The Alters is an ambitious sci-fi survival game with a unique twist. You play as Jan Dolski, the lone survivor of a crash-landed expedition on a hostile planet. To survive, you must form a new crew for your mobile base.
Using a substance called Rapidium, you create alternative versions of Jan—THE ALTERS—each one shaped by a different crucial decision from the protagonist’s past.
As you navigate through survival and moral dilemmas, you will explore a branching narrative filled with captivating character dynamics and challenging decisions.
At the same time, you’re challenged to reflect on one of life’s fundamental questions – do we shape our destiny or does it shape us? This makes your bid for survival a deeply personal experience.
Use the quantum computer onboard your base to simulate alternate outcomes of your past choices and uncover Jan’s different life paths. Each Alter brought to life thanks to the remarkable properties of Rapidium comes with unique skills and emotional depths. These variations offer both opportunities and challenges as you navigate personal struggles and manage the fragile dynamics of your crew.
To operate the mobile base, you’ll need to explore the planet’s surface in search of precious resources, like metals and organics. Yet venturing outside the safe haven comes with the risk of exposing you and your Alters to various deadly anomalies as well as the ever-present radiation of the sun. That’s why you must pay attention to the in-game day and night cycle and plan your daily activities wisely!
Navigate a narrative rich with moral dilemmas and branching paths. Your choices will shape Jan’s relations with his Alters which then will impact their journey and lead you to multiple outcomes and endings.
Gathered resources can be used in different ways – create necessary items or develop your base with additional modules like Research Lab or Social Room. Sometimes you will have to choose between creating items specially for your Alters and ones that could push the mission forward, like Anomaly Detectors or Radiation Filters. The burden of every decision lies solely on your shoulders as you will never be able to satisfy everyone’s needs.
The planet features unique biomes and secrets waiting to be found, but deadly anomalies stand in your way. Levitating rocks and eerie distortions of reality attract attention immediately, while other singularities remain invisible to the naked eye and require special tools to uncover. In all cases, you must be extra careful - or face the risk of instant death, radiation-induced injuries, and even disintegration of time and space. Also, you may want to avoid exploring the planet during hours when intense radioactivity can eat right through your suit. Happy travels!
Jan Dolski is about to face the answers to the essential “what if?” question in the form of alternative versions of himself. This makes the predicament he is in even more daunting as you slowly discover the impact every choice has on Jan’s survival.
The Alters poses you with life’s most nagging questions
11 BIT STUDIOS®, THE ALTERS® are registered trademarks of 11 BIT STUDIOS S.A.
© 11 BIT STUDIOS S.A. All other marks and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.
Game length provided by HowLongToBeat
Posted on: June 16, 2025
immediatewalter
Games: 12 Reviews: 2
Fascinating story, satisfying mechanics
Story is really pulling you along, waiting in suspense on what will/might happen next. Basic gameplay loop is simple and satisfying, at least for the moment. I can strongly recommend as long as you're not looking for fast action.
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Posted on: June 19, 2025
elkujot
Games: 137 Reviews: 2
early reaction - it's great!
so far only 5 hours in but i'm enjoying myself a lot!
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Posted on: June 22, 2025
sascha.snowstorm
Games: Reviews: 5
Nuanced Storytelling
Great story and writing wrapped in a resource-management coating. Don't expect factorio or Satisfactory from the game, it's more like the resource-sim and basebuilding from XCOM mixed with some mining and exploration, and the anomaly exploration from the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games. It's a unique mix and works well, the gameplay is fun and it comes across like an interactive movie in some ways.
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Posted on: June 23, 2025
Trifler
Games: 163 Reviews: 2
Enjoyable!
Still near the start, but I'm enjoying the progress.
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Posted on: June 30, 2025
Mevelios
Verified ownerGames: 99 Reviews: 19
Poland's got talent, and strikes again
How long has it been since I last cared about the characters' personal story in a game? As the studios behind This war of mine and Frostpunk, 11 Bit Studios prepared another experience for us with strong moral choices, wrapped into an even stronger storyline! In essence, The Alters are a game mixing management & adventure, with a small survival side. Be ready to embark on Jan Dolski's journey, alone and stranded on a distant planet... alone? Well, not for long actually. Such is the premise, and promise of the Alters: to survive, Jan has to duplicate himself off different life choices simulated by a computer, to enlarge the array of skills available at the base since the sun won't wait long before scorching him... or soon enough, before scorching them. Time is constantly of the essence in this race to avoid a fiery death. Choose wisely, at any turning point, which Alter should be "born"; which tech should you research; what materials are you bringing with you everytime the base moves; what your priorities are, between the mission and your Alters' wishes & opinions. Honestly, it's not the gameplay itself that is strong. Don't look for any combat; you'll only avoid or delete radioactive anomalies sometimes tracking you. Here, it's all about the journey: not as in the "adventure" side of the game, but how will you make Jan's story unfold, which questions will you have him consider, what answers will you lead him to. It's not about another hero - it's about an ordinary man thrown at an exceptional situation. However, don't expect to go through all choices, possibilities, research in a single run. Again, choose wisely at every turn and anticipate some setbacks. Whatever your morals may be, do you really have the means to meet them? I'd wish there were some form of free exploration/movement without time constraint, I really liked that canyon level. Now I'm curious about what's expecting us with the DLC; until then, expect a very worthwhile experience with this game!
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