The Alters Review: A Survival Game with Soul and Schism

Stranded on a dying world, The Alters asks a question few games dare: what if you had made a different choice? Developed by 11 bit studios, the minds behind This War of Mine and Frostpunk, this narrative-driven survival experience puts players in the boots of Jan Dolski, a stranded miner racing against the sun on a hostile planet. But the real twist? Jan is not alone. He creates alternate versions of himself called “Alters,” each representing different life choices and personality paths. This setup is both clever and haunting, leading to a survival game that feels more psychological than physical.

At its core, The Alters is about time, resource management, and relationships, particularly the ones you have with your own fragmented self. The game starts modestly: Jan awakens in a mobile base unit, the sun’s deadly rays inching closer with every passing minute. He needs to keep moving, keep building, and keep living. But he cannot do it alone, and so he uses futuristic tech to create the Alters, each one a reflection of a different version of himself, some regretful, some confident, some broken.

Each Alter comes with specific skills. One might be a botanist, able to grow much-needed food. Another could be a technician, keeping systems operational. A medic Alter can help heal the others when injury or stress becomes too much. This sounds like a strategic layer, and it is, but it is also emotional. These aren’t faceless units. They are Jan, and each one comes with their own memories, hang-ups, and evolving feelings about being created. Conversations can be uncomfortable. Some Alters resent you. Others seek validation. Some spiral into existential crises.

This emotional depth makes The Alters stand out. It is not just about crafting workbenches or upgrading solar panels. It is about building a community with versions of yourself who made different life choices and now have to work together. The writing, while not always subtle, is often poignant. Players are forced to consider not just the logic of their decisions, but the psychological implications. You are not commanding an army, you are managing a roomful of fractured mirrors.

The gameplay loop balances narrative beats with systems management. Keeping your mobile base moving ahead of the deadly sunrise is a constant pressure. You must assign tasks, maintain morale, and juggle resources like oxygen, energy, and food. The UI does a decent job of making these tasks clear, though it can get overwhelming in the late game when multiple Alters have conflicting goals and needs. Still, the pacing is tight. You rarely feel safe, but you also rarely feel stuck.

The game’s alien world is rendered with striking, atmospheric detail that underscores its cold, unwelcoming isolation. The planet’s surface is both desolate and oddly serene. The mobile base is packed with detail, and the shifting color palettes help signal urgency as you inch closer to disaster. The Alters themselves are well-designed, each one visually distinct despite being the same person. Character animations are a bit stiff at times, but not distractingly so.

The voice acting brings much of the emotional resonance to life. Jan’s different versions each carry their own tone, doubt, and weariness. These performances elevate the experience, especially in scenes where Alters confront their creator or each other. It is not hard to see the game being discussed less for its crafting mechanics and more for its narrative weight.

That said, The Alters is not without minor flaws. While the experience is emotionally rich and thoughtfully designed, occasional UI quirks and stiff character animations can momentarily pull you out of the story. Some of the resource management tasks can feel repetitive over time, but these issues are far outweighed by the game’s narrative ambition and impactful character work.

The Alters is a bold experiment that mostly succeeds. It dares to explore questions of identity, regret, and collaboration in a setting that could have easily defaulted to standard survival tropes. Instead, it delivers a deeply personal game about being many people and learning how to live with them. Smart mechanics, emotional stakes, and a strong narrative spine make this one of the more memorable indie titles in recent years.

RATING: 4.0 out of 5.

The Alters is available for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S/X.

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