Developed and published by the infamous 11-bit studios, The Alters is an upcoming survival game with a sci-fi theme and high-end graphics. Adding to its amazingness, the animations and environment design are also breathtaking. This amazing masterpiece is set to release for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on June 13, 2025.
The players control a character named Jan Dolski who has crashed on an inhabitable planet ruined by the sun's deadly radiation. The game provides a third-person view to the players who need to perform certain tasks like mining, exploring, etc to survive on the planet.
Story and Setting
Story and Setting
The game revolves around the protagonist Jan Dolski, who crash-lands on a hostile planet. There is no sign of life on the planet due to the dangerous radiation of the Sun. Stranded on this inhabitable planet, Jan finds an advanced and futuristic vehicle, a massive, wheel-shaped base. The player, Jan Dolski, pilots this base across the planet's surface to avoid lethal radiation from the sun. This base is also a home, a resource extraction point, and a central hub for building infrastructure. Jan realizes that he needs some helping hands for survival on the planet, so he uses the Rapidium, a mineral mined from the depths of the hostile planet, and the quantum computer to make different versions of himself called "The Alters". These Alters help him survive on the planet and escape it.
Jan then builds a social environment among the Alters and starts his journey towards escape from the planet. He explores different parts of the planet, mines Rapidium and other substances, makes his Alters, enlarges his base, and also builds different platforms in different places that may be for mining or communicating or any other job.
Gameplay
and Mechanics
Gameplay and Mechanics
The Alters opts a third-person view for the gamers with the camera hovering behind and facing the protagonist's view. The dynamic camera can also be controlled by the player's mouse just like in other third-person games. The environment design is extremely eye-catching and puts the gamers' minds into a dilemma of impossibilities coming to existence and makes them think about the 3d artists' insane skills. Rendering is amazingly realistic with vast dusty grounds, huge mountains with lava pouring through their bellies, rocky terrains, dark sky and many more things to explore.
The gameplay is very interesting with many events such as making Alters, exploring the rough and barren maps of the planet, resolving issues among the Alters, mining in different places on the maps, navigating through the rough and difficult terrains, building different platforms, enlarging the base and doing all this with the tension of returning to the base before sunrise also adds a suspense to the game.
Take a look at the extended gameplay with Developer Commentary:
Core Gameplay Loop
⚙️ Core Gameplay Loop
- Survival & Exploration – Venture into alien biomes, mine Rapidium, build infrastructure like pylons, and dodge deadly anomalies
- Base Management – Expand your mobile base with modules like labs and living quarters to support your evolving crew
- Time & Radiation Pressure – Each real second equals an in-game minute, with sunrise meaning death—plan meticulously around day-night cycles
- Alters Creation & Emotional Dynamics – Bring different Jans to life and balance their needs, strengths, and conflicts—creating both opportunity and vulnerability
System Requirements
and Platforms
🖥️ Technical Specs & Platforms
PC System Requirements (Steam/Epic):
- Minimum: 4‑core CPU, 16 GB RAM, GPU like RX 570 or GTX 1060, 50 GB SSD
- Recommended: 4‑core CPU, 16 GB RAM, GPU like RX 6600 XT or RTX 2070; for 4K: RX 6800 XT or RTX 3080
Platforms:
- Windows PC (Steam, Epic, Game Pass)
- PlayStation 5
- Xbox Series X/S (day-one on Game Pass Ultimate/Core for PC)
Pricing and Access
💵 Pricing & Access
- Base Price: $34.99 on all platforms
- Included with: PC & Ultimate Game Pass—no additional cost.
- Demo History: A demo was available during Steam Next Fest (June 10–17) to preview the core gameplay loop
Final Verdict
📝 Final Verdict
The Alters delivers an unforgettable survival experience that challenges you not just with resources and storms, but with your own self. By turning self-reflection into grit-forged gameplay, 11 Bit uniquely blends emotion with mechanics. If you're drawn to emotionally resonant, managerial, survival stories, this is one to watch.
Will you take control… or learn instead to live with your choices?
Take a look at the official release trailer:
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