Uphold vs. Infinite Uphold in The Alters – What They Are and How to Use Them

When using the kitchen or the Workshop’s crafting bench in The Alters, you’ve probably noticed two options pop up: Uphold and Infinite Uphold.

They appear when you select an item to craft, and while the item does move into the processing queue, it’s not immediately clear what these options actually do.

That said, once the game starts picking up speed and things get busier, both options become super handy. They help make sure that Jan and his Alters always have the essential items they need to survive—and, ultimately, get off the planet alive.

So in this guide, I’m breaking down exactly how Uphold and Infinite Uphold work, and when you should be using each. 

Also check, How to Collect Organics and Materials.

---

What Are Uphold and Infinite Uphold in The Alters?

These two options show up at the top of the crafting screen when you’re using the workshop or the kitchen, and you’ve selected an item under “Available Items.”

They’re both designed to save you time and micromanagement—so you don’t need to keep going back to the crafting screen every time you want more food, filters, or other essentials.

Here’s what each one does:

---

Infinite Uphold

When you choose Infinite Uphold, the item gets pinned to that spot in the crafting queue permanently. Your Alter (whoever is working the machine) will keep crafting that item nonstop—until you run out of the materials needed to make it.

This is great for items you always want a bunch of, like food or basic meds, especially if you’ve got enough materials to keep production running for a while.

---

Uphold

The Uphold option is a bit more flexible—and a lot smarter if you’re trying to manage limited resources.

• When you press Uphold, you’re telling the game: “Hey, always try to keep at least X of this item in my inventory.”
  
• Let’s say you press it and the number above the item in the queue says 29. If you currently have 23 of that item, the crafting station will produce six more to bring your total up to 29.
  
• Once you use one, it’ll automatically start crafting again to keep you stocked at that target number.
  

You can press Uphold multiple times to increase the target quantity. It’s a subtle feature, but it becomes super useful once you get the hang of it.

---

When Should You Use Each?

Personally, I found Uphold to be way more useful than Infinite Uphold—mainly because it gives you way more control over how your key resources (like organics, metals, and Rapidium) are used.

There’s nothing worse than realizing one of your Alters burned through all your metals making food or filters, when you really needed them to build a new gear upgrade or base module. With Uphold, you can set smart limits and make sure you’re not accidentally shooting yourself in the foot.

---

Quick Use Case Examples

• Use Infinite Uphold if:
  
  • You’ve got a ton of extra materials
    
  • You always want something being crafted non-stop
    
  • You don’t want to micromanage production
    
• Use Uphold if:
  
  • You want to keep a steady supply without overproducing
    
  • You’re running low on crafting materials
    
  • You want to balance multiple crafting priorities