How to increase your base level in The Alters

If you’re running out of space in The Alters, you will need to increase your base level to keep things under control. The game doesn’t give you much room early on, so upgrading your base early becomes important, especially once you’re juggling multiple modules, storage tanks, and trying to stay on schedule.

This guide aims to help you increase your base level in The Alters.

Note: This article is a work in progress; more details will be added later.

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Methods to increase your base level in The Alters

Starting base upgrade

You must first upgrade your Qubit Level to unlock more research options. Once that’s done, go to the Research tab and look for Base Expansion 2. This upgrade allows you to increase your base size. The research takes around 14 hours to complete.

Jan the Scientist (Image via 11 bit studios)

To increase your base level faster, you can activate Crunch Hours for Jan the Scientist, which lets them work a 12-hour shift. This is useful if you’re trying to squeeze the upgrade into a tight schedule.

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What do you need for the expansion?

Once Base Expansion 2 is researched, head to the Command Center. From there, you can select the base expansion option. To build it, you’ll need 40 Metals and 60 Minerals. Ensure you have the necessary materials ready to avoid any delays.

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What do you get after upgrading?

After the expansion is complete, you’ll get more room to place modules and storage — this makes the layout much easier to manage. You’ll also get an upgrade to your Organics tank, increasing its capacity to 450, giving you more flexibility when building or relocating your base.

You should also clean up and reorganize your base layout now that you have more space. That’ll help you avoid future issues and work more efficiently.

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Why Base Expansion II matters and why delay can hurt

Place Medium Storage modules at the top or bottom levels — they’re wide but don’t use up vertical space (Image via 11 bit studios)

If you skip this upgrade early on, especially in Act 1, you’re setting yourself up for pain later. With limited space, things start to spiral fast: resources pile up in inefficient places, Alters get frustrated, and you'll spend more time micromanaging the layout than actually progressing.

Base Expansion II is your buffer against that chaos. Once you complete it, the floodgates open for even bigger expansions down the line.

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More base expansions down the road

Later, as you upgrade your Qubit Level again, you'll unlock Base Expansion III and Base Expansion IV. These offer even more space and increase the Organics Tank to 700 and 800, respectively. Like before, they each take 14 hours to research and will require all previous expansions to be unlocked first. Thus, it is beneficial to stay on top of this chain early and not allow it to accumulate.

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Some quick base layout tips after upgrading

Once you increase your base level, take some time to reshuffle things:

• Don’t hesitate to move modules around after an expansion. Every bit of freed-up space helps keep things efficient.
• Big modules like the Greenhouse and Infirmary go best in central areas where they fit neatly.
• Keep elevators in a central vertical line — this makes every level easier to access.
• Tuck Small Storage modules into tight corners where nothing else fits.

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By following the aforementioned steps, you can increase your base level in The Alters.

Check out: How to cure radiation poisoning in The Alters