HOME | DD

Description
The Image above was acquired via Frostpunk

If you're a fan of the steampunk genre like I am, a fan of city builders (again like me), and also a fan of dystopian survival games (I'm kinda iffy on that one), then this might be a game worth your interest.

Frostpunk is set in an alternate history of the 1800s (circa the Industrial Revolution) where a global cooling has rendered much of the world a frozen wasteland. To survive, the British Empire preemptively launched a series of expeditions towards the north to establish a series of Generators which future cities could be built around. Finally a number of expeditions were sent out to colonize the areas surrounding these generators in the hopes of continuing humanity beyond this Second Ice Age. This is where the game starts.

You start with the generator and a few dozen civilians (divided up by worker and engineer, although you can later add child labor). You then have to gather coal, wood, and steel from the surrounding area. Initially you can only collect those resources from a few supply piles that eventually disappear, forcing you to constantly develop new means of acquiring those resources. You also have to make sure you've adequate supplies of food for the people to eat. Coal is constantly being drained because you have to have the generator turned on in order to both provide power and to keep your people warm (it DOES get colder). An even rarer resource is a Steam Core, an advanced device that cannot (repeat cannot) be made. Steam Cores can only be found in the wilds so scouting parties will be needed to venture out into the cold wastes to search for resources in addition to steam cores. Steam Cores are primarily used to construct newer or more advanced structures that provide resources (such as a hothouse for food or a wall driller to mine out frozen trees for wood) or tend to your people (such as an infirmary, an advanced medical facility). Alternatively a Steam Core can be used to build an Automaton, a large quadrupedal multipurpose construct that can singlehandedly operate various structures all day long without needing to stop and sleep (More on those later).

Another finite resource is people. Your people are arguably the most precious of resources as if one dies, you aren't likely to find a replacement. You might find groups of refugees hiding out or they may come to you on their own. Either way, treat your people well and make sure their needs are tended to. Your people will work regular shifts so once they stop for the night, those resources won't be replenished during the night. So make sure you're well stocked. However, if you have an Automaton, those resources will keep rolling in if they're assigned to such a structure. The Automatons will periodically stop and return to the generator or to a steam hub (a smaller version of the generator) to recharge, but beyond that they will work continuously.

As said before, this is a second ice age. The cold will be a major threat as every few days or so the temperature will drop (or occasionally rise) and when that happens, you'll need to make sure your generator is running and stocked and that your people are sufficiently guarded against the cold both at home and at their workplaces. In addition, you have control of what laws you implement to help keep your people's discontent down and their hope up. If discontent maxes out, you might be overthrown. Same if hope drops to zero. Luckily there are plenty of ways to satisfy your people, such as building a pub for the people to relax in during their off hours, building a cemetery to bury the dead (hope still falls from this but at least it lessens the blow), and much more.

All buildings in the game are built along a circular grid so as to conform to the generator in the center. Your city also needs streets as not only do streets provide access to the buildings, they also provide power from the generators (although this doesn't really effect the generator's overall output or coal consumption, it's just required for that building to operate). And don't be afraid to get a little claustrophobic with your building placement. The game allows for streets to be built along the edges of other buildings so don't assume you can't put down a street between two buildings that are right next door to each other.

In your first playthrough, you must complete the "A New Home" scenario, the first of four scenarios. Lasting to day 20 unlocks "The Arks" scenario and lasting to day 20 there unlocks the "Refugees" scenario. The fourth scenario, "Fall of Winterhome," is similarly unlocked after day 20 of the former scenario. Endless Mode grants players the chance to simply build their cities to their specifications. Endless Mode comes in two varieties: Serenity Mode for semi-uneventful city building, and Endurance for a much less forgiving challenge. There are a few maps to choose from for Endless Mode and each has its own challenges in terms of building.

Upon finishing a scenario, you are treated to a timelapse of the city's growth while being shown a series of messages that detail the choices you made throughout the course of the game. (An example from a successful run of the "A New Home" Campaign shown above)

I will say though that the scenarios are too short. However Endless Mode fixes this.

Frostpunk is available on Steam for $30. I think it's a fair buy for this price but as always, buy it when it goes on sale.

Edit: I'm also allowing this to be downloaded as a wallpaper...because it looks pretty good in my opinion.

Description
The Image above was acquired via Frostpunk

If you're a fan of the steampunk genre like I am, a fan of city builders (again like me), and also a fan of dystopian survival games (I'm kinda iffy on that one), then this might be a game worth your interest.

Frostpunk is set in an alternate history of the 1800s (circa the Industrial Revolution) where a global cooling has rendered much of the world a frozen wasteland. To survive, the British Empire preemptively launched a series of expeditions towards the north to establish a series of Generators which future cities could be built around. Finally a number of expeditions were sent out to colonize the areas surrounding these generators in the hopes of continuing humanity beyond this Second Ice Age. This is where the game starts.

You start with the generator and a few dozen civilians (divided up by worker and engineer, although you can later add child labor). You then have to gather coal, wood, and steel from the surrounding area. Initially you can only collect those resources from a few supply piles that eventually disappear, forcing you to constantly develop new means of acquiring those resources. You also have to make sure you've adequate supplies of food for the people to eat. Coal is constantly being drained because you have to have the generator turned on in order to both provide power and to keep your people warm (it DOES get colder). An even rarer resource is a Steam Core, an advanced device that cannot (repeat cannot) be made. Steam Cores can only be found in the wilds so scouting parties will be needed to venture out into the cold wastes to search for resources in addition to steam cores. Steam Cores are primarily used to construct newer or more advanced structures that provide resources (such as a hothouse for food or a wall driller to mine out frozen trees for wood) or tend to your people (such as an infirmary, an advanced medical facility). Alternatively a Steam Core can be used to build an Automaton, a large quadrupedal multipurpose construct that can singlehandedly operate various structures all day long without needing to stop and sleep (More on those later).

Another finite resource is people. Your people are arguably the most precious of resources as if one dies, you aren't likely to find a replacement. You might find groups of refugees hiding out or they may come to you on their own. Either way, treat your people well and make sure their needs are tended to. Your people will work regular shifts so once they stop for the night, those resources won't be replenished during the night. So make sure you're well stocked. However, if you have an Automaton, those resources will keep rolling in if they're assigned to such a structure. The Automatons will periodically stop and return to the generator or to a steam hub (a smaller version of the generator) to recharge, but beyond that they will work continuously.

As said before, this is a second ice age. The cold will be a major threat as every few days or so the temperature will drop (or occasionally rise) and when that happens, you'll need to make sure your generator is running and stocked and that your people are sufficiently guarded against the cold both at home and at their workplaces. In addition, you have control of what laws you implement to help keep your people's discontent down and their hope up. If discontent maxes out, you might be overthrown. Same if hope drops to zero. Luckily there are plenty of ways to satisfy your people, such as building a pub for the people to relax in during their off hours, building a cemetery to bury the dead (hope still falls from this but at least it lessens the blow), and much more.

All buildings in the game are built along a circular grid so as to conform to the generator in the center. Your city also needs streets as not only do streets provide access to the buildings, they also provide power from the generators (although this doesn't really effect the generator's overall output or coal consumption, it's just required for that building to operate). And don't be afraid to get a little claustrophobic with your building placement. The game allows for streets to be built along the edges of other buildings so don't assume you can't put down a street between two buildings that are right next door to each other.

In your first playthrough, you must complete the "A New Home" scenario, the first of four scenarios. Lasting to day 20 unlocks "The Arks" scenario and lasting to day 20 there unlocks the "Refugees" scenario. The fourth scenario, "Fall of Winterhome," is similarly unlocked after day 20 of the former scenario. Endless Mode grants players the chance to simply build their cities to their specifications. Endless Mode comes in two varieties: Serenity Mode for semi-uneventful city building, and Endurance for a much less forgiving challenge. There are a few maps to choose from for Endless Mode and each has its own challenges in terms of building.

Upon finishing a scenario, you are treated to a timelapse of the city's growth while being shown a series of messages that detail the choices you made throughout the course of the game. (An example from a successful run of the "A New Home" Campaign shown above)

I will say though that the scenarios are too short. However Endless Mode fixes this.

Frostpunk is available on Steam for $30. I think it's a fair buy for this price but as always, buy it when it goes on sale.

Edit: I'm also allowing this to be downloaded as a wallpaper...because it looks pretty good in my opinion.