The Alters

The Alters is a cross between a strategy and adventure game. It was developed by the Polish 11 bit studios, known for the bestselling This War of Mine.

Plot

The Alters is set in a sci-fi universe. The main character of the game is Jan Dolski - a simple worker and the solve survivor of a spaceship crash on an alien planet. The globe is not hospitable and full of radiation, which will soon turn lethal due to its orbital and rotational movement.

Jan needs help to survive, therefore, he makes use of the local resource known as Rapidium to create alternate versions of himself - the titular alters. This grants him additional manpower, but forces him to care for the alters as well, all of whom have unique backstories, personalities and abilities.

Our actions and choices will determine the fate of Dolski and his alternate selves.

Mechanics

The Alters consists of two gameplay layers. The first is managing our mobile base, seen from the side, like in This War of Mine or Fallout Shelter. There, Jan must fulfill his duties, being assisted by his clones. The titular alters can be created in the Womb, a powerful, organic sphere. Creating alternate selves of Jan, we make decisions affecting their pasts (up to the crash landing), personalities, abilities, strengths and weaknesses. To succeed, we must create alters that can meet our current needs or fill in gaps in our personnel.

Jan must also maintain positive relations with the alters who can interact with themselves as well, often arguing. The base must also be expanded by adding more modules - kitchens, bedrooms, labs and other useful rooms. We need resources to do so - this is where the second gameplay layer comes into play.

The Alters allows us to explore the surface of the alien planet. From the third-person perspective, the player traverses atmospheric areas and gathers valuable resources. Access to some places is limited due to high radiation, so if we want to replenish supplies, we must often work hard and face unexpected challenges.

Technical aspects

The Alters makes great use of the Unreal Engine 5. The character models, animations and area designs, especially the base interior, are all very appealing.