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The Alters begins with Jan Dolski embarking on a space mission to mine precious resources from an inhospitable planet. The mission starts off on the wrong foot when all of the crew except for Jan didn’t survive the landing.

In order to endure on this planet, Jan will have to mine metals to build structures and devices and organics, which are needed for food. While exploring the planet, Jan may discover personal artifacts that he brought with him that hold sentimental value. The most valuable thing that Jan discovers is a resource called Rapidium.

When Jan tells his employer (Ally Corp) about the discovery of Rapidium, his rescue mission suddenly becomes a priority. To test the validity of the Rapidium, Ally Corp sends Jan a DNA sample to incubate on the ship. Not only does this base have an artificial womb, but there’s a powerful quantum computer on board. As it turns out, the DNA sample belongs to a sheep which was raised to maturity within hours due to the wonders of Rapidium. Upon proving that the Rapidium is real, Ally Corp instructs Jan to mine as much as possible as they believe that it can solve world hunger and other issues plaguing the future Earth.

Shortly after discovering Rapidium, Jan will see firsthand the volatility of the planet he’s on. Magnetic storms wreak havoc on his base and cause many things to break at once. Jan is a builder, not a repair technician. He needs a crew to survive on this planet.

After telling his employer about how dire his situation is, they suggest creating duplicates of himself with different life memories and skillsets. The quantum computer has Jan’s life timeline and is able to determine where to make changes to lead to different professions. By using the quantum computer and Rapidium, Jan can create a crew of Alters to give himself a fighting chance to stay alive long enough to get rescued.

There are many different alters available to make, and at a minimum you’ll need four. The only two that are required are the technician and the scientist. As you can imagine, they are polar opposites personality-wise, and you’ll be spending much of your time keeping the peace among your alters.

Your alters will react to choices you make, and there are some tough decisions ahead. For example, the miner had an opioid addiction that you’ll have to cater to or cut him off completely. There are consequences for either choice. Life is pretty rough on this planet, and you’ll have to find some ways to liven the mood, like creating a relaxing park or building a game room. You’ll have to juggle needs versus wants when it comes to organizing your base and accommodating space for all of the minerals, organics, and Rapidium you’ll need stored.

The scientist is the only alter capable of researching and unlocking new technologies needed for upgrading your base to increase its capacity. He is also vital for figuring out how to get your base moving again after multiple setbacks. While any alter can assist in mining, it’s a good idea to keep your scientist in the lab as much possible.

The Alters is broken down into three acts. The acts are generally concluded when the base starts moving again. There are at least six endings and they mostly hinge on the moral implications of creating the alters. Jan will have to make decisions on hiding or revealing the existence his alters to his ex-wife and to the rescue crew.

Despite the main Jan being previously married to a woman, somehow one of the alters is a homosexual. I guess it’s a choice and not determined at conception after all. Another moral issue worth noting is extreme violence, as you may see a severed limb with a certain alter and decisions made regarding them. Make sure you have an infirmary on the ship to treat such injuries!

Some of the alters have pirate mouths, while others have a more eloquent vocabulary. Drinking and drunkenness are prominent themes with Jan’s life story, and beer pong is available to play as a mini-game.

All in all, The Alters tells a very unique story with some tough choices. I found the characters to be entertaining and enjoyed interacting with them more than the resource gathering. Some people may find the alters too needy or annoying to keep happy. Thankfully, this game has equal parts resource gathering, story telling, exploration, and base designing. This ratio should keep most people happy and it's no surprise that this game is rated positively on Steam. I spent over twenty hours playing this title and thoroughly enjoyed it. I highly recommend it if the mature language and themes don’t bother you.