The Alters

Last updated
The Alters
The Alters cover art.jpg
Developer(s) 11 Bit Studios
Publisher(s) 11 Bit Studios
Director(s) Tomasz Kisilewicz
Designer(s) Rafał Włosek
Artist(s) Tomasz Kisilewicz
Composer(s) Piotr Musiał
Engine Unreal Engine
Platform(s)
ReleaseQ1 2025
Genre(s) Survival
Mode(s) Single-player

The Alters is an upcoming survival game developed and published by 11 Bit Studios. In the game, the player assumes control of Jan Dolski, a space miner who must create alternate versions of himself in order to survive on an inhospitable planet. It is scheduled to release for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S in early 2025.

Contents

Gameplay

In The Alters, the player assumes control of a miner named Jan Dolski. Jan needs to pilot a massive, wheel-shaped base along the planet surface to stay out of the range of the sun, which can kill him due to lethal radiation. [1] It is a survival game in which players need to explore the planet and mine for resources and materials, which is essential for maintaining and expanding the base. [2] Infrastructure, such as electricity pylons, must be built to provide power for mining equipment. Base expansion is similar to games such as Fallout Shelter and XCOM , with players being tasked to attach new rooms and modules to the base, advancing its capabilities and keeping its crew content. [3] Each segment of the game is timed, as the sun will rise and obliterate the player's entire crew. One second of real-world time is equivalent to one in-game minute. [2]

To survive and escape before sunrise, he must create "Alters" using a crystal named Rapidium. Alters are alternate versions of himself who made different life choices, and therefore, have their own distinct skill sets, lifestyles and personalities. Using a system named the "Tree of Life", the original Jan can look at his own life path and choose which Alter to bring into life. [4] Alters can offer solutions to the problems the player is currently facing. For instance, a scientist Jan may be able to help players to research new ways to navigate through the game's hostile environments. Each Alter has their own emotions, needs and fears, and players need to regularly check on their status. If left unattended, they may act rashly, resulting in unforeseen consequences. [5] There is a maximum number of Alters a player can create in one playthrough. [6]

Development

The Alters is currently developed by Polish game developer 11 Bit Studios, which had previously worked on This War of Mine and Frostpunk . The game was revealed by 11 Bit Studios in June 2022 during the PC Gaming Show 2022. [7] It is currently scheduled to release for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S in early 2025. [8]

Lead artist Tomasz Kisilewicz explained to the press that the game was influenced by psychological thrillers, and went on to describe The Alters as a "weird game". [3] [9] While he described collecting resources as "the very base" of the game's economy, time was the game's most precious resources. While there are multiple ways for players to solve a certain problem, they would not have time to perform every task and therefore, must think strategically and prioritze their goals. Gameplay wise, the game was inspired by Satisfactory . [6] The original idea for the game was to have players building and running a base in space by creating various copies of himself. The story of the game, which focused on how life choices and decisions may have led to very different outcomes, was created to supplement the setting. The team wanted these life choices to be relatable, as they are also commonly faced by people in real life. According to the studio, "each Alter has a very carefully prepared personality and story that the player can interact with while playing". [6]

Related Research Articles

<i>Counter-Strike</i> (video game) 2000 first-person shooter video game

Counter-Strike is a tactical first-person shooter game developed by Valve. It was initially developed and released as a Half-Life modification by Minh "Gooseman" Le and Jess Cliffe in 1999, before Le and Cliffe were hired and the game's intellectual property acquired. Counter-Strike was released by Valve for Microsoft Windows in November 2000, and is the first installment in the Counter-Strike series. Several remakes and ports were released on Xbox, as well as OS X and Linux.

<i>MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf</i> 2004 video game

MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf is a 2004 video game developed by Day 1 Studios and FASA Studio and published by Microsoft Game Studios exclusively for the Xbox console, and set in the BattleTech universe. Development of MechAssault 2 was announced shortly following the release of MechAssault, with the developers focusing on the expansion of online and networking features to capitalise upon the success of the original game as a pilot title for the Xbox Live online service, and creating a more open-ended gameplay style in which players are able to exit their mech and occupy multiple vehicles.

<i>Star Wars: Battlefront</i> (2004 video game) 2004 action shooter video game

Star Wars: Battlefront is a 2004 first and third-person shooter video game based on the Star Wars film franchise. Developed by Pandemic Studios and published by LucasArts, it is the first installment in the Star Wars: Battlefront series. It was released in September 2004 for PlayStation 2, Xbox and Windows to coincide the release of the Star Wars Trilogy DVD set. Aspyr released a Mac OS X port in July 2005, and a cellular phone version, Star Wars Battlefront Mobile, was released on November 1, 2005.

<i>Minecraft</i> 2011 video game

Minecraft is a 2011 sandbox game developed and published by Swedish video game developer Mojang Studios. Originally created by Markus "Notch" Persson using the Java programming language, the first public beta build was released on 17 May 2009. The game would be continuously developed from then on, receiving a full release on 18 November 2011. Afterwards, Persson left Mojang and gave Jens "Jeb" Bergensten control over development. In the years since its release, it has been ported to several platforms, including smartphones, tablets, and various video game consoles. In 2014, Mojang and the Minecraft intellectual property were purchased by Microsoft for US$2.5 billion. Minecraft is the best-selling video game of all-time, with over 300 million copies sold and nearly 170 million monthly active players as of 2024.

<i>Terraria</i> 2011 video game

Terraria is a 2011 action-adventure sandbox game developed by Re-Logic. The game was first released for Windows and has since been ported to other PC and console platforms. The game features exploration, crafting, building, painting, and combat with a variety of creatures in a procedurally generated 2D world. Terraria is one of the best-selling video games of all time, selling 58.7 million copies as of 2024.

Space Engineers is a voxel-based sandbox game, developed and published by Czech independent developer Keen Software House. In 2013, the initial developmental release of the game joined the Steam early access program. During the following years of active development, Space Engineers sold over one million units. In total as of 2024 the game has sold over 5 million copies In May 2015, for approximately a year and a half, the game's source code was officially available and maintained by KSH to assist the modding community. On December 15, 2016, the game entered Beta and was later officially released on February 28, 2019.

<i>This War of Mine</i> 2014 video game

This War of Mine is a war survival video game developed and published by the Polish game development company 11 Bit Studios. The game, inspired by the siege of Sarajevo among other conflicts, differs from most war-themed video games by focusing on the civilian experience of war rather than front line combat. Characters have to make many difficult decisions in order to survive everyday dangers. There are various endings for each character, depending on the decisions made in the game. The game has received multiple DLCs and sold over 9 million units worldwide across multiple platforms.

<i>Ark: Survival Evolved</i> 2017 video game

Ark: Survival Evolved is a 2017 action-adventure survival video game developed by Studio Wildcard. In the game, players must survive being stranded on one of several maps filled with roaming dinosaurs, fictional fantasy monsters, and other prehistoric animals, natural hazards, and potentially hostile human players.

<i>Subnautica</i> 2018 video game

Subnautica is a 2018 action-adventure survival game developed and published by Unknown Worlds Entertainment. The player controls Ryley Robinson, a survivor of a spaceship crash on an alien oceanic planet, which they are free to explore. The main objectives are to find essential resources, survive the local flora and fauna, and find a way to escape the planet.

<i>Astroneer</i> 2019 video game

Astroneer, officially stylized in all caps, is a sandbox adventure game developed from independent developer System Era Softworks. The game was released through early access in December 2016 before a full release on February 6, 2019. The player is tasked with colonizing planets, creating structures, and collecting resources. The character is called an Astroneer and the player can travel to planets to activate cores and complete the game. There are often rewards given to the player upon completion of core activation, most notably a suit and/or visor.

<i>Deep Rock Galactic</i> 2020 video game

Deep Rock Galactic is a cooperative first-person shooter video game developed by Danish studio Ghost Ship Games and published by Coffee Stain Publishing. Deep Rock Galactic was fully released on May 13, 2020 for Microsoft Windows and Xbox One after its early access release in February 28, 2018. The game was later released for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 in January 2022, and for Xbox Series X/S in September 2022.

<i>Frostpunk</i> 2018 video game

Frostpunk is a 2018 city-building survival game developed and published by 11 Bit Studios. Players take on the role of a leader in an alternate history set in the late 19th century, in which they must build and maintain a city during a worldwide volcanic winter, managing resources, making choices on how to survive, and exploring the area outside their city for survivors, resources, or other useful items. The game features several scenarios to undertake, each with their own stories and different challenges. The main campaign adopts a three-act structure, requiring players to grapple with internal conflict and societal turmoil in a divided city, and surviving a great storm that threatens to overwhelm the city, making sacrifices and morally-grey ethical decisions along the way.

<i>The Outer Worlds</i> 2019 video game

The Outer Worlds is a 2019 action role-playing game developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Private Division. Set in an alternate future, the game takes place in Halcyon, a distant star system colonized by megacorporations. In the game, players assumes control of a passenger from a lost colony ship, who is revived by a mad scientist and tasked to rescue their fellow colonists and take down the corporations responsible for the colony's downfall. The game is played from a first-person perspective, and players can use combat, stealth, or dialog options when encountering potentially hostile non-playable characters. Players can make numerous dialog decisions which influence the branching story.

<i>Grounded</i> (video game) 2022 video game

Grounded is a survival action-adventure video game developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Xbox Game Studios. It was released for Windows and Xbox One in early access in July 2020. It was fully released on September 27, 2022. The Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 versions were released on April 16, 2024.

<i>Valheim</i> Upcoming video game

Valheim is an upcoming survival and sandbox video game by the Swedish developer Iron Gate Studio and published by Coffee Stain Studios. It was released in early access on 2 February 2021 for Linux and Windows via Steam, and for Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S on 14 March 2023. The game was developed by a five-person team, building on development work which Richard Svensson had undertaken as a side project in his spare time. Since its early access release, Valheim has achieved both critical and commercial success, being praised as a "rare exception" of a refined early access game. A month after its release, it had sold over five million copies and was one of the most played games on Steam.

<i>Frostpunk 2</i> 2024 video game

Frostpunk 2 is a city-building survival video game developed and published by 11 Bit Studios. Set 30 years after the original game, Frostpunk 2 tasks players to take on the role of a leader in an alternate history early 20th century in order to build and manage a city during a catastrophic, worldwide volcanic winter that almost completely destroyed human civilization while making morally and politically controversial choices to ensure its survival. The game was released for macOS and Windows PC on September 20, 2024, with a planned release for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and Series S later in 2025.

<i>Ixion</i> (video game) 2022 video game

Ixion is a city building survival simulation video game developed by Bulwark Studios and published by Kasedo Games where players take control of a mobile space station traveling across space in search for a suitable planet for colonization after Earth was destroyed. It was released for Windows on December 7, 2022. Ports for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S are scheduled to be released in 2025.

<i>The Invincible</i> (video game) 2023 video game

The Invincible is an adventure video game developed by Starward Industries and published by 11 Bit Studios. It is an adaptation of Stanisław Lem's 1964 novel The Invincible. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on November 6, 2023.

<i>Atomfall</i> 2025 video game

Atomfall is an upcoming 2025 action survival game developed and published by Rebellion Developments. It is set in an alternate history 1960s where the Windscale nuclear disasters turned much of Northern England into a radioactive quarantine zone. The game is scheduled to release for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S on 27 March 2025.

References

  1. ↑ Northup, Travis (October 4, 2023). "The Alters Might Be the Most Insane Sci-Fi Game I've Ever Seen, and I'm Sold". IGN . Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  2. 1 2 Cripe, Michael (October 4, 2023). "The Alters Uses Clones & Base Building to Tell an Intriguing 'What If?' Story [Preview]". The Escapist . Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  3. 1 2 Castle, Katherine (October 4, 2023). "The Alters is a fascinating mash-up of survival management and confronting your own multiverse life choices". Rock, Paper, Shotgun . Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  4. ↑ Purchese, Robert (October 5, 2023). "This War of Mine dev's clone survival game The Alters is a curious blend". Eurogamer . Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  5. ↑ Mills, Steven (October 4, 2023). "The Alters Preview — What Jan go wrong?". Destructoid . Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 Palumbo, Alessio (October 4, 2023). "The Alters Preview and Q&A – 11 bit Studios Adds Branching Narrative Layers to Base Building Survival Genre" . Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  7. ↑ Erskine, Donovan (June 12, 2022). "The Alters is a new game about life-changing decisions". Shacknews . Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  8. ↑ Romano, Sal (October 1, 2024). "The Alters delayed to Q1 2025". Gematsu. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  9. ↑ Carson, John (June 12, 2022). "The Alters Leverages The Power Alternate Selves". Game Informer . Archived from the original on June 12, 2022. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.