Alien Garden is a non-game for Atari 8-bit computers published by Epyx in 1982 by Bernie De Koven and programmed by virtual reality pioneer Jaron Lanier. Designed with an emphasis on the need for experimentation, Alien Garden was described by its creators as an art game, and ranks among the earliest art games. Its release predates Lanier's Moondust by a year.
Alien Garden
Epyx, Inc. was a video game developer and video game publisher active in the late 1970s and 1980s. The company was founded as Automated Simulations by Jim Connelley and Jon Freeman, originally using Epyx as a brand name for action-oriented games before renaming the company to match in 1983. Epyx published a long series of games through the 1980s. The company is currently owned by Bridgestone Multimedia Group Global.
The Epyx 500XJ Atari CX40-compatible joystick
Image: Epyx 500XJ
Image: Atari Lynx I Handheld