11 Bit Studios has announced Frostpunk 2, the sequel to the wintery city builder game.
Set 30 years after an apocalyptic blizzard, Frostpunk 2 is planned to advance upon the foundations built by the first game. Players will now need to establish an oil extraction industry to fuel their ever-demanding city, while simultaneously presiding over its citizens and making a frequent choices between ruthless survival and human rights.
“What players should expect is a wide universe of choices, freedom to shape the society and the city however they see fit – and reap the consequences," said Frostpunk 2's co-director, Jakub Stokalski, in a press release. "Frostpunk 2 builds on the conflicts of its predecessor – survival vs human values, life vs the arctic frost. But most importantly, it adds a new layer that is present in many aspects of the game – be it politics, be it society, be it technological progress – the conflict between humans and their nature”.
A new cinematic trailer reminds us all of the brutal methods of survival and society that was seen in the original, with a man left to freeze to death beyond the city limits, his chest painted in blood with the word 'liar'. Behind him are a bank of oil pumpjacks, indicating the change from coal to oil as the focus of Frostpunk 2's resource management layer.
Frostpunk 2 will be available on Steam, GOG, and Epic Games Store, and can be wishlisted now. No release date has been announced. If you've never played Frostpunk and would like to see what it's all about, it can be played for free on Steam this weekend, from August 12 to 16.
The original Frostpunk is a critical darling, having received a glowing 9/10 review from us, and been nominated for a BAFTA. Originally launched on PC, it has since come to consoles, and this year saw all three expansions made available for PS4 and Xbox One.
Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.