The Alters has captured the attention of indie game fans around the world, and for good reason. Its unique survival-management-social-sim gameplay combination makes it especially alluring, leveraging many of the same strengths as Frostpunk and This War of Mine, 11 Bit Studios' earlier projects. That said, The Alters' narrative shouldn't be overlooked in light of these mechanical and structural advantages.
Indeed, The Alters presents players with an exceptionally nuanced, emotional, and thought-provoking story about the nature of choice, regret, and identity, making it ripe for analysis and interpretation. Much like in 11 Bit Studios' other survival games, The Alters concerns itself with heady philosophical and ethical quandaries, never fully answering any of the questions it poses. Rather, the studio pokes and prods its audience, encouraging them to think critically and arrive at their own conclusions. To this end, 11 Bit employs the use of characters like Terrence Maxwell, using them as vessels to communicate high-concept philosophical dilemmas.
Major spoilers for The Alters ahead.
The Alters: How Jan Miner Becomes a Crash Course in Player Choice
Jan Miner is one of the most interesting characters in The Alters, and his story is the first real introduction to the game's choice system.
How Maxwell Drives Home The Alters' Core Themes
Terrence Maxwell Is More Than Just a Mad Scientist
Positioned from the outset as a shadowy, untrustworthy figure, Ally Corp Mining Head Terrence Maxwell is far from an immediately likable character. He's clearly only interested in one thing—the mass harvesting of Rapidium—and seems overly invested in Jan's Alters project. He also makes it clear that he is willing to go to great lengths to ensure the success of the mission, being the first person to propose the Tabula Rasa project, one of The Alters' hardest in-game decisions.
But why does Maxwell have such a strong drive to collect Rapidium? He certainly doesn't seem to care much for Ally Corps' bottom line—he's not an everyday company man by any means. Rather, he is hiding an unexpected depth of soul and humanity, pursuing Rapidium to fulfill his dream of a world without mistakes, without tragedy, and without suffering. It's about as lofty a goal as one could imagine, as Maxwell is essentially arguing for a heaven-on-Earth scenario; he dreams of an absurd utopia, so perfect that it's incomprehensible. It should go without saying that these aims, noble though they may be in some ways, stand in direct contrast to The Alters' definition of humanity and the human experience, making Maxwell's ideology a tough sell for a lot of players.
How Maxwell Represents the Messy, Morally Gray World of The Alters
Part of what makes Maxwell compelling is that, though he functions as the de-facto antagonist of The Alters, he is far from detestable. In fact, many players will likely sympathize with his history and mission, as most people can relate to trauma and regret: Maxwell was partially responsible for his friend's death, which spurred him to dive head-first into his crusade against reality. It's an understandable goal, and there's a case to be made that it's the right step for humanity. After all, just because something contradicts common social norms, such as those surrounding the nature of life and regret, doesn't mean that it's inherently wrong or bad.
Therein lies the meat of Maxwell's character: he wants a better world, even if it comes at the cost of what it means to be human. He wishes to ascend humanity to the status of gods, all-knowing and infallible. It's a dangerous idea, to be sure, but progress can often appear that way. The alternate narrative route, the one that sees Jan coming to terms with his past and accepting himself, is much harder and less idealistic, but reaffirms common notions of reality and identity. It's up to the player whether they want to embrace that reality, or build a new one with Maxwell.
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
The Alters is an ambitious sci-fi survival game with a unique twist. You play as Jan Dolski, the lone survivor of a crash-landed expedition on a hostile planet. To survive, you must form a new crew for your mobile base.
Using a substance called Rapidium, you create alternative versions of Jan - THE ALTERS - each one shaped by a different crucial decision from the protagonist’s past.
As you navigate through survival and moral dilemmas, you will explore a branching narrative filled with captivating character dynamics and challenging decisions.
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- PC Release Date
- June 13, 2025
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- June 13, 2025
- PS5 Release Date
- June 13, 2025
- Genre(s)
- Survival, Strategy, Management
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
