But I love brussels sprouts!

July 21, 2012 3:21 PM

What is this life-simulation game I played in the early days of the web?

Back in the late 90s I played a simulation game that had you start as an infant and progress developmentally based on a series of questions, i.e. your choices as a baby determined what type of toddler you would grow into (temperamentally, intellectually, etc) and so on.

Two specific things I remember:

• One of the first questions is: you are a baby in a crib, and you spy something colorful from the corner of your eye. Do you turn to look at it? This choice has huge ramifications for you.
• Around middle childhood, your character is served brussels sprouts for dinner and must choose whether to eat them. I said yes. The game told me I was dangerously compliant, and later it would not let me progress to adulthood.

It was text-based, but I definitely played it in Mosaic or Netscape rather than Lynx.

Any ideas?

posted by Flannery Culp to computers & internet (6 answers total)

Is it Alter Ego?
posted by noyb42 at 3:25 PM on July 21, 2012 [2 favorites]

Yep, 2nd Alter Ego!
posted by StrikeTheViol at 3:42 PM on July 21, 2012 [1 favorite]

There was an FPP about it on the Blue.
posted by trip and a half at 4:34 PM on July 21, 2012

Fourthing Alter Ego and mentioning that there's an iPhone app...
posted by Sara C. at 5:03 PM on July 21, 2012

And now I am playing it through instead of sleeping.
My alter-ego life seems to be mainly about trying and failing to save people and therefore witnessing terrible deaths.
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 5:13 PM on July 21, 2012

You guys are great. Maybe now I can finally self-actualize myself.
posted by Flannery Culp at 5:18 PM on July 21, 2012 [1 favorite]