Workplaces will also need to be insulated, which can be achieved through gathering posts or steam turbines, or completely circumvented with the introduction of machine labor, or 'Automatons'. While houses can be insulated better throughout the game, medical facilities will need to be kept above -20☌, or face being inoperable. The game emphasizes the need to prioritize buildings depending on the heat they require houses and medical facilities will require close placement to the reactor, lest the player face outbreaks of frostbite and illness. In most scenarios save for 'On the Edge' the entire city is centered around the generator, a coal-reliant steam engine that produces heat in a circular radius, which can be extended and intensified throughout the game, requiring greater coal input. Weather conditions and political turmoil can cause citizens to not want to work as hard. From there players harvest coal, wood, steel and food in order to keep their society warm and healthy in the midst of constantly fluctuating temperatures.

The player, known simply as 'the Captain', starts out with a small group of survivors that consists of workers, engineers, and children, and several small caches of supplies with which to build a city.

Ī sequel, Frostpunk 2, was announced on August 12, 2021. 11 Bit studios has partnered with NetEase Games to bring the Frostpunk Mobile version in 2021. The game received generally positive reviews upon release and sold over 3 million copies within three years of its release. The game was initially released for Microsoft Windows in April 2018, but was later made available for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in October 2019, and macOS in February 2021. The game features several scenarios to undertake, each with their own stories and different challenges. Players take on the role of a leader in an alternate-history late 19th century, in which they must build and maintain a city during a worldwide volcanic winter, managing resources, making choices on how to survive, and exploring the area outside their city for survivors, resources, or other useful items. Frostpunk is a city-building survival videogame developed and published by 11 bit studios.

Engine building board game definition