Download Alternex: (.msi, 24MB, or .zip, 18MB and requires the XNA 3.0 Redistributable)
You'll also need the .NET 2.0 Framework or higher, if you don't already have it installed.
Alternex is a "hardcore educational" game about alternative energy strategies. It won 2nd place in the 2009 Imagine Cup Game Development competition. More about that.
In Alternex, players must minimize the amount of waste produced by a nation's power plants over a given time by researching new technologies and building more efficient power plants. The nation's power needs grow at a fast clip, and players must manage resources wisely if they hope to keep up.
Implementing alternative energy strategies is a complex task that is full of unique hurdles, several of which show up in Alternex. For example:
Some alternative energy collection can only take place on certain terrain, and altering the power grid to account for the extra distance from population centers can be expensive.
Since it's never clear what a technology will look like after years of intense research, it is often useful to research several technologies at the same time, even if only one will eventually be implemented on a grand scale.
Technological improvement never stops, but power plants must be built. It's up to the player to determine when a technology is mature enough for an early implementation. Waiting can allow it to become cheaper and more efficient, but waiting too long lets waste pile up in the meantime.
Alternex does not shove its educational points in the player's face. Instead, it models the complex systems behind energy reform and lets the lessons emerge through play.
