Sometimes when I’m having a moment of ennui, I wonder if life would be completely different if I had made different decisions in the past. It’s usually right before I fall asleep and then I spend about an hour having a bit of an existential crisis. Would a different degree mean I ended up somewhere new or, would I still have trouble falling asleep on the Which Best Buy Mattress of 2018?
It seems like the developers of The Alters, 11 bit studios, may have had similar moments. But instead of it just keeping them up at night, they decided to build a whole game around the concept. A very good game I might add.
All By Myself
The Alters is a narrative survival game where you play as Jan Dolski. A builder on Project Dolly, sent out to a distant planet to try and find a resource called Rapidium. Jan is having a very bad day, his landing pod crashing on the planet and he finds the rest of his crew dead. Stranded, alone on a planet that seems dead set on trying to kill him, he needs to mine for resources to survive.
The mining is pretty standard business – you scan parts of the planet’s surface for resources, pop down a mining outpost and then connect it using pylons to your base. I’ve got to say, I don’t play a lot of survival games (I’m not great at resource management), but I did enjoy trying to optimise the layout of my pylons so I had multiple ones joining together to save materials. I also liked the fact that you could fast travel between each outpost, it made a task I usually find rather tedious in survival games a lot more manageable.
Once you get the hang of resource mining and crafting items to keep your base up and running, you’ll need to move on – as per the sun attempting to burn you to a crisp. Luckily the base is set in a giant wheel so you just make sure you have enough organics, set it to move and… Oh no. Systems malfunction.
Two’s Company
What really sets The Alters apart from other survival games I’ve played is how exactly you set up automation, and gathering upgrades. That’s where the main premise of the game comes into effect.
Faced with the systems malfunction, Jan is then given access to a peculiar ability – creating alternate versions of himself, each shaped by different life choices. These “alters” are essentially versions of Jan that could have existed had he made different decisions in life, and they each bring their own skills, personalities, and baggage. The dynamic between them is the heart of the game, and it’s fascinating to see how their interactions unfold. Some alters cooperate, some clash, and some bring unexpected insights into Jan’s situation.
You can assign each “alter” tasks throughout the day, so you don’t need to mine everything yourself. If they don’t have an assignment, but you have something queued they can take care of, they’ll radio you and ask if they should take care of it. It’s a super interesting system, and luckily you can do everything from inside the menu – no traipsing back to base to give out tasks. There is a fair amount of micromanagement to do at some points that could be a bit overwhelming. If they are set to do a mining task, then they’ll do that all day, which means other queued tasks may not get done. On more than one occasion I found myself pretty stressed trying to juggle lack of storage, food shortages and the perils of a magnetic storm.
Three’s a Crowd
What makes The Alters particularly compelling is the way it handles storytelling. Instead of following a traditional linear path, the game thrives on moral choices and complex interactions. Every decision feels like it has weight, not just in terms of survival but in shaping relationships between Jan and his “alters”. It raises thought-provoking questions about identity and what truly makes a person who they are. How much do our choices define us? Can we ever escape the consequences of past decisions? The game nudges players to think deeply without being overly preachy.
I found myself getting pretty attached to my “alters”. Even when they did particularly stupid things like injure themselves. Managing all the different moods and personalities of what is essentially one person shaped by circumstances is such an interesting concept and the team pulled it off incredibly well. I only got one ending in my time with the game, but I’m excited to jump in and discover what happens if you make other choices.
I won’t spoil the story here The Alters is one of those games that sneaks up on you with an intriguing concept and then pulls you deep into its world before you even realise what’s happening. It’s a sci-fi narrative adventure with a twist that makes it stand out from the usual fare – it’s all about choices, identity, and the consequences of the paths we take. Sure there’s a fair dose of sci-fi tropes to be had (conspiracy, shady corporations, etc) but the relationships Jan has to build and maintain with himself, but not really, was the lynchpin that held everything together.
Visuals, Performance and Gameplay
Visually, the game is stunning. The world design feels desolate yet strangely beautiful, with environments that are both eerie and spectacular to look at. The lighting and atmosphere play a big role in setting the mood, whether it’s the cold loneliness of the planet or the tension between Jan and his “alters”. It’s easy to get lost in the scenery, even while the urgency of survival hangs in the air.
The gameplay itself is an interesting mix. There’s resource management, exploration, and dialogue-driven choices that keep things moving at a steady pace. The “alters” contribute in different ways, adding a layer of strategy in deciding who to trust and rely on. It’s a fresh take that blends well into the overall themes of the game.
There are a few drawbacks, one being the pacing at times. Some sections feel slower, especially when the game leans heavily into dialogue and introspection. There’s also a few times where it’s not made fully clear how, or even if you can pass certain obstacles. The first time I encountered an anomaly, I thought I’d need an upgrade to bypass it, only to discover quite late into the act you could walk around them if you’re careful, which meant I had missed out on gathering a valuable resource for quite a long time. I also encountered a few visual glitches here and there – although the performance was generally excellent.
But these are pretty minor issues in the grand scheme of things, especially when the narrative holds so much intrigue. It’s not an action-packed thrill ride, but it’s not meant to be. The Alters is about reflection, about human nature, and about what it truly means to be oneself.
Final Thoughts
All in all, The Alters delivers a unique and memorable experience. It’s the kind of game that lingers in the mind long after the credits roll. For those who enjoy deep storytelling and intriguing character dynamics, it’s absolutely worth exploring.
Should I have listened to the Scientist and crunched my other selves more for the mission? Did I do the right thing for the Miner and his injuries even though it made things more difficult in the long run? When I was lying in bed thinking about all these different versions of who I could have been, did I stop thinking about me?
The Alters releases on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on the 13th of June. It will also be launching on Xbox Game Pass.
The game was reviewed on PC and Gamer Social Club would like to thank the developers for the code.
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