Going into my hands-on play session with 11 Bit Studios’ The Alters, I truly had no idea what to expect. First announced at the 2022 PC Gaming Show, it’s quite a significant step away from the games that put the Polish studio on the map. If you’re familiar with Frostpunk and its upcoming sequel, The Alters will definitely subvert your expectations – but that’s absolutely a good thing.
You play as Jan Dolski, an interstellar miner hopping across planets to harvest their resources. My preview opened with Jan in a significant spot of bother: the planet he’s on is tearing apart at the seams, his crew is missing, and he’s got to escape. In a fit of desperation – and under the influence of a mysterious faceless agent persuading him – Jan begins cloning himself, working alongside a crew of his alternate versions to find salvation.
