RPGFit check
Is Alter Ego worth it for you?
We tell you who should skip it, too.
Play it if you…
Good fit- Interactive-fiction readers who want a story spanning an entire lifetime
- Players who prefer making repeated narrative decisions over direct action
- Fans of pick-a-path books seeking a longer choice-driven format
Skip it if you…
Saves you a refund- Players seeking action, combat, or visually driven gameplay rather than text and questions
- Players who prefer a short, fixed narrative instead of a long sequence of life decisions
- Readers looking for substantially new story content beyond the original 1986 game
Our take on Alter Ego
Rather than focusing on a short adventure or a single dramatic episode, Alter Ego applies choice-based fiction to an entire human lifespan. Its structure replaces a conventional plot arc with a long chain of decisions covering childhood, relationships, work, family, and death.
What is Alter Ego?
Alter Ego is a text-based interactive fiction game built around life decisions.
Players guide a character from birth through death by answering more than 1,000 multiple-choice questions. Its structure draws on pick-a-path gamebooks but expands the format across an entire lifetime. Choices cover experiences such as dealing with bullies, dating, marriage, children, careers, and business. The game includes two substantially different versions based on whether the character is male or female. This edition updates the interface and fixes bugs from the original 1986 release, while retaining its original content. Alter Ego was first published for Commodore 64, MS-DOS, Apple II, and Macintosh.
How Alter Ego plays
- 01Lifetime Story Arc
- The playable narrative begins at birth and continues through the character’s death.
- 02Choice-Based Progression
- More than 1,000 multiple-choice questions determine the direction of the character’s life.
- 03Two Character Versions
- The game provides substantially different versions for male and female characters.
- 04Updated Edition
- This release changes the interface and repairs bugs from the 1986 version without changing its content.
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Choice of GamesFor:Interactive-fiction readers who want long, choice-driven storiesSkip if:Players seeking graphics, sound effects, or mechanically driven gameplayPicked by overlapping fit notes and genres, not an editorial comparison.
Alter Ego: platforms & release
Is Alter Ego worth it?
It is worth it if: interactive-fiction readers who want a story spanning an entire lifetime. Skip it if: players seeking action, combat, or visually driven gameplay rather than text and questions.
Where can I download Alter Ego?
Use the Download Now button on this page: it opens Alter Ego's store page, where you can choose how to get it.
What platforms is Alter Ego on?
Windows, macOS and Linux.
