The Alters may be a confusing game at first glance, but that's because it weaves together unique features into a one-of-a-kind experience. It is, at its core, a narrative and choice-driven game, complete with social simulation features between Jan Dolski and his other Alters (pseudo-clones). It also features engaging base-building mechanics, resource management, and survival features. It may sound like a messy hodgepodge, but every single one of The Alters' various features comes into play.
Fans of 11 bit studios' prior releases or the survival genre in general, for example, are likely used to the time pressure of The Alters. The core narrative is that Jan Dolski, stranded and alone at first, must make clones to operate a massive ship and navigate a hostile planet before the sun rises, killing them all. There is a day counter, and many fans may be wondering if there is a time limit in The Alters or what's the longest they could take across The Alters' 3 acts (because they don't want to end the playthrough). The reality is, yes, there's a time limit in The Alters, but it's not as punishing as some might think.
How Time Works in The Alters
- Roughly 90 Days in an Entire Playthrough
- Each Act is Roughly Equivalent in Length
- Each Act Warns Players When They are Running Out of Time
In The Alters, players wake up, start their day, gather resources, make choices, and otherwise proceed through tasks to escape the sun. Every day is numbered, with players only being given warnings about the sun. For those new to The Alters, it's worth pointing out that these sun warnings are intentional and indicative of the time limit. As the sun becomes more volatile, you'll get more alerts before a big one indicates how much time is left in this Act. At the end of Act 1 and Act 2, players will receive a 10-day warning that they need to wrap up all their quests. It's probably good advice to, by this point, to build up resources in The Alters and begin wrapping up as many tasks as possible. At the end of Act 3, there is a 7-day warning.
Time Limit in The Alters
So, there is a time limit for each act in The Alters, ultimately putting a time limit on the entire game. There are Interludes where a few days pass, but it's not accounted for in the time-tracking system. Ultimately, for those curious, players are roughly looking at 90 days in a standard playthrough of The Alters. Factors like how much time is spent in the prologue and how much of the final 10 days are used in the Acts will affect this to some degree, but it is very roughly divided neatly. Each Act is roughly 30 days, some a little more and some a little less, all depending on how players decide to play The Alters. Of course, this also assumes the playthrough doesn't end in disaster.
That's one thing many reviews of The Alters praise. It may sound like a typical survival game, depending on what features are being discussed, but it also sounds like a great choice-based narrative game. There are many Jan Dolskis in The Alters, and there are as many facets and choices made in The Alters too.
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
- Genre(s)
- Survival, Strategy, Management
