Skip to main content
Join The Community
- Join our community
11
Premium Benefits
24/7
Access Available
21K+
Active Members
Commenting
Join the discussion
Exclusive Articles Coming Soon
Member-only articles
Weekly Newsletters
Weekly gaming & entertainment news
Member Badges
Earn badges as you go
Exclusive Competitions
Members-only prize draws
Curated Deals Coming Soon
Tech and gaming deals worth grabbing
GET COMMUNITY ACCESS QUICK
For the quickest way to join, simply enter your email below and get access. We will send a confirmation and sign you up to our newsletter to keep you updated on all your gaming news.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
FIND OUT ABOUT OUR MAGAZINE
Want to subscribe to the magazine? Click the button below to find out more information.
Find out more
GET Community ACCESS QUICK

Join the GamesRadar community for quick access. Enter your email below and we'll send confirmation, and sign you up to our newsletter.

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Background
Welcome to GamesRADAR+ Community !
Hi ,

Your membership journey starts here.

Keep exploring and earning more as a member.

MY ACCOUNT

Badge picture
Earn your first badge
Read 1 article to unlock your first badge.
Keep earning badges
Explore ways to get more involved as a member.
Latest Games News

Latest Games News

Breaking gaming news and updates

Read Now
Latest Games Reviews

Latest Games Reviews

Expert verdicts on the newest releases

Read Now

See what you’ve unlocked.

Explore your membership benefits.

Explore
Member Exclusives

Stay Ahead with GamesRadar+

Get the biggest gaming news, reviews, and releases straight to your inbox.

Explore

Sign Out
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Buying Guides
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
  • home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Buying Guides
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Video
    • View Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
Trending
  • Saros review
  • Arc Raiders
  • The Boys S5
  • Best turn-based RPGs
  • Submit your clips. Win prizes
  • Delta Force giveaway
Don't miss these
Hero artwork in Gothic 1 Remake cropped for a header image, showing four characters wielding a range of weaponry including axes, swords, bows, and magic
RPGs I recruited Gothic 1 Remake's most notorious NPC and a pair of molerats for 4 hours of RPG chaos
Exodus screenshot
RPGs Mass Effect hasn't been great in "a long time," but Exodus can fill the gap according to Hasbro CEO
Crimson Desert
RPGs The Witcher 3 director says Crimson Desert isn't "story heavy," but it still gets "RPG things" right
Saros gameplay showing a flying beast hover over multiple statues of hands
Third Person Shooters I asked Saros devs about their hand obsession and got a fascinating insight into game development
Saros Review
Roguelike Games Saros review: "A lean fusion of roguelike sci-fi action and eldritch horror that successfully remixes Returnal"
in Aphelion
Adventure Games Aphelion review: "Life is Strange creator's Uncharted-like sci-fi adventure fails to land"
A close-up of V in a space suit during the sci-fi RPG, Cyberpunk 2077
RPGs 10 Best sci-fi RPGs of all time
A picture of Classic Marathon showing the player walking down a corridor in first-person with a gun drawn and a terminal at the other corner
FPS Games I played Marathon and its 1994 predecessor to see how Bungie has evolved over the years
Best space games: a screenshot of the game, No Man's Sky.
Strategy Games Best space games which will let you explore the unknown
Garrus and Commander Shepard in Mass Effect Legendary Edition
RPGs I've ranked the best RPGs with romance options, from Fire Emblem to Mass Effect
In Final Fantasy 10, protagonist Tidus stands with party members Auron, Kimahri Ronso, Yuna, Wakka, Lulu, and Rikku
RPGs The 10 best story-driven RPGs to play in 2026
Crimson Desert
RPGs Crimson Desert review: "A game that's far better as a sandbox than as a story"
Arc Raiders player holding a gun in red light
Third Person Shooters Arc Raiders studio contacted by crime scientist "intrigued by how players are interacting"
Starfield ending explained
RPGs Todd Howard thinks the message behind Starfield's original New Game Plus "got lost on a lot of people"
Pragmata screenshot taken on PS5
Action Games Pragmata review: "Blasting and hacking in sync has me locked in for Capcom's sci-fi shooter"
Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Want to add more newsletters?

GamesRadar+

Every Friday

GamesRadar+

Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.

GTA 6 O'clock

Every Thursday

GTA 6 O'clock

Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.

Knowledge

Every Friday

Knowledge

From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.

The Setup

Every Thursday

The Setup

Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.

Switch 2 Spotlight

Every Wednesday

Switch 2 Spotlight

Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.

The Watchlist

Every Saturday

The Watchlist

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.

SFX

Once a month

SFX

Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!


Join the club

Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
  1. Games
  2. Survival Games
  3. The Alters

"Yo this isn't Mass Effect, my guy, put the flirt gun down": Devs behind sci-fi survival game The Alters shoot down thirsty fans' requests to romance their clones

News
By Ashley Bardhan published 7 August 2025

Can't we all just love ourselves?

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

A close up in The Alters
(Image credit: 11 bit Studios)
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
0
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Subscribe to our newsletter

Try not to get any creative ideas about all the clones in The Alters, 11 bit studios' sci-fi survival game about escaping a hostile planet with help from alternate versions of yourself: it's never going to be sexy, devs say.

After Windows Central editor Jez Corden boldly inquired as to "why can't I romance my Alters to de-stress?" on Twitter, 11 bit studios made it clear on The Alters' official account, saying "Yo this ain't [Mass Effect], my guy, put the flirt gun down."

"But would it be called masturbating or having a relationship?" philosophized another fan, to which The Alters responded with a photo of a yellow sign warning of "DANGER WRONG WAY TURN BACK."

Latest Videos From
You may like
  • Stick figures close their eyes and embrace Facing Chinese censorship, RPG shows users its most depraved content through stick figure drawings
  • A doctor in the Love and Deepspace Secret's kiss event says to focus on what you need I'm a lapsed Sims fan who just wants a doctor husband, and Love and Deepspace's new update lets me date 5 guys at once
  • The Expanse: Osiris Reborn screenshot shows a man wearing a helmet with a visor. The Expanse: Osiris Reborn devs "do not think of ourselves as a successor to the Mass Effect series"

"Yeah, yeah," said an exasperated The Alters player. "Sex Update when?"

Never, apparently. The Alters went so far as to respond with a Rick & Morty GIF to a player insisting the Jan Miner clone "was offering me a helping hand." If a Rick & Morty GIF isn't definitively sexless to you, I don't know what else to say.

I just think, if you want to experience adventure on a, perhaps, more intimate level than you can in The Alters, you'll need to play BioWare's Mass Effect.

Nearly 20 years before The Alters, Mass Effect provided a similarly emotionally hefty, sci-fi experience – though it sometimes included subtle sex scenes considered controversial at the time.

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

And for what it's worth, I'd consider having a relationship with your clone more "self-discovery" than anything.

The Alters has changed the way I play games for the better, and after 18 years I can finally finish Mass Effect.

CATEGORIES
PS5 Xbox Series X PC Gaming Platforms PlayStation Xbox
Ashley Bardhan
Ashley Bardhan
Social Links Navigation
Senior Writer

Ashley is a Senior Writer at GamesRadar+. She's been a staff writer at Kotaku and Inverse, too, and she's written freelance pieces about horror and women in games for sites like Rolling Stone, Vulture, IGN, and Polygon. When she's not covering gaming news, she's usually working on expanding her doll collection while watching Saw movies one through 11.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Read more
Stick figures close their eyes and embrace
RPGs Facing Chinese censorship, RPG shows users its most depraved content through stick figure drawings
 
 
A doctor in the Love and Deepspace Secret's kiss event says to focus on what you need
Simulation Games I'm a lapsed Sims fan who just wants a doctor husband, and Love and Deepspace's new update lets me date 5 guys at once
 
 
The Expanse: Osiris Reborn screenshot shows a man wearing a helmet with a visor.
RPGs The Expanse: Osiris Reborn devs "do not think of ourselves as a successor to the Mass Effect series"
 
 
Screenshot from an Exodus trailer, showing a white man reach out to a glowy alien object in a dark room.
RPGs Mass Effect veterans roll out gameplay teases for new RPG Exodus ahead of a big summer reveal
 
 
Garrus and Commander Shepard in Mass Effect Legendary Edition
RPGs I've ranked the best RPGs with romance options, from Fire Emblem to Mass Effect
 
 
In Aphelion, protagonist Ariane climbs out of the wreckage of the ship which crashed on the ice planet of Persephone
Adventure Games I wasn't expecting Alien vibes from the Life is Strange dev's new sci-fi game: "We intend the Nemesis to be difficult"
 
 
Latest in Survival Games
Dune: Awakening Polar Cap
Survival Games Dune: Awakening fans "so disappointed" by no Polar Cap in 1.4, Funcom dubs it "huge amount of work"
 
 
Woman wearing bandana appears up-close in front of rocky waters and shipwrecks
Survival Games Windrose balances brutal survival with cheat-style forgiveness in a way that keeps bringing me back
 
 
A pirate in Windrose
Survival Games Windrose devs issue patch to address fears their open-world pirate game was slowly destroying SSDs
 
 
Windrose early access trailer screenshot shows a female pirate.
Survival Games Windrose proves that survival games don't have to be difficult to be popular
 
 
Screenshot from Outbound, showing four people sat in a caravan staring toward the camera.
Survival Games Subnautica 2 pulls a Hollow Knight Silksong, shoves one of Steam's most-wishlisted games out of its release date
 
 
Subnautica 2 character with shocked expression
Survival Games Subnautica 2 devs won't touch generative AI despite "AI first" pivot at owner Krafton
 
 
Latest in News
Mario in a swimsuit in Super Mario Odyssey.
Games Nintendo boss reportedly wants to make up for Switch 2 price increase with a stronger line-up of games
 
 
Marcus being pinned to a wall by a Locust Drone during the Gears of War: E-Day trailer.
Gears of War Gears of War: E-Day is officially sponsoring WWE Triplemania, potentially hinting at a September release date window
 
 
Dragon Quest concept art
Dragon Quest As Dragon Quest 12 continues to slumber, Yuji Horii reveals a 40th anniversary stream with news on the "next game"
 
 
The Elder Scrolls After 14 years since reveal, the Morrowind remake made in Skyrim gets another update and sounds close to completion
 
 
A blue-skinned girl in a hat and oversized clothes jetskis around a few small islands with the blue sky shining above, in a screenshot from Bobo Bay.
Simulation Games This indie game with near perfect Steam reviews is the Sonic Adventure follow-up I've been waiting 26 years for
 
 
Diablo 4
Diablo Diablo 4 devs designed the new warlock class based on who would win in a "fist fight"
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Super Mario Odyssey
    1
    Nintendo boss reportedly wants to make up for Switch 2 price increase with a stronger line-up of games
  2. 2
    Obsession's Curry Barker on finding his own way to frighten horror fans and leaning into the "modern jumpscare"
  3. 3
    Gears of War: E-Day is officially sponsoring WWE Triplemania, potentially hinting at a September release date window
  4. 4
    As Dragon Quest 12 continues to slumber, Yuji Horii reveals a 40th anniversary stream with news on the "next game"
  5. 5
    There's a fun reference to A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms when you Google the Game of Thrones show

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...