What if your only way to survive was to clone yourself, and each version had a mind of its own?
That’s the strange and powerful question behind The Alters, the new sci-fi survival game from 11 Bit Studios, creators of This War of Mine and Frostpunk. Released today, The Alters mixes base-building, emotional storytelling, and some nice exploration into one of the most inspiring games of the year.
A Survival Game Like No Other
You play as Jan Dolski, the sole survivor of a crash on a dangerous alien planet. Your mission? Survive long enough to collect a rare substance called Rapidium. But there’s a big problem: you can’t do it alone.
Thanks to an advanced technology, you create clones of yourself, called Alters, and is each based on a different version of your life. One may be a scientist, another a technician, or even a version of Jan who took a darker path. These aren’t simple NPCs, they literally have personalities, emotions, and sometimes resentment about being created at all.
Managing Emotions as Much as Resources
The Alters aren’t just little workers that you summon, they’re people, and you’ll need to keep them happy to survive. That means building rooms for socializing, playing games like Beer Pong, watching movies, and even just talking. Their moods can affect your entire operation. If things go wrong emotionally, it can ruin your day, and your chances.
This adds a big layer of emotional depth that is rarely seen in survival games. It asks big questions about identity, morality, and memory, and sometimes, with heartbreaking results.
A Weird but Beautiful World
Visually, The Alters is also really beautiful. Built on Unreal Engine 5, it mixes hostile landscapes and glowing sci-fi effects, which is both odd and exciting. The game runs smoothly on most systems, with modes for 30FPS and 60FPS depending on your setup.
It’s also packed with weirdness in the best way. Your base is a sort of massive wheel, and the whole game feels like it’s both straight out of your own dreams, or nightmares. You will be left questioning your own life, choices, and future.
Highly Recommended
The Alters is one of the most unique survival games in years. It’s emotional, ambitious, and wonderfully strange. Some moments may be frustrating, and the game asks a lot from the player, but we can guaranty you it’s definitely worth it. If you enjoy games with deep stories, fun and quirky characters, and just the right amount of sci-fi weirdness, don’t miss this one.
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