Frostpunk: Beyond the Ice guide - 7 tips that'll keep you from freezing
If you've never had the chance to play this amazing strategy survival game, then I strongly encourage you to do so right away. As someone who likes the genre but can never find that push to continue, I was pleasantly surprised every step of the way. I bring you a Frostpunk Beyond the Ice guide so you can learn a thing or two from my experience, which will help you grow your population.
The action in Frostpunk Beyond the Ice is set in a frozen world, somewhere deep within the Arctic Circle, where they discovered a Generator - the only hope of keeping them alive. Doing what humans do best, they got to work and tried to power it up, hoping to help them survive the endless winter that lay ahead.
Unique resource management
There are so many things to love about this, but not all of them are as simple as they seem at first glance. Managing the resources you get (which are not many to begin with) and bringing in more survivors are the most important things you need to keep in mind. Below I've shared a bunch of tips and tricks to help you with that!
Also, it's worth mentioning that I'm someone who loves games that are F2P-friendly, and this one checks that box. It is quite F2P-friendly, and given enough time, you will not even need to invest in anything that requires money. I truly appreciate it when I see that being the case.
- Read the Archero 2 guide
Since all of the tips I shared below are meant to help you better understand the game (and help you survive better), I recommend you read them all and apply them however you think best. There's no definitive way of doing things in a post-apocalyptic way, but this guide should hopefully lead to increasing your population!
Did you know we have a Frostpunk Beyond the Ice review too? Read it if you're eager to find out more!
Let's dive right in, shall we?
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Tip #1 - Understanding resource management
The core gameplay of Frostpunk Beyond the Ice revolves around managing your resources (such as food and coal), in order to keep your population warm and fed. To sum it up, that's what your people need in order to keep things going. You need to efficiently assign roles to your survivors so they can help you out.
Coal is #1!
One of the most important resources you need to be mindful of is coal. Coal is the fuel that keeps the Generator running, and without it, your population will be decimated. It's important to build a lot of Coal Mines and have them upgraded too. The more Coal you can have, the better it will be because with each new building added to your settlement, the more power the Generator will need to produce.
You can check the Generator mode by tapping on it, then you can compare the Demand and Output it creates, and if you head over to the adjustments (the button that looks like "filters" there), you can see the heatmap of the buildings. Make sure you track the Generator's consumption at all times.
As for Food (and the rest of the resources), you will need to build a Greenhouse to produce food, a Lumberyard to produce wood, and from the Tax Office, you will get Shillings.
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Tip #2 - Expand your population
The only sure way to expand your population is to keep going outward from the Generator. You will need to place new tents, premium tents, and bunkhouses, so you can accommodate more people.
You'll need quite a few, so try to build the maximum number allowed at all times. You are going to need every single survivor, anyway! The only way to gather more is to increase your accommodation. To build new "houses", simply go to the Queue> Dwelling> select the one you want, and then place it near a heated road.
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Tip #3 - Trading is your friend
Especially in the early game, trading will be your main way of making Shillings. You should try to produce whatever the people who are asking you to trade need, and then trade them. This can also give you EXP and other goods, so I strongly recommend you do it.
If you open a trade and don't have the items needed to complete the trade, simply press the X button to close the window. DON'T REFUSE THE TRADE. This will disappoint the people and will decrease your popularity. Just press X and wait until you have enough materials to complete the trade.
Trade Base
You can also choose to sell or buy items using Shillings in the Trade Base. If you have a lot of "something" then you can go there and it works as a sort of auction house - you name your price, set the items you want for sale, and when someone buys them, you will get the Shillings you asked for.
To buy, it's much simpler - you go to the Purchase tab and you can simply buy whatever you need from there!
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Tip #4 - Be prepared and stock in advance
You can see your resources on the bar at the very top of the screen - you can also see how much you produce per minute, and if you want to do well, I recommend you start crafting something at all times. Use your Production Workshop to make stuff that people might want to trade for, and don't leave them idle.
The best way to progress quickly is to use that downtime to produce and stock up on something. I can't recommend this enough, especially if you think that you've run out of things to do.
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Tip #5 - Always improve and research
I strongly recommend you improve your little settlement by constantly upgrading and researching new things. You can start by leveling up (upgrading) all the buildings you have, and then building new ones. It's important to keep up with your technology and law, so make sure you don't forget to do either of these.
Try setting aside things that take longer and start them once you close the game for the day, so they will complete overnight while you sleep.
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Tip #6 - There are a couple of things you can buy if you want to spend money
If you really want to spend money but aren't sure where to start, I recommend you start with the HEAT VIP Pass - this is like the battle pass in any other game, and it will give you really good rewards for its price.
You also have your City Pass, so whichever ones you want to go for, they are all good. I'm just not a fan of the daily packs because you will end up buying them every day and eventually spend more money on them. So, a pass is the best way to spend your money in Frostpunk Beyond the Ice in my opinion.
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Tip #7 - Keep an eye on things to help you improve
You can monitor pretty much everything you have on your settlement, and I strongly suggest you do that - from keeping an eye on your Generator and resource production to seeing how your survivors are doing in terms of supporting you. You should always try to have 100% of their support to boost your Approval Rating. Then, try to fix whatever isn't working, and you can have a prosperous settlement.
That's it for the guide on Frostpunk Beyond the Ice. In case you need a break from the hardcore gameplay, relax with something like the Hello Kitty Island Adventure gifts guide.
