Frostpunk 2 is a high-maintenance city-builder and management simulator and the long-awaited follow-up to 11 Bit Studios’ 2018 smash hit. Read our review to see what it did well, what it didn't do well, and if it's worth buying.

Frostpunk 2 Review Overview

What is Frostpunk 2?

Frostpunk 2 is a challenging, hex-based city-builder and management game from 11 Bit Studios, where you step into the role of New London’s steward following the death of the Captain from the first game. Tasked with managing a fragile city amidst the relentless cold, you must navigate limited resources, harsh conditions, and the unending winter to ensure the survival of your people.

Set in a universe where a perpetual winter descended upon the world in the late 1800s, Frostpunk 2 pushes the boundaries of human resilience and determination in the face of extreme adversity. New London stands as a symbol of humanity's defiance against nature, but now a new chapter begins—one of expansion, settlements, and a city’s fate resting on the shoulders of a new leader, guided by a larger, and much more fickle, council.

Frostpunk 2 features:
　⚫︎　New hex-based city expansion system
　⚫︎　New district-focused city layout
　⚫︎　Faction and city council-based lawmaking
　⚫︎　Expanded map with new settlements and trail-making systems
　⚫︎　Expansive tech tree across various city management focuses
　⚫︎　Story and Utopia Builder Modes

Digital Storefronts
Steam		Epic Games		PSN		Xbox
$44.99

Frostpunk 2 Pros & Cons

Pros	Cons
Your Choices Matter More Than You Think Expands in All The Best Ways A True City-Building Challenge Utopia Builder Mode Was a Great Idea	Difficulty Curve Like No Other

Frostpunk 2 Overall Score - 94/100

Calling Frostpunk 2 a textbook sequel doesn’t do it justice—this game goes far beyond the standard follow-up. It’s a masterfully crafted continuation of an already outstanding title, one that builds on the original’s strengths, addresses its shortcomings, and adds stunning new stylistic choices. As an experience, it’s bleak, grueling, and profoundly depressing (as it should be); but as a game, it’s one I’d willingly endure any eternal winter to play. New London hasn’t just survived—it’s thriving under new management, with all the challenges and triumphs that come with it.

Frostpunk 2 Story - 8/10

Frostpunk 2 masterfully expands upon the original game’s bleak and frigid narrative, advancing the story decades after the events of the first game while introducing new elements like city councils, factions, and settlements. It feels like a natural evolution of the series, and in many ways, it completes the saga of New London. Though the experience can be fragmented at times and demands perseverance through some of the most grueling city management challenges I’ve ever encountered, the journey is undeniably worth it.

Frostpunk 2 Gameplay - 10/10

Frostpunk 2 had big shoes to fill, and it boldly took the riskiest route possible by overhauling the original game’s formula entirely. Yet, against the odds, it succeeds spectacularly with improved lawmaking, expanded city management, tougher challenges, and a fresh hex-based city-building system that keeps the gameplay dynamic. This daring shift proves that 11 Bit Studios not only knows what it’s doing but also that it doesn’t need to rely on the same winning formula twice to deliver an exceptional experience. Talk about flexing on the competition!

Frostpunk 2 Visuals - 10/10

While the overwhelming saturation of icy whites and cold imagery might feel repetitive to some, Frostpunk 2’s visual artistry is far more nuanced than just "England but Cold." The game weaves in elements of steampunk technology, echoes of historical fascist and theocratic regimes, and the grim, rusted aesthetic reminiscent of the Mad Max universe—only frozen instead of parched. This atmospheric blend is enhanced by a beautifully stylized UI, featuring catalog-style snippets, elegant pin-striped lines, and a minimalist design that adds a distinctive character to the overall visual experience. Full marks for art direction!

Frostpunk 2 Audio - 9/10

Half of Frostpunk 2’s atmosphere stems from its expertly crafted blend of environmental and functional audio, capturing everything from the haunting whistle of icy winds to the resonant toll of bells and the rhythmic clatter of factory machines in your city. Although voice acting is sparse, the few lines delivered are far more than sufficient—they’re exceptional, elevating the game’s believability and immersion. The relentless soundscape of human struggle in an eternal winter might seem unbearable, but in Frostpunk 2, it becomes a gripping and oddly captivating experience.

Frostpunk 2 Value for Money - 10/10

It’s no surprise that Frostpunk 2 more than justifies its $45 price tag, considering its rich genre, content density, and emphasis on immersive replayability. The Story Mode alone can captivate players for dozens of hours, but the real star of the whiteout is the Utopia Builder mode, which adds immense value to the overall experience. Time will fly for Frostpunk 2’s players in a way it never does for the beleaguered citizens of New London—that much is certain.

Frostpunk 2 Review: High Praise in Low Temperatures

From the moment it was announced, Frostpunk 2 had some big snowshoes to fill. The original Frostpunk, a standout title from 11 Bit Studios, wasn’t just a city-builder—it challenged the very genre itself, winning over the hearts of fans in the process. So when Frostpunk 2 was revealed to have thrown much of what its predecessor had built out the window in favor of bold, new ideas, many braced for the worst.

Reboots and sequels that stray too far from their roots often spell disaster, serving as the final nail in the coffin for once-beloved franchises. But against all odds, Frostpunk 2 not only survived this gamble but thrived, proving its new formula to be a worthy successor to the original masterpiece.

The most significant piece of Frostpunk 2's new formula is its expanded, hex-based, district-focused city-building and management system. Gone are the original game’s concentric, building-focused designs; in their place comes a district management system built on a hexagonal world grid. This shift likely ties into the game’s broader scope—more on that later—and encourages players to expand far beyond the city limits, whereas the first game confined you to the area immediately surrounding the generator.

Now, it's less about meticulously constructing each individual building and more about planning new districts and settlements around New London, a challenge that scales with the game's larger vision. The balancing act between resources remains familiar, though the types of resources have been streamlined into more generalized categories like Materials, Food, Goods, and Fuel, rather than the specific Wood, Iron, and Coal of the original.

There are still buildings to construct however, though they’re no longer individual units that you can place down anywhere, they’re additional constructions you can put within districts whenever they are expanded. For example, instead of houses, you build housing districts, which can have block housing buildings in them for even more capacity.

Another significant change in Frostpunk 2's formula is how Heat is managed as a resource. No longer just a fleeting comfort, Heat has become a tangible commodity that can be produced and distributed in quantifiable units. Players can now min-max Heat through adjacency bonuses and research upgrades, transforming it from the aura-based system of the original, where lowering temperatures would reduce its effectiveness, into a more strategic resource management element.

So far, this new approach has proven to be a stellar way of expanding beyond the original Frostpunk’s admittedly limited building space. The introduction of Civilization-style adjacency bonuses offers a refreshing change of pace while still preserving the game’s signature tension between resource management and survival. This is made even more engaging with the addition of the City Council, replacing the more erratic policy-making of the first game. Fans of the original’s Faith vs. Order dichotomy will be glad to know that it remains intact, now presented as an upfront choice rather than a mid-campaign pivot.

The City Council not only introduces a rhythmic push and pull in decision-making but also governs key laws and policies, allowing for impactful resource shifts through parliamentary debate instead of unilateral decisions from the Captain.

The best part is that the vote isn’t always left to chance—you can sway it in your favor by negotiating with the various factions in your city. Whether it’s offering more political power, additional resources, a promotion from you as the steward, or even control over the next council meeting's policy vote, you have the tools to shape the outcome. This negotiation mechanic adds significant depth to what was an important but somewhat lackluster element in the previous game, and I’m a big fan of how it’s been expanded.

Moving past the borders of your generator’s reach, Frostpunk 2 goes beyond the confines of your initial city, allowing you to establish and manage new settlements across the frozen wastelands. Thanks to the introduction of logistical districts, exploration parties can embark on missions to trigger random events, uncover ruined outposts, gather valuable resources, or even make new settlements. Deciding to create a new settlement opens up an entirely fresh grid of exploitable resources, along with a host of new challenges—but that’s part of the thrill. From there, you can control trade routes between New London and these outlying settlements, ensuring mutual benefit and pushing the boundaries of your empire to new heights.

On the subject of heights, Frostpunk 2 truly elevates faction warfare and negotiation across the wasteland. With New London now large enough to support a sizable population, factions of like-minded individuals have emerged, each with their own influence and agendas to pursue. As mentioned earlier, these factions participate in every City Council vote, and certain policies or edicts might clash with their core beliefs, making their stance immovable.

What sets them apart is their powerful abilities, which can affect the city in various ways—accessible only if you’ve earned their favor. Balancing each faction’s favor becomes a real challenge, and while this mechanic existed in the first game, it’s been greatly expanded to complement the Council system, with the inclusion of numerous unique factions giving it new depth and complexity.

Of course, in Frostpunk 2, you’re no longer the Captain—you’re the Steward voted through the council’s confidence, and your power is significantly more limited. However, you still have access to a set of special edicts to help solidify your authority, even with the council moderating the extremes of your decisions. These range from subtle influences like guided voting to more forceful actions, such as instituting martial law. Think of it as your old chair, just with more macros than before but just as fun—as much fun as you can get from a frozen dystopia, anyway.

Visually, Frostpunk 2 has evolved from the original’s stark, snow-covered aesthetic into something more refined—what I’d call Victorian Vogue. It combines bold typography and sleek pinstripes with minimalist backgrounds and high-contrast imagery illustrating the effects of your edicts. All of this is set against the backdrop of the game’s signature frostpunk aesthetic, a cold and industrial twist on traditional steampunk. This evolution in the game’s aesthetic feels like the natural next step, and one I’m particularly fond of for its striking visual style and the polished finish it brings to an already impressive design.

On the audio front, Frostpunk 2 captures its dystopian atmosphere through the eerie whistle of arctic winds sweeping across desolate cities, immersing players in the frigid, bleak setting as much through sound as through sight. The sparse but exceptional voice acting adds depth, while the tolling bells and rhythmic churning of machinery lend a sense of life to your frostpunk city—an ironic vitality in a near-lifeless landscape. It’s a convincing soundscape of struggle and human perseverance, one I’d eagerly experience again.

Overall, Frostpunk 2 stands as an outstanding sequel and a remarkable standalone title. It has boldly transformed much of the original’s gameplay while maintaining—if not exceeding—its quality. A risky move, no doubt, but one that paid off tenfold. The game masterfully evolves the thematic, mechanical, and stylistic influences from its predecessor, offering an experience that feels both familiar and refreshingly new. Life in the frozen wastes remains as unforgiving as ever, with the ever-present chill of eternal winter at your back—but now, it comes with the promise of a new future.

To conclude, I leave you with a reflection inspired by both games, brought by a certain stupendous wordsmith I’ve come to appreciate. While the first Frostpunk declared, "Every shiver will deliver us deliverance in time; take heed, but take no pity, for the city must survive," Frostpunk 2 echoes with a darker resolve: "When Mother Nature came for us, took Fahrenheit below, we sanctioned plights of matricide and blackened skies with smoke."

Pros of Frostpunk 2

Things Frostpunk 2 Got Right
Your Choices Matter More Than You Think Expands in All The Best Ways A True City-Building Challenge Utopia Builder Mode Was a Great Idea

Your Choices Matter More Than You Think

One of the defining features of the original Frostpunk was the weighty decisions you made as the Captain to keep your city teetering on the edge of survival. These choices often manifested as laws and edicts, forcing you to balance between the extremes of Faith and Order. In Frostpunk 2, while you can still enact similar policies, the process is no longer at your whim—your decisions must pass through the city council. This adds a new layer of complexity, as your choices now influence your standing with the various factions on the council, each with its own agendas. Moreover, edicts can interact with one another, leading to outcomes that, while unexpected, feel entirely natural within the game’s setting.

For a particularly bleak example, in one of my playthroughs, I enacted two edicts that inadvertently led to the downfall of a hardworking citizen. With both the "Efficiency Bonuses" and "City-Run Alcohol Shops" edicts in place, one of my workers, struggling to keep up with others’ efficiency, turned to subsidized alcohol to cope. In another case, unlocking the "Chemical Hothouses" research and pairing it with the "Chemical Additives" edict led to a small but unforeseen boost in food production—a synergy I hadn’t anticipated but welcomed.

These layers of narrative and mechanical synergy between your decisions underscore the importance of careful planning and foresight—something Frostpunk 2 delivers with a level of depth and complexity that many of 2024’s other city-builders simply don’t match.

Expands in All The Best Ways

From my perspective, Frostpunk 2’s core design philosophy revolves around expansion. While the first game focused on survival, this sequel takes the Captain’s hard-fought sacrifices and pushes them out into the frozen wasteland—whether through the conquest of its icy terrain or a fragile coexistence in the eternal winter. The game expands on every aspect, leaving nothing untouched from the original.

From overhauled gameplay and increased macro-management to expanded lawmaking, deeper wasteland exploration, evolved visuals, improved audio, and a narrative that stretches beyond the crater’s walls—Frostpunk 2 widens the scope on all fronts. This ambitious expansion has paved the way for a more immersive, dynamic experience, crafting a sequel that not only builds on its predecessor but sets a new benchmark for the genre.

A True City-Building Challenge

One of the key elements that made the original Frostpunk so engaging was its challenging difficulty. It wasn’t necessarily unfair, but the frozen wasteland rarely showed mercy. Frostpunk 2 carries forward that same sense of peril, constantly pushing players to make tough decisions while teetering on the brink of extinction. With the addition of more difficulty sliders, you now have the flexibility to tailor the experience to fit the story you want to tell. Whether it’s managing a highly volatile society with abundant resources or guiding a tight-knit community focused on exploration and innovation, the game lets you choose your struggle.

Utopia Builder Mode Was a Great Idea

Utopia Builder Mode is one of the standout features in Frostpunk 2, offering a rich free-play experience. While the Story Mode is undeniably compelling, its linear narrative progression can start to feel a bit repetitive after a while. Utopia Builder Mode, however, takes the customization options provided by the difficulty sliders and dials them up to 11. You can tweak nearly everything—from the location of your city to the starting factions—allowing you to craft a truly personalized narrative, right down to the individual citizens.

Once you’ve completed the Story Mode, you’ll likely spend the bulk of your time in Utopia Builder Mode, and trust me, you won’t regret it.

Cons of Frostpunk 2

Things That Frostpunk 2 Can Improve
Difficulty Curve Like No Other

Difficulty Curve Like No Other

What can I say? More content means more to learn, and with the completely overhauled gameplay in Frostpunk 2, even seasoned veterans of the original may find themselves a bit lost in the snow at first. Thankfully, the difficulty sliders can ease the learning curve, and the tutorial—while a bit tedious—covers everything thoroughly, so players won’t stay lost for long. That said, the new wasteland brings its own set of horrors, and players will likely face fresh challenges during their first playthrough regardless.

Is Frostpunk 2 Worth It?

Worth Every Second You Put Into It

Frostpunk 2 is a game that repays every second you put into it with an authentic, detailed, and bleak, but undoubtedly memorable, wasteland experience. You’ll be at the edge of your seat for the tens of hours required to finish its Story Mode, and for tens more when you decide to try your hand with the game’s Utopia Builder Mode. For the price of $45, this game is an absolute steal, especially if you’re into these kinds of city-building challenges. There’s no better city-builder/society-survival game in the market right now; get this game now!

Digital Storefronts
Steam		Epic Games		PSN		Xbox
$44.99

Frostpunk 2 FAQ

How Do I Increase My Chances of Winning Votes in Frostpunk 2?

To have more control in the City Council whenever a vote is being held, whether you are in favor of it or not, make sure to take note of the bar presented next to each motion, which previews the votes in favor, against, and undecided among the council representatives.

Depending on whether you’re voting for or against a law, you’re going to want to have one side be larger than the other before the vote even begins. You can do so by negotiating with factions who are willing, prioritizing those with larger populations across the city. Just make sure you can fulfil the promises you give to pass these laws, otherwise, the appropriate faction will have lower Trust with you.

How Do I Get More Resources in Frostpunk 2?

Resources can be gathered in one of two ways. First, players can Frostbreak certain hexes around their city and put down specific districts and buildings to add and increases their production of certain resources, respectively. Food districts can only be used for food hexes, while extraction districts can work on coal, oil, prefab, or material hexes.

Another way to earn more resources is to create a logistics district, send explorers out into the wasteland, find a resource deposit, and create a trail from that place to any of your cities, providing them with additional resources for as long as that deposit’s stores last. You can also settle new settlements in the wasteland to create a more customized trade route between New London and other settlements.

How Do I Make More Goods in Frostpunk 2?

Goods are among the tougher resources to gather in the early-game, and doing so requires you to research the "Factories" technology and build a factory in an Industrial District. You can also enact laws like the " Durable Goods" edict to lower Goods costs across your whole city.

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Frostpunk 2 Product Information

Title	FROSTPUNK 2
Release Date	September 20, 202
Developer	11 Bit Studios
Publisher	11 Bit Studios
Supported Platforms	PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
Genre	City-builder, Survival
Number of Players	1
ESRB Rating	ESRB M 17+
Official Website	Frostpunk 2 Website

Aaron Bruce Albert..

A massive fan of roguelikes, turn-based RPGs, and open world adventure games. His gold standard games include The Binding of Isaac, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, and Dragon Quest Monsters Joker.