Frostpunk 2 Review: Bigger, Harder, and Colder

Frostpunk 2 is a bold, demanding sequel that builds on everything we loved about the original while pushing into more complex territory. After engaging in 11 Bit Studios’ other excellent strategy title, The Alters, we were down for yet another soulful ride, albeit one that wouldn’t be easy. In many ways it is more punishing with more intricate systems to juggle and sharper tradeoffs alongside its trademark “no clean wins.” But that complexity is also part of its appeal. For players willing to invest effort, it is a rich, rewarding experience…. even if you can’t save ’em all.

At its heart, Frostpunk 2 retains the same moral tension that made the first game memorable: your people demand laws, resources are scarce, storms loom, and any choice you make will carry consequences. But now the game forces you to think bigger: you govern districts, navigate faction politics, manage trust vs. tension, and try to mold the future of society. The narrative demands you be a mediator rather than an autocrat. You propose laws, negotiate promises, and risk backlash. This shift gives the game a more political flavor, and it deepens the sense that every decision has ripple effects. For example, boosting coal production might anger another faction that opposes over-industrialization (the fools!), and when that tension gets too high, you’ll see protests and violent uprisings that can cripple the stability of the city. Of course, if you don’t do such things, those same citizens may freeze or starve to death, so which truly is the better path?

The game is tougher than its predecessor in nearly every way. Your margin for error is smaller and the pace of escalation is more relentless. In one campaign playthrough, I had to constantly reassess my direction and sometimes reverse previous decisions, and even then the fallout was never clean. That coal production boost I mentioned above ultimately was my downfall then. But when you do succeed, you feel you’ve earned your victory.

One of Frostpunk 2’s strengths is the wealth of content beyond its main campaign. The “Utopia Builder” sandbox mode lets you skip the narrative constraints and build toward your own objectives. Want to focus on a sprawling metropolis, resource accumulation, or faction dominance? You can tailor your playstyle. This flexibility means the game has serious longevity for those that love tinkering.

That said, not everything lands perfectly, especially for console or TV setups. The UI and iconography are dense and small. When playing from a couch on a large screen, reading some of the overlays becomes a strain. The game offers UI scaling and contrast options, but they don’t fully resolve this issue. I often found myself leaning in, squinting at text or tooltips, especially in more complex screens with many layers.

And there’s a LOT of systems to track. If you’re not watching your resources or your production or your (insert endless systems!), you’ll end up in a bad place. The UI is pretty simple for finding out how you’re doing, figuring out what’s coming next or engaging with the factions, but it is a LOT for sure.

For fans of the original Frostpunk, this sequel offers both comfort and challenge. The core tension between humanity’s needs and survival persists, but here it is layered. The shift from focusing mainly on heat, food, and infrastructure to managing society, ideology, and gradient moral tradeoffs may surprise some fans. The scale is bigger and the systems are more abstract, but if your appetite is for something heavier, deeper, and more systemic, Frostpunk 2 delivers.

Overall, Frostpunk 2 is a daring, dense, and compelling sequel. Not perfect, but for those who love harsh strategy and moral drama, it is an evolving masterpiece. And we don’t get a lot of those on Xbox, so happy to have another must-play game for strategy fans. Just don’t get mad at us when the Elders turn on you!

RATING: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Frostpunk 2 is available for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S/X.