Our The Alters: Last Variable DLC Guide explains the differences between the base game and the DLC, and it advises both new and returning players on how to best enjoy the game.

Jan Scientist begins his adventure on the planet alone — but he won't always stay that way. Tips for New Players in The Alters: Last Variable

If you're new to The Alters, you should probably play the base game first. Many of the mechanics and items available in The Alters: Last Variable are first unlocked and explained in the base game, and the DLC doesn't have any obvious tutorials for explaining things.

That said, the in-game manual is automatically filled out with all of the mid-game items that are automatically unlocked at the start of The Alters: Last Variable. If you get stuck, give it a look! You can also read our beginner's guide for The Alters to learn about basic mechanics.

The base game and the DLC have some notable differences in gameplay, and the DLC is arguably easier in some respects. If you want to dive right in, you can, but I'd nonetheless strongly recommend that you play the base game first — it's a lot of fun!

Tips for Returning Players in The Alters: Last Variable

If you've already played some or all of The Alters base game, you'll find many familiar sites. You start the game with the Luminator by default, and you'll be able to head out into the world and start smashing Anomalies right away.

Although much of The Alters: Last Variable is similar to the base game, there are differences nonetheless. Your base is in a static location, you have new and different Alters, and new mechanics will gradually be introduced. Below, you can see a list of some of the major differences between the base game and the DLC.

You're no longer in contact with Earth in The Alters: Last Variable. Instead, you progress through your mission by coordinating your efforts with JanBot, an AI simulacrum designed to help you complete your mission at all costs. The Alters: Last Variable Guide | Differences Between the Base Game and DLC

Now that we've explained the situation to new and returning players alike, we'll quickly break down some of the differences between the base game and the DLC in the remainder of The Alters: Last Variable Guide.

There Are New and Different Alters

The original game has a cast of Alters with a wide range of abilities, all of whom were based on the maintenance technician Jan Dolski. The Alters in Last Variable, however, are based on one of those original Alters named Jan Scientist.

In essence, every Alter in the DLC is an "Alter of an Alter." Furthermore, they are all scientists. While each of the Alters in Last Variable is more scientifically-minded, they nonetheless have a wide range of skills that are helpful to your mission in different ways.

You Have Fewer Alters (And You Don't Need to Unlock Them)

The base game has ten possible Alters to choose from, and you can only ever pick a maximum of six in a single playthrough. You'll have to make no such choice in The Alters: Last Variable. There are a total of four available Alters, and you can eventually have all of them at the same time.

Some Things Are Cheaper

Some (but not all) crafted items, base building modules, and research items are less expensive compared to the base game. For example, a standard Mining Outpost costs 30 Metal in The Alters and only 20 Metal in The Alters: Last Variable.

That's not to say that you won't have to worry about crafting materials, time, and other resources — you still need to manage your base and advance toward your goal. Still, some things are cheaper, likely due to the fact that you have fewer Alters available overall.

Your Base Doesn't Move (and the Map Doesn't Change)

The Alters focused on a giant mobile base that traveled across the planet, evading a deadly firestorm generated by the system's three suns. That still remains a hazard in The Alters: Last Variable, but in a different way.

Your base (and the map around it) stays the same throughout the game. When the heatwave approaches, you and your Alters must instead go into Cryosleep for 13 years until the planet cools down again.

The Base Has a Different Layout

The moving base in The Alters had a clean, symmetrical layout that made creating a base layout challenging, but not impossible. Your base in Last Variable, in comparison, is buried underground and has a different layout altogether. Additionally, you cannot move the Airlock.

Building your base properly will often rely on clever placement of Corridors and Elevators to squeeze every square inch of usable space out of your underground base. It's a little tougher, but it's certainly doable!

The Time Pressure is Lessened

Strictly speaking, there is no "running out of time" in The Alters: Last Variable as there was in the base game. If a Cycle is coming to an end, you can simply enter Cryosleep and start over when the cooling period begins.

As far as I can tell, each Cycle is a little bit shorter than the previous one. The first Cycle is 14 days, and subsequent Cycles seem to cap out at a minimum length of 6–7 days. I played through 10 Cycles and never really felt short on time. 10 Cycles is plenty of time to do absolutely everything you could want to do.

That said, I personally haven't gone beyond 10 Cycles in my playthrough, so I can't say for sure if there's a maximum limit on time. Don't use the lower time pressure as an excuse to slack, but don't worry too much about running out of time, either.

Qubit Levels Are Unlocked in a Different Way

In the base game, your Quantum Computer's "Qubit Level" determines which tier of research is available to you. It's the same in The Alters: Last Variable, but Qubit Levels are unlocked in a different way; read our The Alters: Last Variable Research Guide to learn more.

Substances and Samples Change Up Gameplay

Some mechanics from the base game are gone, and some new mechanics are introduced. Two new mechanics in Last Variable are "Substances" and "Samples."

Substances are liquified versions of base materials that can be transformed with specialized machinery. For example, you can place an Extractor in a Rapidium zone to get liquid Rapidium, and then you can pass those pipes through a "Phaser" to get Phased Rapidium.

These Substances are necessary for unlocking some of the higher-end research and crafted items in the game, and they may require extensive pipe networks to create them. You can always find out what exactly you need by consulting Tutorial / Recipes in the Manual.

As for Samples, these are specialized items that you can find in terraformed areas. There are five types of Samples overall, and they spawn at fixed locations in terraformed areas. (Check out our Interactive Map to find out where they are.)

Samples aren't strictly necessary for most of the game, but they do have a use — using the SAM module, you can analyze Samples to gain permanent passive buffs for your mission. It doesn't cost any extra resources; you just have to wait for it to complete. It's worth it!

Terraforming Unlocks More of the World (and Protects Your Structures)

Here's our final tip: much of the world is blocked by rocks mixed with roots, and you can only destroy those from within a terraformed area. As you terraform the map, you'll be able to destroy these rocks, and you'll subsequently gain access to new parts of the map.

Terraformed areas do more than open up new areas of the map; they also protect your infrastructure. Anything built in an area that hasn't been terraformed will have to be collected automatically at the end of a Cycle. Otherwise, it will be destroyed by the hot season.

However, terraforming has another special property — anything built within a terraformed zone is protected from damage from the firestorm. Make terraforming a priority, and ensure that you terraform areas with the resources you need the most (such as Organics and Metals) first.

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