This all comes together at the end of a scenario – if you survive – with a montage that provides a timelapse of your developing city while recounting your key decisions. There are technologies to research, laws to pass, encounters in the surrounding “Frostlands”, and plenty of player-choice in how you’ll deal with the demands of your people, refugees, and other settlements.
Each scenario is, in essence, an opportunity to craft your own story. Another instance forced me to consider dismantling an abandoned location for immediate assets or keeping it intact for future use.Despite only offering three introductory cutscenes (one for each of the major story scenarios), Frostpunk feels far more narrative-driven than many games in the genre. For instance, using a scout team to escort rescued children back to the city is the safest, but ties up that team from gathering much-needed resources – resources that may be needed to build those kids a place to live. Of these, the exploration gameplay was my favorite because even these remote locations serve up unique decisions that have lasting impacts. Some of those come from side activities, including that exploration component, a moderately-sized technology tree, and other short-term goals. There’s always a new carrot dangled in front of you to keep you hooked, whether it’s a search party exploring a cave or the development of a new technology. While managing to keep a city thriving is tough, I found the pace in which Frostpunk reveals each new aspect to be ideal. But generally, a campaign moves along very organically, and everything hangs on a precipitous balance as I try my best to mitigate the damage of the brutally frigid weather. The execution center built to help keep order was instead used on me. Once, a lethal combination of straggling refugees, a sudden cold snap, and lack of food caused my citizens' discontent to spiral out of control. Sure, resources are tight, hope is fleeting, and losses happen.
“Despite all of these varied elements and mechanics, I never really felt overwhelmed. Like 11-bit studios’ previous game, This War of Mine, Frostpunk puts a human face on these decisions and forces you to evaluate survival on both a personal and humanitarian level. For instance, employing a child workforce resulted in an accident and a despondent mother. Throughout each game, these emotion-heavy events made me face the consequences of earlier decisions. Will you stretch food supplies by intentionally making awful-tasting soup? Will children be forced to work? What will you do with the gravely ill and the corpses of the dead? Making laws is one thing responding to personal requests is another. They’re often fascinating moral scenarios that have long-lasting consequences. Many of these come through the crafting of the “Book of Laws,” a tree of edicts that shape the face of your society. As the leader of the city, you’ll be forced to make some hard decisions. “This restraint is important, as in addition to managing a workforce, rationing a dwindling supply, and constructing buildings, Frostpunk demands political action, too.
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