| Alex Chen | |
|---|---|
| Life Is Strange character | |
 | |
| First appearance | Life Is Strange: True Colors (2021) |
| Created by | Deck Nine |
| Voiced by | Erika Mori mxmtoon (singing voice) |
Alexandra "Alex" Chen is a character from the Life Is Strange video game series published by Square Enix. Created by American developer Deck Nine, she first appears in the 2021 video game Life Is Strange: True Colors as its main protagonist. Alex has the supernatural power to see, experience, and manipulate the emotions of people around her. At the outset of the game, she moves from Portland, Oregon to the fictional Colorado town of Haven Springs to live with her brother Gabe Chen, who dies in an accident soon after her arrival. She is forced to utilize her power of empathy, the volatility of which has made her life difficult up to this point, in order to discover the truth behind her brother's tragic death and find closure for herself.
Several different versions of Alex were originally workshopped during the concept phase, before the developmental team decided to finalize her backstory as an Asian-American character who grew up in the foster care system. The development team did extensive research work on the experience of being in the foster care system, which informed the writing and performance. Deck Nine Senior staff writer Felice Kuan was the primary writer responsible for Alex. She is portrayed by actress Erika Mori through full performance motion capture. Recording artist mxmtoon served as the character's singing voice. All three women drew from experiences of their own cultural backgrounds as Asian Americans in their respective contributions towards the depiction of the character in True Colors.
Both Alex Chen and the performance of her actress Erika Mori have been met with a generally positive reception from fans of the Life is Strange series, as well as critical acclaim from video game publications with multiple award nominations and accolades. Several commentators recognized Alex's importance as a milestone for diversity in the representation of characters from minority backgrounds in the video game industry.