Alpha (video game)

Alpha is an adventure game developed and published by Square. It was released for the PC-88, PC-98, FM-7, and Sharp X1 systems in 1986. Alpha uses a text parser to interpret the player's instructions and displays the results on screen. Academics have described the game as a visual novel and as a adventure game. The storyline of Alpha progresses as the player inputs short commands carried out by the game's heroine. Similarly to another interactive fiction game by Square, The Death Trap, but contrary to most games in the genre, the situations confronted by the main character are presented in still pictures. The text is displayed within a white-bordered blue background, also present in message windows of the early Final Fantasy installments. Hidden characters appear in the background of most scenes, and such as a ninja appearing outside a car window. Alpha is set in the future after the Earth's natural resources have been completely drained. Humanity is forced to embark on a centuries-long trip to the titular planet on the space ship Daedalus.