The survival and social game called The Alters requires a lot of materials to be gathered to make all the items needed to continue surviving. One of the biggest resources that you need to cultivate is your alters' feelings. To be successful, you'll want them all to be happy and content.
One of the many ways you can do this is to give your alters gifts in The Alters. You can find these collectible items strewn around in Cargo drops all over the planet, and there are a couple you are almost guaranteed to see early, like the lava lamp.
Best Alters to Get First in The Alters
Each Alter in The Alters has their uses, but some are far more effective than others. Here's a breakdown of the best Alters to get first.
Where to Find the Lava Lamp in The Alters
During the Prologue and all the Acts, you can find several cargo drops in The Alters. Each one contains a chip to upgrade your quantum computer, a movie, or a personal item. Each item is important to one of your alters. In the Prologue or Act 1, you will most likely come across the lava lamp. The location of each of these items is different for every playthrough, so you might get it in any number of locations in your unique save file.
What to Do With the Lava Lamp in The Alters
Once you have this item in your possession, you will want to give it as a gift in The Alters to Jan Technician. He is the first alter you made, and he is a required alter. Head up to this Jan and press the interact button to speak to him.
When you do this with the lava lamp in your possession, you should be able to give it over to him to earn you some points with this grouchy alter. It will raise his Joy levels and lower some of his bad stats. This is great, especially if you didn't choose the right dialogue options in Common Ground when you first spoke to Jan Technician to get rid of some of those bad vibes between the two of you.
How Does Gifting Work in The Alters?
Gifts are alter-specific. This means that you cannot give a collectible to the wrong alter. The option will not appear in the menu if the gift is not meant for the alter you are currently speaking to. It does appear that you can collect items for alters you don't have yet in the cargo drops around the planet. Hand them over to the alters as soon as you get them, unless they are already very happy to instantly make your alters happier 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
- Genre(s)
- Survival, Strategy, Management
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
