Survival games usually rely on emergent moments, which are largely made possible by the open-ended gameplay, where decisions need to be made on the fly. This, in a nutshell, is why The Alters is such aunique prospect for survival fans.
The Alters Was Just Confirmed for Xbox Game Pass as Day One Release
The Alter-native Way To Play
The Alters makes a bold statement within the genre, offering an experimental gameplay format and a strong, mindfully paced, and branching narrative at the core of the experience.
But the experimental decisions don’t start and end there, as the game also offers a variety of unique characters, all based on the protagonist’s life decisions. Plus, it’s a survival game that doesn’t employ any combat, and The Alters offers a definitive start and end point.
These unique design approaches come courtesy of a passionate team at 11 Bit Studios, and in the heart of their homeland, Warsaw, Poland, we sat down with Katarzyna Tybinka (Senior Writer)
& Tomasz Kisielewicz (Game Director) to talk about sci-fi oddities, the anxiety of crash landing on a hostile planet, and of course, about the man at the center of everything, Jan Dolski.
Stranded But Not Alone With Katarzyna & Tomasz
Q: Let me start by asking you guys about the core inspirations that have helped form The Alters. The name that keeps popping up in various comment sections is ‘Death Stranding.’ Did this game inspire your title, and what others would you add to your list of inspirations?
Tomasz : There were a number of inspirations for The Alters. Death Stranding was an inspiration from an aesthetic perspective. I love Death Stranding personally, but we never set out to make something like this because, gameplay-wise, The Alters is a very different game.
When I’m asked this question, I tend to bring up two games. I think that there will be a crossover between fans of games like Subnautica and Persona who will like The Alters. This will make sense for you as you get further into the game. This is because you have the social aspect like Persona, but also the base management and survival mechanics as well.
We always wanted to have this 50/50 balance of survival, base-building, crafting, and managing the Alters. However, there is also some action-adventure, so I hope it feels this way for players.
There are vibes of Death Stranding, but we wanted to take a more interstellar approach and produce a game with a physical world. Very barren and desolate, because we wanted Jan to feel isolated, and we wanted to add something to each biome that would redefine each area.
Things such as the gravitational anomaly that twists and contorts the rocks around you. We wanted to show that this isn’t some sort of Paradise, as you’re basically living on one big, giant rock.
Then, as for the portrayal of the stuff we wanted to show, early on in development I watched a documentary called Three Strange Brothers which was very important, as this was about triplets separated from birth, placed in very different environments and how it affected them.
Q: And what about yourself,Katarzyna?Any other inspirations that you feel helped shape The Alters?
Katarzyna: I thought a lot during the writing process about a game that might not seem similar, but somehow, Returnal kept coming to my mind. Very few people mention this game, but I kept coming back to that sense of loneliness and isolation, as well as the idea of progressing to go back, looping, and dealing with your demons.
Plus, that overall gloomy mood and the musical score draw a lot from Returnal.
Q: I can definitely see the shades of Returnal in there. But I was also expecting to hear a number of the previous 11 Bit Studios games mentioned. How much of a role have they played in The Alter’s development?
Tomasz: Yes, we absolutely cannot forget about our previous games,This War of Mine and Frostpunk. Especially This War of Mine, as there are a number of people who worked on this game who have also worked to create The Alters.
We brought the lessons learned from those projects to The Alters and used them to help create the survival systems and the economy.
But this emergent narrative is the biggest lesson we have learned from this project, and also the most unique element that adds a unique flavor.
Q: The influence of This War of Mine is so clear to see, but what I noticed is that The Alters, while similar in terms of systems, isn’t anywhere near as oppressive. Was there a real attempt here to balance the silly, the surreal, and the somber and pull back on the emotional gut punches of those previous games?
Tomasz:Our goal right from the beginning of development, following This War of Mine and Frostpunk, was to still provide serious stuff, but to also make the game a little more funky and balance the tone. It’s something I love in other books, movies, and video games I consume. You can’t have the sweet without the sour.
If you have a nice cheesy moment, like the song featured in the game, then the events that follow it, like those in the second act, end up feeling more powerful. When tension is rising, it makes things even tougher. For me, it makes the story richer.
Katarzyna:Yeah, it’s something that allows us to show all the different flavors of life. It’s never really only dark or only fun. Which reminded me, on the subject of inspirations, I used to play these goofy games like Space Quest and other things from Sierra.
It was such a silly game, and I think that’s where the belief that our game can’t be too deep or too philosophical comes from. Even when he’s (Jan) is dealing with events from his past, they have to be wrapped in this normal, often silly dialogue.
Q: Absolutely, I think the term ‘you need the sweet with the sour’ is a perfect way to put it. I also wanted to touch on the narrative, as this game is a rare survival game with a defined start and end, rather than an infinite format where you simply stay alive as long as you possibly can. What sort of considerations needed to go into designing this story, and did you alter the difficulty to ensure no one was ever locked out of the late-game narrative?
Tomasz:There were a lot of discussions about this, and finding that balance. In terms of the structure, it helps a lot that we have a clear division of these acts because we have some crucial narrative moments, but then the game opens up with a more emergent system that allows the magic stuff to happen.
As for the difficulty, I don’t know how many hours were spent discussing this. We thought that it might be too difficult and narrative-focused players would hate it, we questioned if it was not difficult enough, and if survival fans would hate it.
We tried all sorts of different crowds with the game, and the thing we ultimately decided on was having distinct difficulty settings that make the strategy, economy and action aspects easier or harder.
The difficulty modes will be in three stages: moderate, hard, and easy. I personally love the challenging mode, but I also have thousands of hours in the game, so perhaps I’m not a good measure.
Q: So, let’s say we have a new player coming to the genre, and they choose The Alters as their first foray into the world of survival games. What would you say isthe one beginner tipthat will help them the most?
Tomasz: Just one… wow. Okay. I would say it would be to take care of all the Alters. Listen to what they have to say, what they want, and what they need, and attempt to satisfy them. You might think, ‘Eh, whatever, I’m not listening to you.’ But you have to listen. It’s important not to prioritize the mission too much.
Katarzyna: But, I would also say, don’t be too easily frustrated by thinking that you have made a bad choice or the wrong choice. Just follow your gut feeling, because sometimes you can think that an Alter might not be happy about something, but it leads to something great.
Q: That’s interesting, as I did have a feeling throughout my playtime that I was just appeasing the Alters rather than roleplaying and giving the answers that I would have perhaps given naturally. Which made me wish that I had played with the intention of seeing the most chaotic scenarios the game has to offer. But tangent aside, here’s a fun one for you. Which of the Jan Dolskis do you feel you relate to most?
Tomasz: For me, perhaps this isn’t all that surprising, but it would be the main Jan. As he’s supposed to have all those qualities that make him relatable, like his regrets and so much of his doubts and regrets from the past, are something I find relatable.
But, if I had to choose from the Alters and not the original Jan, I would probably say Refiner.
Katarzyna: I was going to say the same thing. He’s a cool guy, but he’s also been through a lot of stuff in his life, and he’s trying to come to terms with it. His storyline is very interesting, but I think the way he deals with his baggage is very relatable.
Q: Well, at least neither of you said Miner, because then we would have had to do a wellness check on you. But, I want to finish by talking about a different favorite of yours. In terms of the rooms/modules, I believe that yours (Katarzyna) was the contemplation room, while yours (Tomasz) was the Social Room. One thing that caught my eye was the movies in the Social Room and the clips that star Chris and Jack. What was the situation that got you together with those guys?
Tomasz: Actually, one of our team members was a fan, knew the channel, and we were testing different options. I personally didn’t know of the channel before this, but he brought them up to me and to production, and I was like ‘Yeah, that’s a perfect match.’
They have so many sci-fi episodes that deal with crazy concepts but also add a lot of comedy, which is why I thought that it fit so well with our game.
Katarzyna: It just feels like something that all the Jans would watch.
