With Frostpunk, 11bit Studios deliver their biggest project to date. The game is an unusual mix of city-building strategy and society simulation. Frostpunk is set in an alternate version of the 19th century, where the whole world is a frozen wasteland. After a global snowstorm, social life collapses and a massive coal furnace in the center of a crater is the only chance of survival.
The player is chosen as the leader and begins to build the base around the warming furnace. First, the gathering of resources is limited to sending citizens to look for coal, wood and metal in the snow. After building a laboratory, new technologies can be researched to make the game more varied. Sawmills allow you to fell frozen trees and mines allow you to efficiently extract coal from the rock around the crater. The most important task is the successful use of the workforce that secures survival. Since their number is limited, this forces tough decisions and is further reinforced by the day-night cycle, as they only work during the relatively warm daytime. The use of the collected resources must be well thought out, as in addition to the construction of new buildings, the needs of the citizens also need to be considered. In addition to the coordination of the workforce and the management of resources, there is also the political aspect. Various areas of society can be regulated through a law book, which can contain morally fascinating scenarios and have far-reaching consequences. The decisions whether to allow child labor or to stretch food with sawdust are just a few examples and influence the values for dissatisfaction and hope of the citizens. Enforcing a 24-hour shift leads to increased dissatisfaction, even though the extra work can save lives. Hope increases when everyone has enough to eat. Details on these values can be read on a barometer on the main screen. If the citizens are unhappy enough in Frostpunk, they banish the player from his own city or leave themselves if they are disappointed enough. However, only after they have convinced others to follow them.
The wonderfully dark graphics are very detailed. Workers leave tracks in the snow, the sunrise, each of which looks like a small victory over the icy temperature, spills over the city and the windows of the buildings are illuminated by fire. The menus are designed to be clear and easy to use.
Frostpunk is an exciting, captivating city-building and society simulation, filled with tough, sometimes unthinkable decisions and an atmosphere that makes the ubiquitous danger of cold death palpable.
You can find more information about Frostpunk on Keyfuchs and there is also the option to purchase a key through our price comparison.
