Long read: The beauty and drama of video games and their clouds

"It's a little bit hard to work out without knowing the altitude of that dragon..."

If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.

Bring on the clones in Frostpunk dev's sci-fi survival adventure The Alters

Last Jan standing.

11 Bit Studios, the developer behind the acclaimed likes of Frostpunk and This War of Mine, has unveiled its latest project, sci-fi survival adventure The Alters.

Unfortunately, it's early days as far as specifics go, with the bulk of 11 Bit's reveal taking the form of a cinematic trailer - one immediately bringing Duncan Jones' celebrated sci-fi movie Moon to mind. You see, in The Alters, players take on the role of Jan, a space builder stranded on a distant planet, ensconced in a roving wheel-like base, with a bunch of alternative versions of himself known as Alters. Ultimately, the goal is to stay alive long enough to find a way back home by creating new Alters, each of who have different skills essential for survival.

"The Alters is a game about life-changing moments," explains 11 Bit's new Steam page. "Those binary decisions that happen in nanoseconds, but have influence over your entire life. It is about looking into yourself, into your past, and discovering that you are who you are as a sum of those numerous choices. And when you do that a fundamental question arises: WHAT IF...?".

Cover image for YouTube videoThe Alters | Announcement Trailer
The Alters - Announcement Trailer.

What form the experience will take is still entirely unclear at present, but 11 Bit says to expect beats of psychological horror, drama, and surreality, all in line with the studio's "meaningful entertainment" philosophy that delivered Frostpunk and This War of Mine before it.

There's no word on a projected launch date or platforms beyond PC for The Alters, but hopefully it won't be too long before we learn more.