The Alters quickly become very chaotic, with resource management, an ever-increasing crew of angsty Alters, and objectives overload. To make matters worse, the HUD will be constantly flashing up, informing you of everything going wrong or what you need to do next. However, there’s one yellow gauge and an icon in the bottom right corner of the screen in The Alters that can go unnoticed for a while. Players shouldn’t completely ignore it, though, as it actually indicates a pretty important mechanic in the game.
In this guide, I’ll explain what the yellow gauge in the bottom right corner means in The Alters and why it’s important.
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What Is the Yellow Gauge in the Bottom Right Corner of The Alters?
Here Comes the Sun
The yellow icon is a little sun icon with a gauge next to it and a number directly beneath it. This indicates how many days players have left until the sun catches up with them and all of their crew is burned alive, effectively ending the run. As such, it’s incredibly important that players don’t let this reach one or even two without having everything ready to complete their objective and move onto the next base.
You might also notice that at times, the little sun icon isn’t yellow at all, and the whole thing is grayed out. This is good news, as it essentially means that the sun is so far away that there’s no impending countdown or adverse effects.
After you’ve survived the first magnetic storm, you can complete some research called Magnetic Storm Analysis. This adds another gauge that appears next to the sun countdown and will indicate when the next magnetic storm is coming and how long it will go on for once it begins. This is incredibly handy, as you can make sure you have plenty of radiation filters before it hits, so you can weather it more easily.
I’d recommend setting up either an Uphold or Infinite Uphold on your workbench for radiation filters. That way, you should always have a good amount in your inventory just in case of emergencies and can craft more at short notice to top yourself up.
What Happens When the Sun Moves Closer?
Shorter Working Days Outdoors
After the first magnetic storm that players encounter, they’ll be informed that the sun has moved closer. This causes increased planetary activity, such as new resources appearing on the planet’s surface. These can then be used for more facilities for your base and consumables to keep things running smoothly.
However, this also comes with a caveat in that night radiation starts earlier. As such, you’ll have less time each day to extract resources before you’ll need to retreat to the safety of your base; otherwise, you’ll risk absorbing radiation. If your radiation levels are maxed out, you’ll collapse and wake up the next day.
The Alters
10/10
- Released
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June 13, 2025
- Engine
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Unreal Engine 5
- PC Release Date
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June 13, 2025
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
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June 13, 2025
- PS5 Release Date
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June 13, 2025