Each character in The Alters has their own set of issues stemming from their branching memories and Rapidium-induced growth, but Jan Miner is one of the hardest people to manage in the entire game. On paper, he's one of the most useful Alters to add to your crew, but he creates some serious problems later on in The Alters.
Jan Miner is already aggressive and confrontational as soon as he wakes up in the Womb, but he freaks out even more when he realizes that the arm he lost in his memories is once again fully intact since he's based on Jan's body. His phantom pain continues to worsen, and things only get more problematic from there as you progress through the main story of The Alters.
The Alters: How Jan Miner Becomes a Crash Course in Player Choice
Jan Miner is one of the most interesting characters in The Alters, and his story is the first real introduction to the game's choice system.
How to Save the Miner in The Alters
Jan Miner's phantom pain is the first problem you'll have to deal with after creating him in The Alters. He'll complain to you constantly and ask for more medication to dull the pain. The drugs do work, but the pain will eventually get so distracting that he'll have a deadly accident one day, so you need to act fast if you want to keep him alive and well.
The solution to the Miner's problem is to amputate the problematic arm. Keeping him hopped up on painkillers will just lead to a workplace accident, so it's the only way. He'll actually try to cut his arm off himself if you cut him off from those drugs, which just makes the situation worse overall. Whenever you see the dialogue option for it, choose to amputate Jan Miner's arm for the greater good.
If you don't have an Infirmary where he can rest, the amputation will kill Jan Miner.
Prosthetic Arm or Serum?
After the Miner has recovered, you'll be given a choice to aid his recovery. The Scientist offers to research either a Prosthetic Arm or a Serum that will regrow the amputated limb. There aren't any huge differences between these two, so choose whichever you think is best.
When Jan Miner is back on his feet, a new problem will arise. He'll lose himself in his work, constantly toiling through brutal 12-hour shifts without any breaks. This will eventually kill him since those long shifts expose him to the planet's radiation, so you need to act fast.
Jan Miner's new mental problems can be worked through in the Contemplation Room, an incredibly important base module that can be unlocked via research. Assign the Miner to the Contemplation Room and check in with him after his session. Repeat this a few times and he'll return to normal.
Jan Miner is one of the best Alters to have in The Alters since he boosts mining efficiency, so make sure to keep a close eye on him during his recovery. Plus, he has some cool quests later in The Alters.
The Alters
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 86 /100 Critics Rec: 94%
- Released
- June 13, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Use of Drugs and Alcohol, Violence
- Developer(s)
- 11 Bit Studios
- Publisher(s)
- 11 Bit Studios
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- PC Release Date
- June 13, 2025
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- June 13, 2025
- PS5 Release Date
- June 13, 2025
- Genre(s)
- Survival, Strategy, Management
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
