Frostpunk is a 2018 city-building survival video game developed and published by 11 Bit Studios. Players take on the role of a leader in an alternate history set in the 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. The game features several scenarios to undertake, each with its own stories and different challenges. The main campaign adopts a three-act structure, requiring players to grapple with internal conflict and societal turmoil in a divided city and survive a great storm that threatens to overwhelm the city, making sacrifices and morally grey ethical decisions along the way. Frostpunk was 11 Bit Studios' next project following This War of Mine (2014), the unexpected success of which prompted the studio to focus on creating what it called "meaningful entertainment". The studio was more ambitious with the game's scale and scope, with more than 60 team members working on the game. Unlike This War of Mine, which focuses on an individual's struggles, Frostpunk explores issues faced by society as a whole and whether or not players are willing to challenge their beliefs and morals in times of adversity. The team was inspired by Jacek Dukaj's novel Ice (2007) as well as reports of near-death experiences, such as accounts from early polar explorers and survivors of the Andes flight disaster. Announced in August 2016, the game was initially released for Microsoft Windows in April 2018 and was later made available for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in October 2019 and macOS in February 2021. 11 Bit Studios has partnered with NetEase Games to release a port for iOS and Android titled Frostpunk: Beyond the Ice in October 2024. The game received generally positive reviews upon release. Critics praised the game's art style, gameplay focused on crisis management, and ethical choices while criticizing its lack of replay value. It sold over 5 million copies within six years of its release. 11 Bit Studios supported the game with downloadable content following release. A sequel, Frostpunk 2, was released in September 2024. An expanded version of the game, titled Frostpunk 1886, created using Unreal Engine 5, is set to be released in 2027.
