Who Is Alice Print?

The whole game revolves around one name. It was made for her, it asks you to be her, and its publisher is still posting on Steam asking if anyone has found her. Here’s what is actually known about Alice Print, how the mystery is being told, and the theories worth taking seriously.

What the Game Tells Us

The game was made by its creator for a girl named Alice Print.
The “Print” in the title is her surname, which turns the title into a double meaning. More on that in Title Meaning Decoded.
The creator’s love tests are meant to convince Alice that the two of them belong together.
The game asks the player whether they are Alice and refuses to continue unless they say yes.
Diary notes from Alice’s point of view appear before each test.

That’s the core. Everything else comes from the frame story around the game, which is broken down in Story Explained.

The Found-Laptop Story

According to the opening note and the Steam description, the publisher bought a second-hand laptop whose previous owner had disappeared. On it was this game. They don’t know who made it or who Alice is, but they believe she’s out there, and they released it in the hope she, or someone who knows her, would recognize it.

The store page ends by speaking to Alice directly, asking her to get in touch if she’s reading, and inviting everyone else to help solve the mystery.

The Publisher’s Search on Steam

The mystery continues outside the game through Steam news posts written in character by “The Publisher.” Read in order, they tell a small story of their own:

Before launch: the publisher admits going back and forth about releasing it, wanting more time and more chances for people who might know Alice to see it. They ask players to wishlist it and tell others.
At launch: they say they’ve done everything they could think of and put the game where the right person might find it. If you’re Alice, they write, this was made for you. If you’re not, play it anyway and speak up if something feels familiar.
After the first week: they thank players for spreading the game, note that it has reached many people but Alice still hasn’t been found, and ask everyone to keep sharing information about “Alice and Pilu.”

The tone is earnest and slightly anxious, which keeps the fiction feeling alive between play sessions.

Who Is Pilu?

The game file was named PILU, the initials of the title. The publisher’s posts now mention Pilu alongside Alice, including thanks to a streamer for a gameplay video “of Pilu.” The most straightforward reading is that Pilu is the game itself, treated almost like a character with its own identity. It’s a nice touch: the thing being passed around the internet is both the clue and the messenger.

Who Really Made the Game?

Outside the fiction, the answer is public. Press materials credit the game to developer Claudio Moltedo and publisher Red Hog Studio, based in Rome, with a team whose members have worked at studios such as Epic Games, Ubisoft and Stormind Games. The developer describes the project as an exploration of a “small scale, strong emotions” approach, inspired by Milk inside a bag of milk inside a bag of milk.

On Steam, though, the developer is listed as “Unknown,” which keeps the in-world story intact for anyone who only sees the store page. One reviewer admitted to still wondering whether the found-laptop story might be true, which is exactly the uncertainty the marketing is designed to create.

Is Alice a Real Person?

Within the fiction, Alice is presented as real: a specific girl with a specific story. Outside it, she’s a character in an alternate reality game, a narrative that spills out of the game onto its store page and social channels. There’s no indication she’s a real individual, and fans treat the search as part of the experience rather than an actual missing-person case.

Fan Theories

1. Alice is the player

The game won’t run unless you say you’re Alice. Every player is forced into her role and experiences the love tests as the target of someone else’s devotion. This theory argues the game isn’t looking for a real Alice at all; it’s making each player understand what it feels like to be her.

2. The publisher knows more than they admit

The publisher’s posts are slightly too invested for someone who just found a file. Some players suspect the publisher has a personal connection to the story and that future posts will reveal it.

3. The bundle is the next chapter

The game is bundled with Looking Up I See Only A Ceiling, with copy hinting that finishing one means the other is waiting. Fans are watching for shared names, images or themes that would tie the two stories together.

4. The secret message is the real answer

The crossed-out text in the secret message deliberately withholds information. Some players believe the struck-through words hold the key to Alice’s identity or fate, and that the game is saying some things were never meant to be read.

How to Join the Search

Get every achievement, especially Oxytocin, to see all the in-game clues.
Read the Steam news posts in order.
Look through the Hidden Easter Eggs for details found in the files.
Keep an eye on the bundle partner and the soundtrack release for new material; both are covered in the How Long to Beat.

What Is an ARG?

An alternate reality game is a story that doesn’t stay inside its own medium. Instead of living only in a game or a film, it spills into the real world through websites, social media posts, hidden files, emails and puzzles. The fiction is presented as if it were real, and the audience helps uncover it together.

The format has a long history. One of the best-known early examples, known as The Beast, promoted the film A.I. Artificial Intelligence in 2001 with a web of fake websites and phone numbers. A few years later, I Love Bees promoted Halo 2 through a hijacked-looking beekeeping website and payphone calls. Modern indie horror games often use lighter versions of the same idea, and Print I Love U fits that tradition: an unknown developer, an in-character publisher, a missing person and hidden audio waiting to be decoded.

The Found-Media Tradition

The game’s premise also draws on found media, the storytelling style made famous in horror by films presented as recovered footage. The appeal is simple: if something was “found” rather than made for you, it feels more real and more intrusive. Games have adopted the approach with cursed cartridges, abandoned files and mysterious downloads. Here, the found object is a romance game on a second-hand laptop, and the intrusion is emotional rather than supernatural. You aren’t discovering a monster. You’re discovering someone’s private feelings.

Clues Worth Tracking

Clue	Where it appears	Why it matters
Alice Print’s name	Opening note, title, Steam page	The center of the mystery
Diary notes	Before each love test	The only material presented in Alice’s voice
Trash bin notes	Inside the game	Discarded writing that fills gaps in the story
SSTV signal	First ending, final screen	Hidden image that leads to the secret message
Crossed-out text	Secret message	Deliberately withheld information
Pilu	File name and Steam posts	A second name in the publisher’s search
Italian test script	Game files	A leftover line addressed to “Rodrigo”
The bundle	Steam store	A possible link to another story

How to Weigh a Theory

Community mysteries attract a lot of speculation, and not all of it holds up. A few simple tests help separate strong theories from wishful thinking:

Does it use something actually in the game or on its official pages? Theories built on in-game text, files or the publisher’s posts are more solid than ones built on outside coincidences.
Does it explain more than one clue? A good theory ties several details together, such as the refusal mechanic, the diary notes and the crossed-out text.
Does it fit the tone? The game is quiet and personal. Theories that turn it into a sprawling conspiracy usually miss what it’s about.
Could it be disproven? If new posts or a connected game appear, would they confirm or rule it out? Theories that can be tested are more useful to the community.

What “Finding Alice” Really Means

Within the fiction, the publisher wants to find a person. For players, “finding Alice” works on a different level. It means understanding her side of a story that was built entirely around someone else’s feelings about her. The game never lets Alice speak freely. Even her diary is framed inside the creator’s project. The search, in that sense, is a search for her perspective, and the true ending and the secret message are the closest the game comes to giving it.

That’s also why the mystery feels unfinished on purpose. A story about someone who was never fully heard can’t end with a neat answer about who she is.

Reading the Publisher’s Posts Closely

The Steam posts are short, but they’re written carefully, and small word choices shape how the mystery feels.

The pre-launch post

A few days before release, the publisher announced the launch date with a short, tense message. They wrote about wanting more time and more chances for people who might know Alice to see the game. The framing is personal and a little restless, as if releasing the game were a risk rather than a business decision.

The launch post

On release day, the tone becomes almost pleading. They say they’ve told everyone they know and put the game where the right person might find it. The direct address, “if you’re Alice,” pulls every reader into the fiction.

The follow-up

About a week later, the publisher thanks players, points to a streamer’s video, admits Alice still hasn’t been found, and asks for information about both Alice and Pilu. Introducing a second name keeps the mystery moving and gives the community something new to chew on.

Across all three, the publisher never explains who they are. They’re defined entirely by the search, which fits a story about someone defined by a single fixation.

Community Etiquette

Because the mystery is framed as a real search, it’s worth being clear about boundaries, especially given what the game is about:

Alice Print is a fictional character. Don’t search for, message or tag real people who share her name or look like the art.
Keep theories inside the fiction. Discuss the game’s text, files and official posts rather than real individuals.
Mark spoilers. The true ending and the secret message are the heart of the experience. Let others find them.
Credit other solvers. The Oxytocin puzzle was cracked through shared effort. Link to the guides and discussions that helped you.

It would be an odd way to honor a game about respecting boundaries to cross them in real life.

Has Alice been found? In the fiction, the publisher’s latest posts say no.
Is this an ARG? Yes. The story continues through the Steam page and news posts.
Is it safe to take part? Yes. Treat it as a story, not a real search, and never share personal information about real people.
Does Alice appear in the game? Yes, as the girl in the love tests and through the diary notes, though always inside the creator’s project.
Why is the developer listed as Unknown? To keep the found-laptop fiction intact on the store page. Press materials credit Claudio Moltedo.
Where should I post a theory? The Steam discussion boards are where most solving happens. Mark spoilers clearly.
Could Alice be connected to the bundled game? The bundle copy suggests the two are linked for players who finish one, so it’s worth watching.