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Game Information

Game Title: The Alters

Platforms:

• PC (Jun 13, 2025)
• PlayStation 5 (Jun 13, 2025)
• Xbox Series X/S (Jun 13, 2025)

Trailer:

Review Aggregator:

OpenCritic - 85 average - 90% recommended
Metacritic - 85 average - Based on 26 reviews (PC version)

Critic Reviews


Atarita - Alparslan Gürlek - Turkish - 82 / 100

The Alters offers a challenging and compelling experience with its moral dilemmas and cornering situations. If you enjoyed Frostpunk and This War of Mine, you're bound to love this one.

CGMagazine - Erik McDowell - 9 / 10

The Alters is a masterfully crafted sci-fi adventure about survival, self-discovery, and learning to live with the version of yourself who tried a little harder.

Checkpoint Gaming - Lisa Pollifroni - 8 / 10

The Alters has taken the idea of choices and their ramifications and used it to create a world where you can only count on yourself to survive. It mixes these with literal elements of survival, such as mining for materials, keeping important items stocked, and keeping your base in working shape. All these elements made me think about my own choices in life, and what could have been if I had taken different paths. Therefore, not only was The Alters a captivating story and world to play in, but it also really made me think philosophically about life and what it really means to survive.

Console Creatures - Bobby Pashalidis - 8 / 10

The Alters is a mashup of some of the best sci-fi movies of the last few decades, taking the idea of an isolated human and turning it on its head. The base-building and survival mechanics are fun, and they flesh out and elevate the story of a wayward soul looking to get back home in one piece.

DualShockers - Callum Marshall - 7.5 / 10

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GRYOnline.pl - Anna Garas - Polish - 7.5 / 10

Adventure and survival parts of The Alters were reduced to a minimum, so that the story, choices and interactions with alters could serve as the main course. Unfortunately this particular meal left me feeling hungry, but that is due to my personal preferences. If you want something new and fresh among games that make you manage a base with a little exploration, and a little survival, The Alters looks bold and original.

Game8 - Alfonso Majarucon - 82 / 100

The Alters is a survival base-builder set against the backdrop of a hauntingly desolate planet, with gameplay that mirrors that atmosphere—deliberate, reflective, and occasionally a bit unpolished. It's not without its flaws, having traded some base-building depth to prioritize its narrative, but the experience as a whole is still thoroughly rewarding. Best of all, it's a fantastic deal considering its visual quality and strong potential for replayability.

GameLuster - Jess Clayton-Berry - 9 / 10

The Alters is a unique survival base-building game with addictive gameplay and a memorable, engaging and deep storyline. What's more, it's easily replayable for those reaching for completion.

GameOnly - Rafał Gubała - Polish - 4.75 / 5

The Alters is a game I didn't have high expectations for after playing the demo at PGA, due to a weak prologue. Now, having experienced the full version, it's my personal candidate for game of the year. An incredibly emotional adventure, full of highs and lows, where we constantly feel the heat of the approaching sun.

Gameliner - Patrick Meurs - Dutch - 4 / 5

I'm rarely impressed by the overused "choices matter" tagline, but The Alters by 11 bit studios shows how it should truly be done—offering not just resource management, but deep existential dilemmas that force players to weigh mission against morality, making it a thought-provoking yet demanding experience best suited for those unafraid to fail and eager to explore both strategy and themself.

Gamepressure - Giancarlo Saldana - 8.5 / 10

The Alters delivers a gripping, existential survival experience that explores identity, regret, and self-acceptance in a way few games attempt. It's a little longer than it needs to be, but its story, systems, and emotional weight make it hard to forget.

Gamer Escape - Mike Thomas - 7 / 10

I like The Alters. It sells its premise in a way I wish more science fiction games would. We need more of them. But the watering down of its gameplay elements makes it hard to recommend. If you're willing to slog through tedium and gameplay filler there is a wonderfully fun story to experience. I'm debating if I want to push through a second time and see how my journey plays out.

Gamer Guides - Echo Apsey - 84 / 100

The Alters is an incredible concept that works by crafting an enticing gameplay hook of cloning yourself and changing the events of your life, while marrying it with a set of engaging and engrossing systems and mechanics to keep your team of alters alive as you traverse an alien world. While there are some performance issues, and the fact that the game only has one main character and personality, it is another strong entry in 11-Bit Studios' lineup of games.

Gamer Social Club - Vikki McGowan - 8.5 / 10

All in all, The Alters delivers a unique and memorable experience. It's the kind of game that lingers in the mind long after the credits roll. For those who enjoy deep storytelling and intriguing character dynamics, it's absolutely worth exploring.

GamingBolt - Ravi Sinha - 8 / 10

The Alters is more than a fascinating concept, mixing strong characterization and impactful decision-making with an enthralling quest for survival, even if the gameplay doesn't always excite.

Just Play it - Hadj Mhamed Si Djilani - Arabic - 7 / 10

The Alters offered a unique experience with original ideas and a distinctive gameplay system. It's not just a survival game, but one of exploration and deep choices, featuring a beautiful artistic direction and a sci-fi atmosphere filled with mystery. The experience was enjoyable for the most part, especially thanks to the variety of characters and their different roles. However, some design decisions slightly diminished the overall quality of the experience.

KonsoliFIN - Risto Karinkanta - Finnish - 5 / 5

The Alters is an excellent narrative survival adventure from 11 bit studios, combining base-building, resource management, and story-driven gameplay. Players control Jan Dolski, the sole survivor of a botched space mission, who uses clone "alters" with modified life paths to aid his survival. The game masterfully blends exploration (à la Satisfactory) with personal dilemmas, as Dolski navigates not only a dangerous planet but also the emotional complexities of his cloned companions. Balancing immediate survival with the psychological weight of these choices, The Alters delivers a gripping experience deserving top marks.

Loot Level Chill - Mick Fraser - 9 / 10

Despite some frustrating bugs, The Alters is the most unique and interesting survival-crafting sim I've ever played.

Manual dos Games - Roberto Paggi - Portuguese - 9.5 / 10

Even with complex gameplay, the game is highly inviting for newcomers to the genre, featuring a well-crafted story and impressive possibilities. The Alters is, so far, the studio's peak and one of the best survival games out there.

Push Square - Issy van der Velde - 8 / 10

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SECTOR.sk - Branislav Koh�t - Slovak - 9.5 / 10

If there's one thing Poles are really good at, it's video game development. This is confirmed once again by the 11 bit studios team. After Frostpunk, they bring another great title in which you clone yourself, manage a base, explore and fight for survival on an inhospitable planet.

Saving Content - Scott Ellison II - 5 / 5

For every challenge I was faced with, I felt like I was solving problems in equal measure. The Alters often faces existential complications and the human condition with gravity and weightlessness to allow you to laugh. You'll be exploring, fighting for survival, or chasing a intriguing narrative, but each system feeds into the other so seamlessly, you'll never be bored or want to leave a task unfulfilled. The Alters science fiction at its finest, and one of the best and weirdest games of the year.

So Many Games - Jason Baigent - 4 / 5

I highly admire everything that 11 bit studios has achieved in The Alters. At its core, there is a fascinating, emotional sci-fi narrative that demands attention and which is surrounded by high-intensity management gameplay. It's finished up with some beautifully detailed and polished visuals that perfectly promote its futuristic world and eerie atmosphere.

Stevivor - Steve Wright - 10 / 10

Unique, poignant, and one that will stick with you, The Alters also will win hearts with a $52 AUD price tag or availability through Xbox Game Pass. As a result, it's highly recommended and needs to be played to be properly understood and enjoyed.

TechRaptor - Ashley Erickson - 8.5 / 10

While The Alters is a narrative success, its survival gameplay is more of a side focus than the core of the title.

TheSixthAxis - Adrian Burrows - 9 / 10

The Alters is one of the stand-out survival games of this generation. Imbued with a fascinating sci-fi concept for the ages - one that asks genuinely fascinating ethical questions – and with high-pressure survival mechanics that keep things stressful from beginning to end, this is quite the experience. Did I enjoy playing it? Not really, but good grief, I'll never forget it.

Thumb Wars - Luke Addison - 5 / 5

The entire package of The Alters is incredible from start to finish. Be it the immersive soundtrack that delivers a gut-punch time after time, the incredible blending of new crew members with the philosophical questions posited around the right to create life, and the performances given by Alex Jordan and the smaller roles by the rest of the cast. When I wasn't playing The Alters, I was thinking about The Alters. The decisions were difficult, and the choices matter. 2025 seems jam-packed with incredible, Game of the Year contenders, and for the last five months, mine was easily Split Fiction. Now, however, there's only one choice for me. The Alters is Game of the Year.

WellPlayed - Kieran Stockton - 8 / 10

11 Bit Studios strikes again with a fresh take and setting that borrows from the brilliant mechanics of This War of Mine and sends them into space.

XboxEra - Jesse Norris - 8 / 10

The Alters combines a bunch of genres I hate, and somehow makes a game I loved (when it worked).

ZTGD - Terrence Johnson - 9 / 10

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[Punished Miku]

Sounds awesome. I really only want casual survival / base building elements and it sounds like that is the case here, with more of a focus on the choices and story. The demo was enough to already convince me to play it so I'm in. Almost every review is emphasizing how much of a gut punch the choices are.

Hell of a price too. $35? Nice. AA once again flexing.

 

[lh032]

ok im interested, review score is nice.

 

[TasManXT]

I pre-ordered the disc version on PS5. Really enjoyed the demo, so I'm looking forward to the full release.

 

[balls of snow]

Fuck yeah. Binging this as my new game until DS2.

 

[analog_future]

Shockingly positive reviews!


I still don't really understand what this game is.

 

[Gonzito]

Man we can't catch a break of great games.

I guess I will have to buy it then...fucking hell lol

 

[Punished Miku]

Man we can catch a break of great games. I guess I will have to buy it then

Seriously. I can't even install them all. Just downloaded Space Marine yesterday. Still playing Doom ...

 

[TasManXT]

 

[Nocty]

This guy genuinely is one of the best reviewers out there right now. Just great detailed stuff.

 

[Luipadre]

Already preloaded on game pass

 

[adamsapple]

I still don't really understand what this game is.

I think it's the first non Kojima strand game.

 

[Topher]

Seriously.....never even heard of this game. Nice surprice

 

[Gideon]

Wow have been waiting for this game for years and just now found out it's coming out tommorow and it's reviewing good which is nice

 

[Chuck Berry]

Base building and survival mechanics?

 

[Stafford]

The demo was special, but I'm not in the mood for survival games, or feel like taking care of other characters, too busy with the backlog. But in due time I'll check it out.

Any of the reviews say if the locations are diverse and worth exploring? Even rewarding? That's a big deal for me.

 

[Gonzito]

This guy genuinely is one of the best reviewers out there right now. Just great detailed stuff.

No, he is not. I wish people would stop repeating this stupidity

 

[Zacfoldor]

Damnit man! I'm going broke here!

 

[Arsic]

This is only $35 right?

I assume one loop to an ending takes 5-10 hours then?

I'm curious what the gameplay moment to moment is. I'm not a base building guy unless it's simple so I can focus on more fun things. I assume there's no combat so I may not be the target audience.

Visually striking though, and looks to have great art direction plus a good story.

 

[Darsxx82]

I played the demo and thought it had potential; the final game seems to have turned out very well.


Too many interesting games at once and this Game is also Gamepass day one.... I dont know when, but I will do a chance.

 

[Karak]

Fantastic game

Rated it a Buy

Couple words on it-
The game can be frustrating as hell because of how it deals out crisis across the need for internal resources, the Alters, and the main quest many times with resources needed for each that take from each other. Due to how you can die it can feel crushing.
Understanding your people and that ultimately you don't always have a timer for them losing their shit, focusing on them lets you do the other things more easily. That doesn't mean that Miner You won't have to go out and work the radioactive fields. It just means that many elements in the game are timed/specific expectations and some of those with the clones are not.
So taking care of the fuzzy requirements can have huge payoffs.

 

[saintjules]

 

[dorkimoe]

gonna give this a try, that cover art though is fucking stupid

 

[Novaex]

Played the demo a while back and the concept looked interesting. Glad to see it's getting good reviews. After I finish Stellar Blade and Tainted Grail I'm gonna grab it.

 

[L*][*N*K]

This game looks so damn interesting

 

[Black_Stride]

This year has been ridiculous.......im never going to get through my backlog with Gamepass.

 

[adamsapple]

This year has been ridiculous.......im never going to get through my backlog with Gamepass.

FBC Firebreak and Rematch (Sifu team's next game) are also coming out in the next week.

 

[DirtInUrEye]

Heh heh...



Good review!

 

[Guesclin]

Heh heh...



Good review!

The fire rises

 

[Hideous Snake]

This game launches tomorrow?! Been waiting for it for quite some time now. Reviews are solid and it will he my game after I finish Stellar Blade