Best The Alters research nodes

What are the best research nodes in The Alters? Given your survival depends entirely on efficient mining and a cavalcade of scientific breakthroughs, the less time you spend researching mediocre upgrades, the better your chances of outrunning the sun. Confused? This is a house of cards. It's coming down if you spend the day researching the wrong thing.

Already feeling trapped in this race against the sun? Let us pave the way forward with our other The Alters guides. They'll teach you how to defeat anomalies and the best Alters for the job. Not sure if you have the time to care for almost a dozen clones of the same man, learn how long The Alters is before you make that time commitment.

Across the Exploration, Economy, Base, and Mission trees are dozens of research nodes that can make your journey easier. Not only will they speed up the acquisition of new materials, but they will also dramatically reduce the workload on the crew, staving off the looming threat of a rebellion that can put a swift end to the mission.

But there's only so much time in the day. With Alters research nodes taking up to 24 hours to complete, there can be times when prioritizing one over the other can massively affect the outcome of a sudden situation.

Here's a complete list of research nodes in The Alters. Nodes worth researching are italicised, with those costing limited Planetary Samples denoted with an asterisk (*). Given they're practically essential in most runs, we've omitted the Mission research nodes entirely, but we'll highlight a few early additions down below.

Though it's entirely possible to complete a run of The Alters with every non-advanced research node unlocked, the order in which you research them can have dramatic effects on the road to that point.

Note that an upgrade being available in Tier 1 doesn't necessarily mean it's available in Act 1. Unlocking new research tiers requires increasing the Qubit level of the Quantum Computer, which requires finding (and repairing) Qubit Chips in each act.

Here are the best Alters research nodes to work on, when, and why some just don't make the cut. Do note that spoilers may follow.

Best Alters research nodes for Act 1

In Act 1, you first need to produce the Scientist Alter. He's one of the only essential crew members. Without him and his Research Lab, you won't be able to discover any of the means to escape the sun.

Thankfully, his Research Lab is good for more than just the scientific breakthroughs needed to bring that Rapidium home.

Here are the best Research nodes for Act 1:

Interal Analysis Tool

The Interal Analysis Tool research node appears after discovering and reporting your first Anomoly to the Scientist. Researching this node unlocks the ability to craft the Luminator-a permanent hand-held tool that uses suit energy to convert Anomolies into the versatile ALX material. It's an essential tool used to unlock advanced research nodes later on, can help you harvest materials in a pinch, and can dramatically limit time lost to deadly radiation exposure.

Metals Efficiency

In a game all about efficiency and time management, it has to be stressed how important this research node is. Though a 15% boost might not sound like much, every minute counts. At the end of a run, time saved with this perk will really add up.

Non-Metals Efficiency

Just like the above recommendation, the time saved by committing six hours of the Scientist's shift to this will go a long way. Doubly so, given it applies to both Minerals and Organics mining.

Prosthetic Arm

Though we're largely avoiding recommending typically mandatory nodes from the Mission tab, if you're running the Miner early on, grabbing the Prosthetic Arm node as soon as possible will minimize time lost. He can't work without it. He can't even play Beer Pong to keep himself entertained. Put this off and you'll have a mouth to feed and nothing to gain. It's an easy solution to a very big problem.

Best The Alters research nodes for Act 2

Going into Act II, you'll likely have more mouths to feed. This makes Organics, a vital component in food production, more valuable. To aid in that, we'll be looking to supplement its extraction in several ways with these top-tier research nodes for Act II of The Alters.

Note that with two Damaged Chips available here, you'll unlock Qubit Level 3 and its research nodes.

Hook upgrade

The Act II map features many tall walls you can only scale with an upgraded hook. Put this off and you'll waste far too much time and energy running around its snaking labyrinth.

Cheaper Batteries

Second to that, the simple Cheaper Batteries upgrade will massively reduce the hit on your Organics tank when you're forced to scale new heights to place the Scanner and Neutralizer Towers toward the end of the act.

Cheaper Climbing

To further save on the need to craft batteries at all, grabbing the Cheaper Climbing perk right after Cheaper Batteries will make it so you never have to blow a whole energy tank on a single 6-cost climb.

Recyler

The Recycler generates more passive Organics each day as you produce more Alters. And with Mush only costing a small amount to make, this tiny base module quickly pays for itself in materials produced and time saved. You'll never need to worry about skipping meals with this one, and you shouldn't need to buy a Base Upgrade to squeeze it in somewhere.

ALX-Metals Conversion

With how many anomalies you'll be busting well into Act II, being able to turn them into Metals is a big deal.

Not only will it help offload their weight, but you'll be in a better position to keep up with the crafting of massive story-related tools, drill cartridges, upgraded mining outposts, and more.

You'll take posts and pylons with you into the next chapter, so this one can really pay off.

Quick Crafting

Though far from essential if you know your routes well, being able to craft Drill Cartridges and Batteries on the move can save serious time. Whether you're running back to the base to recharge or standing around while someone else crafts a cartridge, this one-button approach can come in clutch.

Suit Upgrade

With your first Planetary Sample secured, the Suit Upgrade perk should be next on your list. This unlocks a bunch more research nodes as you upgrade the Quantum Computer, including some vital upgrades early on.

It also increases your suit's battery size and reduces radiation accumulation, making it easier to explore the map, tank the odd Anomaly hit, gather materials around an Enriched Metals vein, or last just that little bit longer in night radiation as you sprint back to the base.

ADV. Non-Metals Outpost/ADV. Metals Outpost

If you stick out Act II long enough to find two more Planetary Samples, putting them into ADV. Non-Metals Outpost and ADV. Metals Outpost will both pay off big time. Another 40% boost to resource mining on top of the 30% total gained from other upgrades is huge.

Luminator Density I/II

This is another efficient choice that dramatically reduces the cost of dealing with an Anomoly. Given just how many will block your path later on, this is a worthwhile grab. Grab the second one as soon as you find the second Qubit Chip.

Best Alters research nodes for Act 3

With a tight deadline and potentially fewer crew members pitching in, here's how you should priorize research in Act III of The Alters.

Base Maintenance Workplace

Though not massively useful early on if you kept your base running smoothly, adding the ability to assign two workers to Base Maintenance can really help during the increasingly frequent Magnetic Storms and a certain event later in this chapter.

ALX-Minerals Conversion

For the same reasons as the ALX-Metals Conversion node, spending a Plantery Sample on ALX-Minerals Conversion can really smooth things over in the final chapter.

Given how difficult it can be to set up mining outposts in this last map, being able to convert its many, many anomalies into Minerals can either help with crafting the Supply Package or the various apparatus needed to end the game.

Increased ALX Recovery

With the final Qubit level unlocked, you'll want to grab Increased ALX Recovery as soon as possible. The earlier you get this, the easier Act 3 will be. Given the limited nature of anomalies and the energy they take to churn up, a 40% return increase can't be sniffed at.

Anomaly Shield I/II

You can gain two Anomoly Shields on the first suit upgrade. The third requires two additional Planetary Samples and time spent researching the second Suit Upgrade node, which makes it well worth skipping.

We haven't recommended putting time into these now through virtue of not wanting to waste ALX by walking into an anomaly, but there are reasons you'll prefer to do this later on in Act III. It's best to be prepared.

And that should cover the best research nodes in The Alters. If you're open to the idea of irradiating your crew, feel free to swap samples spent on Adv. Non-Metals outposts on the Enriched Metals tree instead. Toss in the Automatic Outpost and unlock the Refiner to follow an alternate route. Just want to keep the Doctor on hand.

Looking for other games centered around busywork? Here are the best management games on PC. From Factorio to Farming Simulator, they'll keep you a busy bee for a good long while. Feeling inspired by the tale of Jan and his many alters? Cut out the stress of mining for your life and find your new favorite story with the best RPG games instead.