The Alters, coming fromFrostpunkdeveloper 11 Bit Studios, is an interesting blend of disparate genre styles and narrative techniques, making for a decidedly refreshing gaming experience. But whileThe Altersis, in many ways, a wholly unique artistic project, it has clear roots in other, similar games, and parallels can also be drawn between it and some unexpected titles.
Of course,The Altersis similar to prior11 Bit survival games likeFrostpunk, as well as other notable games in the management sphere. But the ways in which it deviates from these obvious contemporaries are arguably far more interesting than the ways in which it is akin. One particularly unexpected parallel can be drawn betweenThe AltersandFallout Shelter, a mobile spin-off game released over a decade ago. In some ways,The Alterseven improves upon some of the design elements ofFallout Shelter, making the comparison between the two interesting indeed.
The Alters Is a Great Chaser for Fallout Shelter
The Alters and Fallout Shelter Have Similar Base-Building and Management Mechanics
At a glance, it’s easy to see thesimilarities betweenThe Altersand a game likeFallout Shelter: they share a remarkably similar, grid-like building system, requiring players to construct a number of specialized modules to provide upkeep as their community’s population grows. InThe Alters, instead of constructing a falsely alluring post-apocalyptic dystopia, players are burdened with the much more stressful task of escaping a planet in a time crunch, but the basicFallout Shelterformula is still a clear parallel.
Fallout Shelterasks that players monitor the health and well-being of their vault-dwellers, just like howThe Altersencourages NPC happinessfor the best gameplay results. And whileFallout Sheltermight be more expansive and infinitely replayable thanThe Alters(its ten-year relevance is proof enough of that), there’s a case to be made that the latter is actually a more robust and engaging take on the same formula. In other words,Fallout Shelterfans could very well findThe Alterssuperior in a number of key ways.
How The Alters Improves Upon Fallout Shelter’s Basics
It should go without saying thatFallout ShelterandThe Altersaren’t 1:1 copies of each other, but in the areas where they overlap,The Altersdemonstrates clear superiority. Take the mechanics of base-building, for instance:Fallout Shelterhas players building new modules however they see fit—if there’s space and a reason to use the module, then it can be constructed—butThe Altersrequires a more thoughtful touch. Not only do players have to verify that their new modules fit in aTetris-like minigame that hearkens back to the survival horror titles of old, but they also have to ensure that their base’s weight limit isn’t exceeded, which can be a tricky balancing act.
Then there’s NPC management, which is also far more detailed inThe Alterscompared toFallout Shelter.Happiness inFallout Sheltermostly boils down to having NPCs' basic needs met, and keeping each character on an appropriate task, butThe Altersasks that players really understand their in-game allies, completing specific quests for them, aligning with their values, and learning about their background to perform better during dialogue exchanges.
None of this is to say thatThe Altersis inherently or ubiquitously better thanFallout Shelter—they’re markedly different experiences, at the end of the day. But the ways in which 11 Bit Studios plays with the samemechanics ofFallout Shelter, expanding them through a unique narrative framework, makesThe Altersan easy recommendation forFallout Shelterfans, and vice-versa.
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.
