Frostpunk Walkthrough — Start to Endgame

Frostpunk is 11 bit studios' city-survival game where you lead the last city on Earth through a volcanic winter apocalypse. Building around a central steam generator, you manage heat, resources, workforce, and the moral direction of your society through a book of laws. The game forces genuinely difficult ethical decisions — child labor, 24-hour shifts, organ harvesting, and authoritarian control are all tools available when survival demands it. Five scenarios plus Endless Mode offer distinct challenges, from preserving seed vaults to managing refugees. The final storm in A New Home is one of gaming's most intense survival experiences.

This walkthrough takes you from your first session to endgame content. Each phase has specific goals, priorities, and milestones. Follow this path to avoid common traps that stall most players.

Quick Progression Summary

Phase 1: Getting Started — New London (A New Home)

The main scenario and tutorial campaign. You lead 80 survivors building around a generator with the Great Storm approaching on Day 44. The difficulty curve teaches all mechanics gradually. The final storm sequence is the game's iconic moment.

Level/Difficulty: Tutorial/Main scenario Key Rewards: Full mechanics tutorial, complete story arc, most replayable scenario

What to Do in New London (A New Home)

1. Learn generator management. The central generator heats your city in concentric rings. Spend your first session getting comfortable with this.
2. Pick Faith path as your starting build. It's the most forgiving option.
3. Build roads only where necessary — they cost wood and take up space that could hold buildings within heat zones
4. Acquire your first equipment upgrade — Generator upgrades or whatever's available.
5. Clear all main content before moving on.

Phase 1 Checklist

• Understand generator management fundamentals
• Faith path selected and functional
• New London (A New Home) main content cleared
• Ready for The Arks

Phase 2: Early Game — The Arks

A scenario focused on preserving seed vaults (Arks) with only a small workforce and Automatons. No new survivors arrive, making Automaton research essential. A unique puzzle-like challenge about efficiency rather than growth.

Level/Difficulty: Second scenario Key Rewards: Automaton mastery, efficiency-focused gameplay, unique story

What to Do in The Arks

1. Work on hope and discontent system. Two meters track your society's morale. This system becomes critical from here on.
2. Farm for Generator upgrades if you haven't already. It's the key upgrade for this phase.
3. Emergency Shift on Day 1 at the Workshop gives you an immediate research boost that compounds throughout the game
4. Complete all objectives before pushing to The Refugees.
5. Consider whether Order path might suit your playstyle better than Faith path.

Phase 2 Checklist

• hope and discontent system integrated into gameplay
• Generator upgrades acquired
• The Arks fully cleared
• Ready for The Refugees

Phase 3: Mid Game — The Refugees

A crisis scenario where waves of refugees arrive at your city, straining resources. Managing the tension between existing citizens and newcomers drives the law system choices. Features the most difficult discontent management.

Level/Difficulty: Third scenario Key Rewards: Population management skills, moral dilemma focus, faction dynamics

What to Do in The Refugees

1. Master law system. Two branches — Purpose (Order vs. This unlocks a new layer of gameplay.
2. Start working toward Steam Hub. It's the best equipment and becomes accessible around now.
3. Gathering Posts collect from all resource piles in their radius — one well-placed Post replaces several individual gatherers
4. This area is the main skill check. If you can clear it, you're ready for late game.
5. Start investing in scouting for the tactical depth you'll need going forward.

Phase 3 Checklist

• law system mastered
• Steam Hub acquired or in progress
• The Refugees fully cleared
• Ready for The Fall of Winterhome

Phase 4: Late Game — The Fall of Winterhome

A prequel scenario where you take over a failing city with a damaged generator. You must repair and reorganize an existing (poorly built) city rather than starting fresh. The generator will eventually explode — evacuation is the real goal.

Level/Difficulty: Fourth scenario Key Rewards: City rebuilding skills, time pressure experience, lore reveals

What to Do in The Fall of Winterhome

1. Finalize your build. You should be running Order path or Faith path with optimized gear.
2. Steam Hub should be your primary. If you don't have it yet, prioritize getting it.
3. Soup law (reducing food quality for 40% more rations) is almost always worth the discontent spike early game
4. temperature mechanics optimization starts here. Small improvements compound into massive advantages.
5. Farm this area for the resources needed to push into On the Edge.

Phase 4 Checklist

• Build fully optimized
• Steam Hub upgraded to max
• The Fall of Winterhome fully cleared
• Ready for On the Edge

Phase 5: Endgame — On the Edge

DLC scenario set after the Great Storm where your outpost depends on trade with New London. Political tensions between your settlement and the main city drive the narrative. Features the most complex supply chain management.

Level/Difficulty: DLC content Key Rewards: Trade mechanics, political storyline, advanced resource management

What to Do in On the Edge

1. On the Edge tests everything. Come prepared with your best build and gear.
2. The final storm drops to -150C — stockpile 5000+ coal, 3000+ food, and have the generator at Level 4 before Day 40
3. The endgame loop: run On the Edge, optimize gear, push harder content.
4. Experiment with Automation focus for a fresh take once you've mastered the standard builds.
5. This is where temperature mechanics mastery separates good players from great ones.

Phase 5 Checklist

• Endgame content on farm
• Best-in-slot gear acquired
• On the Edge fully cleared
• Ready for challenge content

Common Progression Mistakes

• Building outside the generator's heat zone without Steam Hubs — unheated workers get sick and die rapidly
• Not researching the Beacon early enough — scouts are your primary source of extra resources and population
• Signing extreme laws (New Order/New Faith final tier) too early, triggering massive Hope penalties
• Ignoring coal reserves until it's too late — the generator stopping for even a few hours causes cascading deaths
• Overextending the city before securing stable food and coal production fundamentals

Key Tips for Smooth Progression

1. Build roads only where necessary — they cost wood and take up space that could hold buildings within heat zones
2. Emergency Shift on Day 1 at the Workshop gives you an immediate research boost that compounds throughout the game
3. Gathering Posts collect from all resource piles in their radius — one well-placed Post replaces several individual gatherers
4. Soup law (reducing food quality for 40% more rations) is almost always worth the discontent spike early game
5. The final storm drops to -150C — stockpile 5000+ coal, 3000+ food, and have the generator at Level 4 before Day 40

For detailed build optimization, see Frostpunk builds. For quick wins, check tips & tricks.