The Alters, much like 11 Bit Studios' other survival games, encourages players to engage with it on their own terms. There's a great deal of freedom within the narrative and mechanical fencing that The Alters erects, and in many cases, making mistakes and miscalculations is an essential part of the gameplay experience.
But what if a player doesn't want to go through the early-game growing pains? This is understandable, especially for those looking for something frictionless, or simply trying to get off to a running start. It would behoove these players to consider some of the unwritten rules of The Alters, gaining a better understanding of the game's implicit restrictions and best practices, specifically those that aren't outright explained by the game itself.
The Alters Proves That the Survival and Social Sim Genres Are a Match Made in Heaven
The Alters is a survival game first and foremost, but its unique social-sim framework makes for a surprisingly effective complement.
Guidelines for the Best Playthrough of The Alters
Don't Underestimate Rapidium
Rapidium is an essential part of The Alters' narrative, but one could be forgiven for not understanding its mechanical importance. After all, the Rapidium cost for creating new Alters is fairly low, relative to how much Rapidium players can mine in a short period of time, and by the end of Act 2, the upper Alter limit will likely have already been reached. But not only is Rapidium a key ingredient in late-game technologies like Food Farms, it can also have a massive impact on the final stages of the narrative. In other words, it's good to retain a buffer of Rapidium, or at least have a plan for getting a lot on short notice.
When It Comes to Alters' Moods, Be Proactive, Not Reactive
Alters' moods will inevitably rise and fall—it's a central facet of the gameplay loop. As such, it's useful to think of Alters' mental states as yet another resource that can be leveraged, not just a standard to maintain consistently. Have Alters work overtime when they're in a good mood, rather than waiting for an emergency, when Alters might already be stressed or afraid. Another example of this proactive approach would be to gather high-quality food during "good times," feeding Alters mush when they are already content, then doling out the high-quality food as a mood-booster during "bad times."
Don't Skimp On Battery Packs
This is a small one, but it's nevertheless important. Battery packs are quick and cheap to produce, but not having any on-hand during a sticky situation could result in dire consequences. Like the above tip, it's good to be reactive here: don't wait until Jan is in a sea of deadly anomalies, or facing a steep climb during a radiation storm, to make battery packs. Use The Alters' upkeep feature to always ensure a steady supply.
Read Every Alter's History in the Quantum Computer
Most dialogue-heavy RPGs are actually quite simple: players need to do little more than pick the nicest or least offensive response to endear an NPC to them. Alternatively, they can simply agree with everything an NPC says. But The Alters takes a different approach to dialogue, encouraging players to understand their audience and choose their responses accordingly. Learning about each Alter through the Quantum Computer is essential for this, as it allows players to get a grasp on their values, insecurities, fears, and goals. Thus, to be the best leader possible, The Alters players ought to do the appropriate research on each NPC, and push their buttons accordingly.
Spend Resources—Don't Hoard Them
Finally, it's essential to understand a core tenet of the survival-management genre for the utmost success in The Alters. There's a time to stockpile resources and a time to spend them, and The Alters encourages the latter far more consistently. Aside from Rapidium and organics, all other in-game resources would be better off as new base modules or field gear like battery packs and drill charges—there's little reason to hoard things like metals and minerals.
The Alters
-
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
