11 bit studios returns with a survival game where you manage alternate versions of yourself stranded on a hostile planet, and the premise alone sets it apart.

The community profile paints a picture of a game sitting mostly in the lower rankings, with a few brighter spots. Art direction comes closest to average, ahead of about 47% of games. Narrative and world-building land slightly better than the rest, around 25 to 28%. The low point is emotional connection, which ranks ahead of only 4% of games. For a game built entirely around identity and life choices, that gap is hard to ignore. Hook and fun also stay weak, hovering around 15%.

Coming from the studio behind Frostpunk and This War of Mine, that emotional shortfall stands out. Both of those hit hard on a personal level. The Alters holds up visually and narratively, but does not seem to generate the same kind of lasting impact.

Fans of the studio or of sci-fi base-building games will find things to appreciate here. Those expecting the emotional gut-punch of the studio's earlier work may come away disappointed.