E138: Frostpunk

On the Retro Spectives Podcast we adore our survival games. Every year when we do a cheat episode we find ourselves drawn to the games that force you to live on the edge. Whether it's Pathologic, Rainworld or Resident Evil, we enjoy the pain and suffering of never having enough and managing those frustrating meters.

So it's no surprise that 11 Bit Studios 2018 smash hit Frostpunk caught our eye. Combining the grim understated horror of the industrial revolution with a city builder was an inspired choice, and the endless freezing cold as your ultimate adversary feels relentless. The game forces you to compromise on cold, hunger, sickness and your very morals in service of the city if you want to emerge out the other end.

But for all its critical praise, how enjoyable is Frostpunk to actually play? Are its ethical dilemmas actually as difficult to resolve as they initially appear? And do its city management elements pale in comparison to its far more complex peers?

On this episode, we discuss:

Immersion.
How well does Frostpunk sell its aesthetic to the player? Is this a gritty and grounded story of survival, or fantastical mush? How well does it connect players to the individual citizens in your city?

Philosophy.
Frostpunk lets you shape your city through its Book of Laws, a set of decisions that determine the degree to which you prioritise your citizen’s happiness versus the needs of the city. How well does the game present these as complex moral dilemmas?

Survival.
Mechanically, Frostpunk is all about resource prioritisation. Does Frostpunk offer meaningful decisions to the player with clear consequences, or do all roads lead to Rome? How well does the game give you an opportunity to recover from bad decisions?

We answer these questions and many more on the 138th episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!

If you’ve played Frostpunk and would like to share you stories of survival, or just fancy a good old fashioned chat, Come let us know what you think on our community discord server!

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