This guide contains late-game spoilers for The Alters.
The Alters is filled with optional tasks often tied to many of Jan Dolski's alternate versions of himself. During the story, every Alter will ask something from the players, and it's entirely up to them to decide whether these optional requests are worth the time and effort. However, for players looking to build a reliable, efficient, and happy crew, it's almost always worth fulfilling such personal requests.
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One of Jan Miner's personal tasks becomes available in Act 3, provided he was created by the players and remains at the base at this point in the game rather than leaving with Jan Technician. For his Act 3 request, known as The Wood and the Sculptor task, Miner asks Jan Dolski to find him an unusually colored rock on the planet's surface. For those struggling, here's where to look for this item.
How To Unlock The Wood And The Sculptor Task In The Alters
If Jan Miner is created during The Alters, and if players spend time and effort addressing his mental issues, such as regrowing his arm and putting him in the Contemplation Room enough times for him to recover and stop working overtime, his request becomes available. Miner approaches the player at the beginning of Act 3 with his final personal request, saying that he wants to do something for himself, like a pleasant hobby.
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Miner says he remembered how, back in school, Jan Dolski was the best in class at carving wood, and he can't get the thought out of his head. As such, he asks the players for help in trying this activity once again. For this, he needs a chisel and an unusually colored rock that can be found on the planet's surface. If players accept, they receive a new optional task called The Wood and the Sculptor.
Where To Find Unusually Colored Rocks In The Alters
Crafting a chisel via the Workshop is the easy part, as it requires just 5 metals and 6 hours to make. For the special wood-like rock, however, players need to understand what to look for first — but worry not, it's also relatively easy.
Unusually colored rocks are fairly common around the map in Act 3, so finding one shouldn't be too difficult. Players should look for distinctly shaped and colored objects resembling a pink crystal growing inside a rock formation that looks like a tree stump. One of the closest spots for such a rock is directly forward from the base's entrance, as shown on the map image above.
Only one unusually colored rock is needed for Miner's request, so other locations become irrelevant after retrieving the first one.
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Players may also come across several colored rock spots naturally during exploration. For instance, one such spot is located right near the entrance to the rebels' shelter in Act 3, and another can be found just past a small bridge near the only Rapidium mining site on the map.
When searching for the colored rock, pay attention to the surroundings, as many moving anomalies are placed near these spots and can unexpectedly run into the players while they examine their discovery.
How To Complete The Wood And The Sculptor Task In The Alters
After retrieving one chunk of colored rock and crafting a chisel in The Alters, it's time to return to Jan Miner with the good news. He will be very pleased to hear that Jan Dolski has gathered everything needed for his hobby, and with his spirits being lifted, The Wood and the Sculptor task will be completed. Shortly after that, during the Alters' free time, players will see a notification about Miner working on a rock carving and can visit him to see how it's going.
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
