The Alters
Survive a scorching planet by creating alternate selves.
The Alters, a survival game from 11 Bit Studios, puts players in the role of Jan Dolski, a space miner stranded on a deadly planet. To endure the harsh environment, he must generate alternate versions of himself, called Alters. The game launched on 13 June 2025 for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S, earning generally favorable reviews and the Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year award at the 29th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards.
In the game, Jan is a builder on the Project Dolly space expedition. He pilots a massive, wheel-shaped base across the planet's surface to stay ahead of a lethal sun. Exploration and mining for resources are crucial to maintain and expand the base, which requires infrastructure like electricity pylons to power equipment. Expanding the base involves attaching new rooms and modules, similar to games like Fallout Shelter and XCOM, to improve capabilities and keep the crew content. Each segment of gameplay is timed, as the rising sun can wipe out the entire crew; one real-world second equals one in-game minute.
To survive and escape before sunrise, Jan creates Alters using a material called Rapidium. These are alternate versions of himself shaped by different life choices, each with unique skills, lifestyles, and personalities. Using a "Tree of Life" system, Jan examines his own life path to decide which Alter to bring into existence. Alters provide solutions to current problems—for example, a scientist Jan might help research ways to navigate hostile terrain. Each Alter has emotions, needs, and fears that must be regularly checked; neglect can lead to rash actions with unforeseen consequences. There is a cap on how many Alters a player can create in a single playthrough.
Jan Dolski (voiced by Alex Jordan) is an unremarkable builder on an Ally Corp mining ship heading to a rare triple-star world in search of Rapidium, a newly discovered element with time-accelerating properties. He took the mission to escape Earth, haunted by his mother's death, an abusive father, and a failed marriage to his ex-wife Lena, ruined by his insecurities and obsession with regrets. The ship crashlands for unknown reasons, leaving Jan the sole survivor on a desolate planet riddled with gravitational anomalies, environmental hazards, and a scorching sun, with the wheel-shaped base as his only sanctuary.
Quick Facts
- Title
- The Alters
- Developer
- 11 Bit Studios
- Director
- Tomasz Kisilewicz
- Producer
- Bartek Gwardiak
- Designer
- Rafał Włosek
- Programmer
- Szymon Kurek · Adrian Sawko
- Artist
- Tomasz Cygan
- Writer
- Katarzyna Tybinka · Magda Gamrot · Tomasz Kisilewicz
- Composer
- Piotr Musiał
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Platforms
- PlayStation 5 · Windows · Xbox Series X/S
- Released
- 13 June 2025
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The Alters is set on a hostile, triple-star world where the player character, Jan Dolski, is a builder on the Project Dolly space expedition. Jan's ship crashlands, leaving him the sole survivor on a desolate planet with dangerous gravitational anomalies, environmental hazards, and an encroaching sun that emits lethal radiation. To survive, Jan must pilot a massive, wheel-shaped base along the planet's surface to stay out of the sun's range. He uses a material called Rapidium, which has time-accelerating properties, and the ship's quantum computer to create Alters—alternate versions of himself who made different life choices. Each Alter has distinct skills, personalities, and memories, such as Jan Technician, Jan Scientist, Jan Miner, Jan Doctor, and Jan Botanist, all voiced by Alex Jordan. The Alters have their own emotions, needs, and fears, and if left unattended, they may act rashly with unforeseen consequences.
Reader's Guide
The Alters is notable for its unique blend of survival mechanics and narrative-driven character management. Players must balance base expansion—similar to games like Fallout Shelter and XCOM—with the needs of their Alters, each of whom offers solutions to environmental and logistical problems. The game's timed segments, where one second of real-world time equals one in-game minute, create constant pressure as the sun rises and threatens to obliterate the crew. The Tree of Life system allows players to choose which Alter to bring into existence by examining Jan's life path. The plot explores themes of identity and regret, with multiple endings depending on whether Jan sides with his Alters, supports the disgraced scientist Maxwell, or cooperates with Ally Corp COO Agatha. The game's critical reception was generally positive, and its recognition at the D.I.C.E. Awards highlights its impact within the strategy and simulation genre.
Did You Know?
- The Alters won Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year at the 29th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards.
- Each Alter is voiced by the same actor, Alex Jordan, who also voices Jan Dolski.
- The game uses a system called the Tree of Life to let players choose which alternate version of Jan to create.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Alters?
The Alters is a 2025 survival game developed and published by 11 Bit Studios in which you play as Jan Dolski, a space miner stranded on a hostile planet. The core loop revolves around generating alternate versions of yourself to cope with the environment's extreme dangers.
What are the Alters in The Alters?
The Alters are duplicate copies of Jan Dolski that he creates in order to help himself endure the planet's lethal conditions. They function as extra versions of his own self, handling survival tasks so he can keep moving forward.
What is the main threat in The Alters?
The primary danger is a scorching sun that forces Jan to constantly pilot his massive, wheel-shaped base across the planet's surface to stay ahead of it. The environment itself is deadly, making survival the central challenge throughout the game.
What awards has The Alters won?
The Alters took home the Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year award at the 29th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards. It also received generally favorable critical reviews upon its launch.
When and where can I play The Alters?
The game launched on 13 June 2025 and is available on PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S. It was both developed and published by 11 Bit Studios.
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