "What is this game?" thread, I have started playing a little on the online version again, and suddenly found out that the day is gone, and I have not done all the work I was supposed to have done.

It is strange how a game like this can be so immersive, yet there is hardly anything there at all. Just a bit of text and your choices. The first time I played it today, I did not even manage to get past childhood (I got kidnapped and killed by a stranger in a car....). On the second one I got a bit further, andI actually got sad when my father lost his job and needed comforting, and when my then girlfriend Carol broke up the relationship, after a long courtship, I got depressed and do not want to continue with that particular game any more (player suicide?). In many ways this game (is it even a game?) has more emotional impact then most other that I can think of, and I just cant stop wonder why...

Anyway, this is an awareness thread so that more people can sink some time into the wonder which is Alter Ego. The game is online and free and accesses from here: http://www.playalterego.com/

edit: If someone for some reasons has not heard about this masterpiece from 1986, there is Wikipedia article which explains it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alter_Ego_(1986_video_game)

Until I got to the wikipedia link, I thought you were talking about this. The game you're talking about sounds interesting though.

Ouch, I just got the same killed in the car ending. Interesting game and surprisingly funny despite the potential darkness.

Ah, forgot about that one. This is a completely different experience, try the free online version and see what you think.

One of the most interesting decisions they made was to have a male and female version of the game.

Next you will try is Little Computer People...

Clickey

Just finished the game almost to the very end (died in a senior baseball tournament). Like, I imagine, many first-time players I was kind of a late bloomer, only getting married and having a child as a senior. Pretty interesting game, I felt sad when it was over.
EDIT: Woops, somehow posted twice.

Yep, this game is one of the classics that (sadly) have been almost forgotten by now ...

It does get a bit repetitive after several playthroughs, but I always found it very immersive and enjoyable. It demonstrates pretty well how good writing (with a bit of empathy), and an interesting scenario, can make a good game all of their own, even without 3d bazoong and blood splattering around in real-time physics.

Just gave this a quick run through on my lunch break. Thanks for the link, it was very enjoyable, if somewhat sad when my dad drank himself to death after losing his job. Also, I died of old age, after having a life as a successful bachelor entreprenour.