Frostpunk 2 by 11 bit Studios

Following on from its critically acclaimed predecessor, Frostpunk 2 is a continuation of the society survival game” and its grim story of post-apocalyptic city building. Expanding beyond the limits of the city established in the first entry, the sequel finds New London needing to broaden its borders to seize new resources and strive for a bold new future.

Icicle Works

Frostpunk 2 is a city management game, but to call it that doesn’t quite do it justice. Both Frostpunk 2 and its predecessor create a rich narrative experience shaped by tough decisions that make little concession to the usual habit of empowering players at the expense of story. Here every decision is a tough one, and every choice has a consequence.

A short scenario is provided at the outset of Frostpunk 2, set around the crippled remains of an old dreadnought. This serves both as a tutorial of sorts while also setting up some narrative beats that can be linked into later after the action returns to the city.

Frostpunk 2 does an excellent job of teaching its systems through a combination of a smooth learning curve (without overzealous tooltips or excessive hand-holding) and an easily accessed reference section for when questions arise.

It doesn’t take long to learn the basics of Frostpunk’s settlement building mechanics; icebreakers must be used to clear land for development, and buildings are best built on important resources in order to feed the city’s many needs.

A few other mechanical necessities must be tended to: the generator, for example, needs fuel, and when it doesn’t have enough, it can be pushed beyond safe limits to keep citizens warm (at the risk of an overload that will cause damage and cost lives).

Cool Heads Must Prevail

All of these management basics are well executed but in truth, they play second fiddle to the real core of Frostpunk 2: shaping the culture, laws, philosophy, and ethics of your city. These more intriguing issues are supported by systems like a council where new laws are voted on, a research department, and various problems that arise as the city grows.

These elements don’t exist in a vacuum, however, and they all tie into the basic challenges presented to the city.

Running low on fuel? It’s possible to order emergency shifts at the mining facilities, increasing the chance of injuries or deaths.

Frustrated by a longer-term deficit in a particular resource? There’s likely a research opportunity that could remove the problem, but this will mean pleasing some factions while alienating others. Perhaps more importantly, it will permanently shape the face of your culture moving forward.

Too Cool for School

An early decision I was posed with was what I decided to call “Roslin’s Dilemma” in reference to a similar issue faced in the excellent re-imagining of Battlestar Galactica. Youth crime was on the rise, and my city was in need of an education system; I could institute mandatory apprenticeships, forcing children to learn a trade from a family member – creating a system of hereditary professions – or create a full schooling system.

Apprenticeships would come with the immediate benefit of a larger workforce – something I sorely needed – but it meant taking the first step on a rather dystopian path, so I chose schooling. It was mere weeks before factions were demanding a say on the curriculum, with my allies preferring a multi-faceted science-based approach and my political rivals suggesting a focus on immediate issues such as mining and survival.

Those aforementioned factions throw an interesting wrench into the works. They each come with their own agendas, and they must be negotiated with when voting on laws. This will often involve promising future boons such as researching a particular technology, nudging the city’s growth in a direction favored by that faction.

This adds another layer to the already nuanced decision-making. One must ask, “Is this what I want for my city long term? Will it serve my immediate needs? Does it chime with the desires of my allies and will it create unsustainable tension with my rivals?”

Frostpunk 2 has managed to align its systems to create both a rich, responsive narrative and the closest thing I’ve ever experienced to an authentic politics simulator.

Winter Wonderland

The design and aesthetics here are jaw-dropping. Frostpunk 2 is a beautiful game to get lost in, from the combination of white, black, and gold used for the detailed but accessible interface to a score that ranges from grim and hopeless to triumphant and grand.

Being able to zoom from giddy heights overlooking the entire region to all the way down to near-street level is a delightful feature and it all comes together to create the sense that you really are managing the future of humanity as it explores the frozen world and establishes new colonies.

The Verdict:

Frostpunk 2 is a remarkable achievement. 11 bit studios have created a civilization management and survival game that also tells a rich story and provides a real sense of reactive politics shaping decisions as the city grows.

This is a fantastic experience for fans of strategy, management, and interactive stories told on a grand scale.

Frostpunk 2 is available via the Sony PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store, and Steam.

Watch the trailer for Frostpunk 2 below: