Prince Released an Interactive Video Game in 1994

Prince was known for being a groundbreaking musician, singer, and fashion icon. To a lesser extent, he was also known as a video game developer. In 1994, the artist released Prince Interactive, a CD-ROM-based “point-and-click” 3D video game for Mac OS 7 and Windows 3.1x.

The interactive game took place at Paisley Park Studios, Prince’s studio/home in Minnesota, where players were tasked with navigating the music studio and solving puzzles and challenges to unlock the five pieces that make up Prince’s iconic “Love Symbol.” Along the way, players were treated to six full-length songs, such as “Interactive” and “Endorphin Machine,” which were both exclusive to the CD-ROM at the time. It also featured video interviews with other legendary musicians, including Eric Clapton, Little Richard, George Clinton, and Miles Davis, along with four music videos, various music and video clips, and a karaoke version of “Kiss.”

“Still, as you can plainly see: this relic from 1994 is perfectly vintage Prince,” Adam Rosenberg wrote on Mashable, after finding a copy of Prince Interactive that worked on a PC running Windows XP from the early 2000s. “It's unapologetically weird, aggressively sexual, and steeped in psychedelic future funk vibe that defined the Purple One's '90s heyday.”

Of course, Prince Interactive is out of print, but a few copies are available on eBay for about $50 apiece.