frostpunk game sourced
Frostpunk
A survival city builder in which the leader of the last city around a coal generator must keep falling temperatures at bay while signing laws that trade citizens' welfare against productivity under hope and discontent meters.
core loop
keep the coal generator fueled -> heat districts and insulate buildings as temperatures fall -> assign workers to gather coal, wood, steel, and food -> sign laws that trade welfare for productivity -> balance hope and discontent -> survive the storm
design notes
The city is radial around one generator that heats a circular area, so layout is a function of heat range and fuel, and a coal shortage or overload can end the run. The Book of Laws sequences laws so that early compromises such as child labor or extended shifts open harsher later options, and Order or Faith paths lead toward totalitarian rule, turning policy into moral pressure tracked by hope and discontent. Building heat versus falling outside temperature has no exact taxonomy mechanic (see run proposal); 11 bit studios cites This War of Mine as the origin of its aim for meaningful entertainment, now applied to a whole society.
relations
15 stored edgesCitizen satisfaction
Hope and Discontent meters respond to laws, events, and conditions; hope too low or discontent too high for too long ends the game in revolt.
Crisis countdown
Temperature falls on a schedule toward the Great Storm, which the main scenario must be survived through.
Policy toggles
The Book of Laws offers adaptation laws such as child labor, extended shifts, and prosthetics, plus Order or Faith paths whose later laws are harsher.
Service coverage
The generator heats a circular area whose range and level the player raises; buildings outside heat need insulation or heaters.
Daily schedules
Citizens work daylight shifts; emergency shifts extend hours at a cost.
Dilemma cards
Individual decisions, such as how to handle an injured child, offer choices that shift hope and discontent.
Fog of war
Scouts explore the frozen wasteland map for survivors and resources, the only way to grow the workforce.
Resource extraction
Coal, wood, steel, and food come from thumpers, sawmills, mines, and hunters.