The Alters, 11 Bit Studios' weird-looking game about recruiting alt-universe versions of yourself to survive on a hostile alien world, has been altered again. Following a delay in 2024 that pushed it into the first quarter of 2025, it's now been delayed again to an unspecified 2025 release.
"Following a comprehensive assessment of Project Dolly, we regret to inform you that your scheduled departure has been delayed beyond Q1 2025, with a revised launch window set for later in the year," 11 Bit wrote in an in-character delay announcement.
"While we recognize that this may not be the update you were hoping for, this additional time is being dedicated to further refining mission parameters and ensuring that all essential systems meet Ally Corp’s uncompromising standards. Furthermore, it is also allowing us to integrate new enhancements into Project Dolly, ensuring that your eventual deployment is more exciting and rewarding than originally projected."
The premise of The Alters sounds to me more like a sitcom than a survival game: Trapped and alone, you come up with the brilliant idea of basically cloning yourself in order to create a crew more capable of surviving and escaping your unfortunate situation. It makes me think of the great Calvin and Hobbes "Replicator" arc, where Calvin creates duplicates of himself to help with chores and homework—but they instead immediately start raising hell.
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The catch is that each "new you" is actually an alternate-universe version of yourself, shaped by different choices made in your past: Did you stand up to your abusive father, did you sacrifice your career for love, that sort of thing. Each different choice alters the person you ultimately became, leading to questions of choice and identity, with "moral dilemmas and branching paths" and a challenge to "reflect on one of life’s fundamental questions—do we shape our destiny or does it shape us?"
11 Bit's previous work, This War of Mine and Frostpunk, aren't exactly known for being lighthearted experiences either, so while The Alters clearly has potential for comedic moments, I really don't expect it to be a full-tilt laugh-along. The most recent trailer is a bit on the grim side, too.
PC Gamer's Joshua Wolens got a taste of that in a 2024 preview, discovering that his newly-created Alters were none to happy about being yanked into existence solely to face possible death on a hostile planet. Managing relationships is central to keeping the wheels turning, but with so many potential variations, and everyone involved being "you," ugly outcomes are almost inevitable.
It sounds interesting at the very least—Josh didn't get to see much of it, but it left him eager for more—and so the delay is disappointing. The good news is you can get a taste of The Alters for yourself by way of the demo available on Steam.
