The original Frostpunk was a masterclass in moral compromise. It asked players not just how they would survive, but what they were willing to sacrifice to do so. Now, Frostpunk 2 arrives with a colder heart and a broader scope, trading the intimate desperation of a single community for a sprawling and complex political landscape where survival is no longer the only goal. What comes next is up to you, and it’s rarely pretty.
Developed by 11 bit studios, Frostpunk 2 is set thirty years after the events of the first game. The world is still frozen, but humanity has adapted. Coal is out, oil is in, and the city you govern is no longer just a fragile outpost — it’s a burgeoning metropolis with factions, ideologies, and ambitions. You’re not just managing heat and hunger anymore, you’re managing people — each with their own set of opinions and standards.
The core gameplay loop remains familiar: build infrastructure, manage resources, and respond to crises. But where the original game focused on moment-to-moment survival, Frostpunk 2 leans heavily into long-term planning and political strategy. You’re now the steward of the city, and your decisions shape its laws, its economy, and its future. The game introduces a new mechanic called the Council, where factions propose policies and vote on legislation. You can influence the outcome through negotiation and promises, but not control it. It’s a system that mirrors simplified real-world governance and it’s often messy and occasionally frustrating.
Factions are the beating heart of Frostpunk 2. Each represents a different vision for the city’s future. One group wants to expand and explore. Another will prioritise efficiency and control. As before, there’s a religious group that is isolationist and deeply religious. These groups don’t just offer flavour — they actively shape gameplay. Supporting one faction might unlock new technologies or bonuses, but alienate others and lock out their bonuses just as similar choices did in the first game. If a faction feels ignored, there’s a chance that they could revolt.
This tension is where Frostpunk 2 shines. You’re constantly balancing short-term needs with long-term consequences. Do you pass a law that boosts food production but angers the fanatics? Do you invest in oil infrastructure knowing it will pollute the environment and trigger protests? Every decision has weight, and the game rarely offers clean solutions. It’s a city builder wrapped around a political simulator, and it’s all the more compelling for it.
Visually, Frostpunk 2 is quite stunning — even on console. The city sprawls across the frozen landscape like a scar, with towering buildings, flickering lights, and plumes of smoke rising into the icy sky. The weather effects are brutal — blizzards roll in with cinematic flair, and the cold feels oppressive even from behind a screen. The UI has been streamlined, with clearer menus and better feedback, though there’s still a learning curve and to be honest, my preview build (which is clearly marked as a press copy) has some bugs that includes elements of the UI failing to open, or closing and leaving a “dark” shadow over the whole field of view until I go back into the menu and then exit again.
Narratively, Frostpunk 2 is more ambitious than its predecessor. There’s a central storyline involving the search for oil and the ethical dilemmas that come with it, but it’s the emergent stories that stick. A faction leader dies unexpectedly, triggering a power vacuum. A law passes that bans child labour, but causes a food shortage. A protest turns violent, and suddenly your leadership is on the brink. These moments aren’t entirely scripted—they’re more the result of systems colliding — and whilst you will see the same things happen from time to time, they’re what make Frostpunk 2 feel alive.
Performance-wise, the game runs well on the Xbox Series X in the main, though there are a few bugs which I expect to be resolved either sooner or later. The autosave system is generous, and the game includes multiple (and customisable) difficulty settings, allowing players to tailor the experience to their tolerance for suffering. And make no mistake — Frostpunk 2 (just like its predecessor) is a game about suffering. Not in a masochistic way, but in a philosophical one. It wants you to feel the weight of leadership and to question your choices in the very best way.
In terms of comparison with other games, the first Frostpunk remains the closest match — but This War of Mine is still similar thanks to its robust moral choices. What neither of those games have is quite the same scale as Frostpunk 2. It’s about systems, yes—but it’s also about people and about human ideology and the need to compromise — or not. The Council mechanic feels like a digital version of a negotiation game, where alliances shift and votes matter, whilst the city-building aspects feel both familiar and unique, with the logic of breaking through the frost to expand usable space and then the distance from your heat source being logical decisions within the space.
That said, Frostpunk 2 isn’t perfect. The early game can feel quite slow, especially for returning players who expect immediate crises. The Council decisions, while thematically rich, sometimes drag a bit and add a degree of complexity that sits well outside the norm for a city-builder. Then again, there’s the game’s tone — grim, relentless, and often bleak — which won’t be for everyone. If you’re looking for escapism of the rainbows and unicorns kind, this isn’t it — but if you’re looking for engagement, for challenge and for a game that respects your intelligence and punishes your complacency, it delivers.
Frostpunk 2 is a bold, brutal sequel that expands its predecessor’s systems without losing its soul. It’s colder, yes — but also deeper. More political and more personal — it;s a game that asks not just how you’ll survive, but what kind of world you’ll build in the aftermath. The only thing is, if you’re not careful, it’ll remind you that even the warmest intentions can freeze over.
Frostpunk 2 is available now for PC, Xbox and PlayStation.
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