The Alters Sends Jan Scientist Into a New Oasis Mystery

The Alters: Last Variable is available now on Steam, giving Jan Scientist a new mission built around an impossible Oasis. 11 bit studios announced the expansion in its Steam announcement.

The story follows Jan Scientist after the events of the main game. The Oasis should not be able to exist, but its appearance draws Jan into a scientific mystery that requires more than one version of himself to solve. Players will assemble a team that includes a Geologist, Biologist, Chemist, and Physicist, with each Alter bringing a different area of expertise.

The environment itself will keep changing. Players can terraform new regions to reach fresh areas and resources, but each alteration can trigger earthquakes, radiation waves, and other hazards from the planet.

New systems beneath the Oasis

Last Variable expands the underground base with construction options tied to different soil types. New research also leads to modules such as the Cryosleep Chamber, which lets Jan extend the mission and observe the longer-term results of his discoveries.

Field Labs add another layer to the operation. During each planetary cooldown, Alters can continue their work in these facilities while Jan remains in cryosleep, allowing the research effort to continue even when he is not directly involved.

The expansion is also available through the Deluxe Edition bundle, which is listed with a 35% discount.

11 bit studios will host an AMA in r/games on July 14 at 4:00 p.m. CEST. The session will focus on The Alters, Last Variable, the game’s development, and its themes.

Spoiler warning: The developer also confirmed that Last Variable continues one of the possible endings from the base game. The original game does not designate a single ending as canon, but players can follow a specific route if they want to connect their previous choices with the expansion’s story.

Patch Notes: PATCH 2.0.1

Patch 2.0.1 accompanies the expansion with an Unreal Engine update, visual improvements, newer upscaler versions, memory-management work, bug fixes, and support for dual 4K monitors.

Engine & Graphics

• Updated game to Unreal Engine 5.5
• Higher quality textures – sharper, more detailed textures throughout the game world.
• More accurate geometry – improved model and environment precision, with fewer graphical simplifications.
• Improved shadow quality – more realistic and smoother shadows, adding greater depth to the visuals.
• New sharpness slider
• Updated internal systems and middleware to their latest compatible version.

Optimization

• Better skeletal mesh optimization – improved character animations and models, resulting in smoother gameplay and reduced hardware load.
• Upscaler updates – support for the latest versions of TSR, FSR, and DLSS.
• Optimized memory management to help reduce unexpected performance issues.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed key bugs related to Rebellions – resolved issues affecting story-related events.
• Fixed loading screen bugs – eliminated issues causing freezes or errors during loading.
• Numerous other minor bug fixes – various smaller issues across the game have also been addressed for a smoother overall experience.

Hardware Support

• Primary and secondary monitor 4K support – the game now properly supports dual-monitor setups running at 4K resolution

Last Variable is now available on Steam. Tell us what you think of Jan Scientist’s new chapter in the comments, and follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, and Instagram.