Time is constantly running out in The Alters, which means players need to stay on top of production. The good news is that players don't have to do all that work themselves.
In The Alters, players can rely on modified versions of themselves to do certain tasks instead. Even with the extra hands, however, it's still possible not to have enough resources to keep the base safe and functioning or run out of food.
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.
Since The Alters is a one-part resource management game, making work efficient is the key to success. An efficient workflow can keep the base from running out of repair kits or radiation filters, which are key to protecting the base. It also ensures that Alters have food to eat each day, reducing the risk of some serious fights.
Players will also need to craft several tools and exploration items, so if there aren't enough resources to make those items, exploration can grind to a stop. Since players are in a constant race with the sun, it's important to keep moving.
How to Increase Work Efficiency in The Alters
Players can improve work efficiency in The Alters in the following ways to keep their base fully stocked and prepared for any disaster or event.
Choose the Best Alters for the Job
One of the key ways to improve worker efficiency is to ensure the right Alter is assigned to the right job. Since each Alter is basically a modified version of Jan, they bring to the base a unique production boost of some sort.
The Alters and their production boosts are as follows:
- The Botanist: +100% efficiency when growing crops in the greenhouse
- The Doctor: Heals Alters 8x faster at the infirmary, cooks good food faster
- The Guard: Disciplines Alters
- The Miner: +50% efficiency when mining metals
- The Refiner: +50% efficiency when refining enriched metals into metals and organics
- The Scientist: Can research new technologies
- The Shrink: Comforts Alters
- The Technician: +50% efficiency when doing base maintenance
- The Worker: +50% efficiency when crafting items in the workshop
Since certain Alters have certain bonuses, it makes sense to assign them to certain tasks. It may take some time to awaken the Alters needed for a certain task, but as soon as that option becomes available, players will want to awaken Alters based on the type of playstyles they're doing.
For example, if the player wants to primarily do mining, then they can skip the Miner and instead have the Refiner help process all the metals that the player is mining. To get the most out of the Alters, players should assign them to the following work stations:
- The Botantist: The Greenhouse
- The Doctor: The Infirmary
- The Guard: N/A
- The Miner: Mining Outpost
- The Refiner: Refinery
- The Scientist: Research Lab
- The Shrink: N/A
- The Technician: Base Maintenance
- The Worker: Workshop
Keep Alters Happy to Improve Work Efficiency
Having the right Alters in the right work station is only half the battle. Players also need to keep them happy. There are a few ways to keep Alters happy. They include:
- Socializing
- Completing Tasks
- Offering Gifts
- Watching Movies
One of the quickest ways to keep Alters happy is to talk with them. Based on different dialogue options, players can make their Alters feel motivated or calm. Choosing the wrong dialogue option can make an Alter more rebellious and even angry.
Unfortunately, Alters can also interact with each other, and they're not always friendly. Despite being versions of the same person, they're just different enough to have different opinions, beliefs, and values. That can make them step on each other's toes.
Players may need to step in when Alters argue with each other to diffuse a fight. Otherwise, if left alone, things can become violent, which will affect the happiness of both Alters.
Now and then, Alters will also suggest a task to the player. It might be to make a dormitory or really good food. If the player can achieve this task within the time limit, then that will also boost happiness.
Finally, giving Alters certain gifts or watching movies with them can help boost their happiness. Having positive interactions will improve their mood and will further increase their work efficiency.
If Alters aren't happy, then they might become so upset that they refuse to work. That can completely throw off an entire production chain.
Make Outposts and Set Up Tool Production
Alters need resources in order to make tools and items necessary for other Alters to use. As such, one of the first things that players should do in The Alters when they land in a new area is create some mining outposts.
Players should have at least two that they can alternate between the different resources as needed. For example, having a mining outpost for organics and another mining outpost that's switched between Enriched Metals and Metals can be helpful.
It reduces the resources spent to create those outposts and also ensures that players can top off resources when needed. Resources aren't indefinite, so players need to be a bit strategic with just how much they're mining.
Storage is another issue, and it's possible to end up with too many of one resource, like enriched metals, and be unable to make any more storage because there's no more room for basic metals.
Once mining outposts are down and operational, players will want to set up a queue system for tools like Repair Kits, Radiation Filters, and other consumables. Alters will go through these items as they're needed, so having a certain number of them in stock all the time ensures that they always have what they need.
After players experience their first magnetic storm, they'll have the ability to start queuing items for production based on the number desired in the storage. For example, if a player wants to have 10 Repair Kits in storage at any one time, then they can set the Uphold option in the workshop to 10.
When Jan Technician uses a Repair Kit to perform base maintenance, and the number of kits in the storage goes down to 9, then Jan Worker will use the resources that Jan Miner or Jan Refiner has been collecting to create another one in the workshop.
Because everything is working smoothly and following a chain, everyone can work optimally.
The Alters challenges players to balance resource management with survival, and by following the tips above, players can ensure their base has all its needs to face any danger the game throws at them.
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
