The cold just seeps in to the bones, it just becomes part of you after a while and only notice how bad it is when you are tired. Today I am tired. Arguing constantly with the Stalwarts, Frostlanders and the rest just feels pointless.

Every day I wake it is a constant struggle to find ways to keep the city moving and these fools all want their own priorities over our simple survival. When will they learn that we will never succeed? All we can hop to do is survive.

The all seem to be at my throat now, nothing makes them happy enough to keep this city running and I hear the whispers. They are ready to forget all I have done and exile me unless I regain their ‘trust’. At this point what is that worth?

Today I choose the people, our civilization, our future. These petty leaders and their demands can go to hell, like we all will. They can exile me, they can prop up one of their own, but first I will steer this city and it’s people towards a path of survival.

Frostpunk 2 is the second game from 11 bit Studios set in a post apocalyptic world where the entire planet is frozen and humanity is scrapping together resources to survive. The scale is much larger and veers more towards a government and resource management sim instead of a city builder providing a deeper and much more nuanced experience.

This game is set 30 years after the original Frostpunk and a new Steward is named to grow and maintain the city in it’s most troubling time. The coal that has sustained them for decades is running out and new resources and techniques to heat, build and survive is needed.

The city of New London is already established and struggling due to the various factions and an urgent need to find new fuel sources. This kicks off the biggest new feature, exploring the frozen wilderness around New London.

Exploring requires specialized resources which are quite scarce, but exploring is the only way to progress in the game and to get more special resources and areas to colonize. Colonies are the next big addition, mini-cities with paths to New London that can be used to trade resources or people.

The colonies become the lifeblood of New London funneling Oil and other resources to the capital city and their all consuming hunger. While this exploration, pathfinding and building is going on the main city is expanding and that means people want stuff. All the time.

There is a constant need to develop and adjust laws in order to not only help the city survive but keep the varied factions and splinter groups happy. This becomes more difficult as the game progresses as cults, off-shoots and traditionalist groups push for their competing agendas.

I found in Frostpunk 2 my attention was mostly diverted by this need to constantly appease and forward the goals of the varied factions. There are tactics to enhance certain ones and diminish others, but this often leads to unrest and at times riots.

My playthroughs always started as peacefully as possible. Frostbreak to open as many resources as possible, develop efficient mining and housing practices, explore and gather resources along the way. Unfortunately people, much like in the real world, don’t share the same opinions universally.

This lead to some decisions, like child labor laws or robotic guards, angering one group or another and the constant battle to survive and thrive gets more difficult. Frostpunk 2 really nails the feeling of being overwhelmed, not with building or managing resources, but instead keeping up with the elements and the happiness of the people in the cities.

There are constant messages of crime, people getting sick, dying from cold or going on strike. This can be mediated through laws and buildings but there is always a new stream of issues to worry about.

At times the city purrs along, but it can shift in an instant and a new law is needed or expanded settlements to house the influx of people. The systems are easy to figure out but so complex to master or balance at times.

In the end I greatly enjoyed Frostpunk 2, even if it stressed me out at times. Negotiating with factions to pass laws, deploying new tech and buildings and exploring the Frostland looks and plays great.

My only issues arose from the constant back and forth between factions and a feeling of doom when I could not get everyone on board. Some of this was due to the mechanics, but mostly due to a great simulation of human greed and avarice even after the world has ended which in the end is the goal of the game.

We were provided a Steam Code by the publisher for review purposes and FrostPunk 2 is available right now for PC via the Steam, Epic and GoG stores, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.