(Image credit: 11 bit studios)
After experiencing This War of Mine and both Frostpunk titles, it’s clear that developer 11 Bit Studios excels in end-of-world scenarios. The Alters builds on this theme with a novel approach, shifting the focus to a sci-fi setting on a distant planet. In This War of Mine, players navigate a war-torn city as civilians in a dire survival quest, while Frostpunk and Frostpunk 2 set their harsh stage in a frozen apocalypse, tasking players with leadership over a struggling city.
This trilogy emphasizes base-building and resource management, but 11 Bit Studios never loses sight of the most crucial element: the people. Known for capturing the human spirit amid dire survival challenges, their latest game follows suit. The Alters unfolds in a sci-fi environment where survival depends on creating alternate versions of oneself on an alien planet. While it might sound like a typical sci-fi cloning narrative, the execution is refreshingly unique.
The game launches on June 13, 2025, and will be accessible on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. It’s developed internally by the studio and published by 11 Bit Studios.
Beginning with the thrilling drama of a sci-fi blockbuster, protagonist Jan Dolski finds himself crash-landed on a treacherous world where his crew has perished. Faced with the planet’s hostility, from lava rivers to radiation pockets, he reaches a massive, wheel-shaped ship that serves as the mission base. As crises mount, Jan must overcome a looming radiation storm that threatens to annihilate the base, prompting him to make the unsettling choice to clone himself, a decision crucial for survival.
Jan uses a rare resource, rapidium, and the base’s quantum computer to create alternate selves with implanted memories. Each clone, or ‘alter,’ emerges from alternative realities with unique skillsets, forming a vital workforce essential for Jan’s survival until rescue arrives.
10Linking these systems with the official site, the game sustains its gripping narrative throughout. It’s more story-centric than earlier titles, maintaining the survival intensity fans expect. As in previous games, the player’s haven becomes the epicenter of survival strategy. In The Alters, survival hinges on smart use of a wheel-shaped central base, necessitating resource gathering from the planet’s rugged surface.
Assessing environmental cues leads to valuable veins suitable for mining vital materials like organics, minerals, and rapidium. Locating these contributes to the construction and sustenance of a continuously expanding base, as rooms like dormitories, kitchens, and labs evolve to cater to the growing number of alters. Expansion is crucial, though not without challenge as players grapple with environmental perils and finite time.
Anomalies such as nasty radiation bubbles present constant hazards, reinforcing a captivating edge to exploration. Crafting appropriate protective measures becomes a priority to ensure safe mining and efficient management of resource priorities. Players manage direct tasks, assigning clones to mine or cook, while storms threaten operational integrity with radiation surges that challenge the player’s adaptive strategy.
The game’s pace benefits from well-designed systems accessible via an all-in-one terminal, which integrates job assignments with crafting and research management. The ability to automate production enhances resource management, catering to organization enthusiasts (often referred to as “sickos” lovingly). In such emergencies, players are encouraged to adapt swiftly using these streamlined systems, optimizing ship module arrangements for peak performance without resource penalties.
Adapting to challenges becomes integral as game chapters unfold, each located distinctly with specific requirements to move the ship forward, sustaining game momentum through strategic decisions. Personalized clone management asserts its depth through intricate character interactions as each alter presents different aspects of Jan’s life narrative.
Cloning in The Alters is far from a mere mechanical endeavor. Instead, it’s part of a psychological journey where players (and Jan) confront moral dilemmas as alters bear their own identities, memories, and emotions. These confrontations begin immediately, steeped in the ethical confrontation of what it means to create living tools for survival.
Alters demand recognition beyond mere functionality, bringing personality and individuality to the narrative. Further explorations enrich their backstory and personality traits, with Alex Jordan masterfully capturing the essence of Jan’s multiplicity. Player interactions shape these relationships, prompting reflection on Jan’s decisions and their resonances across alternate lifelines.
The challenges embodied in developing alters into effective team members incorporate various exchanges and tensions, as clones reconcile their origins and lived experiences against the backdrop of survival imperatives. Whether fostering camaraderie or mediating conflicts, engaging with Jan’s alternate selves is as revealing for players as it is crucial for survival.
In embracing the layered complexities of identity and ethical consciousness, The Alters positions players to explore deeper dilemmas that extend beyond survival. The ripple effects of decisions turn the game into a societal microcosm, continuously reiterating the painstaking process of self-discovery 11 Bit Studios is renowned for.
Challenges mounted by this gameplay prove evocative, echoing back to profound critical choices, reminiscent of the struggles in This War of Mine and Frostpunk. Mastering this beautifully woven narrative amid survival seeks to highlight humanity’s role in storytelling, pushing players to reflect on one’s collective experience through layered character encapsulations and vivid existential imaginings.