Purple is a rudimentary, text‑based mini‑game distributed in 1986 as a free promotional floppy disk by K.O.M‑Games. The project served as an early demo and proof‑of‑concept for a planned full‑scale arcade title of the same name.
The demo features a minimal rule set: the player, represented by a purple ♣ symbol, must collect keys and reach an exit door while avoiding fast‑moving enemies.
ANSI color codes were used to enhance the visual presentation — an uncommon and experimental technique at the time — reinforcing the game’s distinctive “Purple” identity.
The mini-game was distributed during the planned opening of a new arcade venue. The floppy disks were limited to approximately 300 copies and were intended to generate interest in the upcoming arcade release Purple.
Only a few days after distribution — and prior to the arcade game’s official release — the venue was forced to close. This followed a series of user complaints claiming that the floppy disk contained computer viruses.
The exact nature of these reports was never conclusively determined. It remains unclear whether the issues were caused by actual malware, false positives triggered by unusual file structures, or incompatibilities with early virus detection software.
Regardless of the cause, the incident marked the abrupt end of K.O.M-Games’ first public release attempt.
Despite its failure, Purple (1986) formed the technical foundation for later internal K.O.M‑Games projects. Subsequent builds are known to have reused significant portions of its codebase, including early save and load system logic.
As a result, “Purple” (1986) is considered a rare and historically significant artifact within the early development history of K.O.M-Games.