This War of Mine - contact@rockpapershotgun.com (Brendan Caldwell)
Hello from the Game Developer s Conference, where every building comes with a blizzard-spewing air conditioner. I ve just been to see Frostpunk, the societal survival game set in a pseudo-Victorian hellwinter, from the developers of This War of Mine. The frosty management game will support modding, they say, and there are plans for additional scenarios . That means both smaller, free updates and bigger packs of paid DLC. Although mod support probably won t be from day one . And the developers haven t decided what these later scenarios will contain. (more…)
Developer 11 Bit Studios announced today that Frostpunk, the game about humanity's final, desperate bid for survival in a great frozen wasteland, will be out on April 24. To celebrate the launch date announcement, the studio also released a new cinematic teaser offering a gentle reminder of the risks of getting things wrong.
Frostpunk is set in an alt-history 19th century in which something, somewhere, has gone terribly wrong. The world is encased in ice, and humanity stands on the brink of extinction. As the ruler of the last city on Earth, you must build and expand your steam-powered citadel, establish rules and laws, harness resources, push back the cold, and send out expeditions in search of information, supplies, and other survivors. The primacy of survival means hard decisions will have to be made, but there will be consequences—for the city, and for you.
11 Bit Studios managing director Grzegorz Miechowski said the goal had been to get Frostpunk out earlier this year, but the developers opted to take more time.
"For us, production value is always the most important thing and a bug-free, carefully-balanced game is crucial to offer gamers the experience we want them to have," he said. "This War of Mine was a unique game about moral choices, and with Frostpunk, we are bringing this to a whole new level."
Frostpunk will be available on Steam, GOG, and Humble for $30. Physical aficionados can opt for a boxed "Victorian Edition," which will include a hardcover art book, for $35.
Imagine: Frostpunk, the city builder about ensuring a society’s survival by making trying moral decisions, is at your door demanding to know if you’re sheltering any innocent video games. Do you lie and turn the personified would-be game murderer away, or accept that there’s a universal moral imperative to tell the truth regardless of the consequences?
I’d imagine that’s exactly the sort of dilemma you’ll have to wrestle with when Frostpunk comes out on April 24th. It’s the latest effort from the This War Of Mine devs, and when Adam played it last year it was shaping up to be a chiller success.
Frostpunk, the new city-building survival game by This War of Mine developer 11 bit Studios, finally has a release date. Despite having been told it would be out by the end of March, it will, in fact, be released in April - 24th April 2018.
Frostpunk will cost 23/$30 downloaded or $35 (and whatever the regional equivalent is) in a shop. But if you buy it in a box, you get an art book included.
Alongside the date announcement comes a new trailer for the game. It's CGI but gives a good idea of the level of detail in the wrought-iron ornate settlements you build, which you can see if you zoom right in - but who zooms right in? The trailer also broaches the thorny themes of the game and the kind of difficult dilemmas you'll face.
We don't want to tease you anymore than we already have - so without further ado, here's the:
Frostpunk's Official Release Date Trailer - "Serenity":
https://youtu.be/YPCgltNJoHI Grzegorz Miechowski, managing director at 11 bit studios says: “We wanted to make it before end of Q1, but we ended up slightly moving the release further. The reason is simple - we needed this time for the final polishing required to deliver a game that, we believe, is the best 11 bit studios title so far. For us, production value is always the most important thing and a bug-free, carefully-balanced game is crucial to offer gamers the experience we want them to have. This War of Mine was a unique game about moral choices, and with Frostpunk, we are bringing this to a whole new level. It’s true that it took us some time to get here, but I’m happy to say that it was worth it!”
Coming to Steam, GOG.com, and Humble Store at launch, Frostpunk will land on PCs in a digital version for the price of $29.99 USD and retail version for the suggested price of $34.99 USD in the form of a special “Victorian Edition”. This special edition includes the “New London - The Art of Frostpunk” hardcover book which shows off the beautifully crafted artwork and concept images from Frostpunk’s icy interior.
We don't want to tease you anymore than we already have - so without further ado, here's the:
Frostpunk's Official Release Date Trailer - "Serenity":
https://youtu.be/YPCgltNJoHI Grzegorz Miechowski, managing director at 11 bit studios says: “We wanted to make it before end of Q1, but we ended up slightly moving the release further. The reason is simple - we needed this time for the final polishing required to deliver a game that, we believe, is the best 11 bit studios title so far. For us, production value is always the most important thing and a bug-free, carefully-balanced game is crucial to offer gamers the experience we want them to have. This War of Mine was a unique game about moral choices, and with Frostpunk, we are bringing this to a whole new level. It’s true that it took us some time to get here, but I’m happy to say that it was worth it!”
Coming to Steam, GOG.com, and Humble Store at launch, Frostpunk will land on PCs in a digital version for the price of $29.99 USD and retail version for the suggested price of $34.99 USD in the form of a special “Victorian Edition”. This special edition includes the “New London - The Art of Frostpunk” hardcover book which shows off the beautifully crafted artwork and concept images from Frostpunk’s icy interior.
As the Beast from the East freezes Europe to a standstill, and scientists worry this could be the first of many climate change anomalies to come, 11 bit Studios' imminent city-building game Frostpunk looks oddly prescient. It asks how far you would go to ensure the survival of the last human settlement on a frozen Earth.
We've seen, and I've played, how it begins - the immediate scramble in the opening days to build shelters, fuel the furnace and feed mouths. It's a constant battle. But what will it be like weeks down the line when you're up and running and people no longer fear daily for their lives? That, apparently, is when the dissent begins.
People will group themselves into factions and cause trouble. One group shown in a new developer diary is the Londoners, which is a bit close to home. Maybe they'll protest, maybe they'll riot, and how you deal with them will show what kind of leader you are.
Frostpunk, the game about building and maintaining a society in very undesirable (read: frosty) circumstances, will release in March. But in the meantime, studio 11 Bit has released details about the game's "advanced endgame", which involves keeping your society on the straight and narrow or, if you want, tyrannically beating it into the shape you desire.
In other words, you'll have plenty of freedom regarding how you'd like to evolve and nurture your snow swept community. "You can try to be the noble one and listen to the people, no matter if they're right or wrong," says lead gameplay programmer Aleksander Kauch, "or you can believe that your cold-blooded calculations will prove valid over the course of survival."
One example provided is if you take the "path of Order" which, by the look of it, is basically taking the law and order (or police state) route. It allows you to build guard stations and institute neighbourhood watch and patrol programs.
More on the meat of the update can be read over here, alternatively there's a video embedded below. On the subject of pricing, the game will cost US$29.99/EU$29.99 when it launches next month. If you want an idea of how it is to spend some time in Frostpunk, Chris played it last year and enjoyed it.
Since it is difficult to join them together, it is safer to be feared than to be loved when one of the two must be lacking. - Niccolò Machiavelli
Hello everyone!
Last time we have introduced the automatons with The Cogs of Progress Update - this time let’s talk about something even bigger: advanced endgame mechanics. It’s something we’ve kept secret for a long time - even though you tried really hard to squeeze some information out of us. We’re finally ready to show you one of the biggest choices you’re going to make in Frostpunk: choosing the path for your people. Showing them purpose... even if you have to do it with an iron fist.
--- ENDGAME MECHANICS REVEAL ---
"What makes you a good leader? Or to put it differently - what makes you an effective leader? If you're democratically elected one in some modern country, or if you rule a city in a video game about last bits of civilization trying to survive on a frozen Earth, the rules stay the same" - says Aleksander Kauch, lead gameplay programmer of Frostpunk. "You can try to be the noble one and listen to the people, no matter if they're right or wrong, or you can believe that your cold-blooded calculations will prove valid over the course of survival. Introducing Neighbourhood Watch Law can be the answer to the need of safety on the streets... unless you deem it insufficient and decide to send guards to detain rioters with bats. From a watchful overseer to the rigorous visionary that puts the higher cause over decency - that will be your choice as a player."
See the newly unveiled endgame mechanics and features in the “Irreversible” Developer Update video: https://youtu.be/pFId6lm2MZo
--- GAMEPLAY DETAILS ---
Choosing the path of Order will deeply impact your society - and for you as a leader it means a whole new range of tools available at your disposal. We want you to discover them when you play the game but let us show you some examples of new laws that will become accessible after you choose to pursue the path of Order.
Law: Neighbourhood Watch We need to mobilise and stand together to help people in need and protect them from troublemakers.
Neighbourhood Watch allows you to construct a brand new building: Watchtower. People living nearby Watchtowers are protected by their neighbours serving as watch members and feel a lot safer. This gives them hope.
Law: Guard Stations Organised militia will guard the peace and order in our city and help us deal with anyone who would threaten it.
This law allows you to establish a Guard Station. Guard Stations bring peace and order to nearby homes. The presence of guards lowers the discontent and restores hope.
Law: Patrol Ensuring safety and order is of utmost priority to the long term survival of our city.
This law won’t unlock any new buildings - but it gives you an active Patrol ability to use. After enabling it, guards will patrol the streets near their guard stations to uphold law and order. You'll have to provide them with extra food for their effort.
These are just three basic laws that you can introduce after choosing the path of Order. More of them - in different form and magnitude - await you in the world of Frostpunk!
--- RELEASE DETAILS ---
We’ve already announced that we aim to set the price for Frostpunk to be on a “premium indie” level. What most of you assumed was €35-40... so you should be happy to hear that Frostpunk’s digital version will be available for $29,99/EUR 29,99 (or your regional equivalent)! We really want it to be as accessible as possible - so we hope you’re happy with this price!
That’s not all! We have also finished the box art for the game! It was created by one and only Jakub Kowalczyk - who was responsible for a lot of “This War of Mine” artworks as well. Jakub - busy as he is - was cool enough to share some insights about creating Frostpunk’s cover art:
“The biggest challenge here was to create an inclusive art that would show all aspects of the game: harsh and freezing weather, the generator that towers above the city, cross-section of the society and - of course - you as its leader. It not only had to work as an attractive illustration - but I had to make sure it’s still usable as box art - which means adjustability for different platforms etc. You never know where some additional pesky logos may appear...”
What about the price of the retail version? What versions of the game are we preparing in general? Do we plan to release an art book? What about the release date? We’d love to answer all these questions now but we’re still discussing some final technicalities with distributors and whatnot. We will give you all the details in one of the future updates - stay tuned!
--- ADDITIONAL Q&A ---
1. Do you plan to support controllers (Xbox/PS4/Steam Controller)? Maybe in the future - but definitely not on day one.
2. Are you going to do a surprise release or are you going to announce a release date some days in advance? We plan to announce it beforehand. We just gave you the box art and the price so rejoice! We want to share more info about the release in one of the future updates, stay tuned.
3. You started to show new things from the game: first the automatons, now the Order. Are you adding it to the game last minute? Don't worry, we are not adding new stuff to the game at this point. Automatons are not something new, we didn't introduce them two weeks ago. We just didn't show them before! Same situation with the Order mechanics - they are not new by any means, we were just keeping them a secret.
4. Do you plan to make some kind of AMA in the future? Yes, we would love to do that later on - when we have more information revealed already. In the meantime, we try to visit this discord channel created by our wonderful community: https://discord.gg/CukfhBG - we tend to answer some smaller questions there, so be sure to visit us from time to time!
5. One word: airships. Do you plan to include them in Frostpunk? Well… you have already seen the Beacons that we have in game, right? Let’s just say that they are not the only flying objects in Frostpunk! However, remember that we try to depict our vision of steampunk - which is quite pragmatic and authentic. So don’t expect huge fleets of airships or something like that.
6. Is there going to be a new preview demo for press/influencers anytime soon? Nope. We focus on bringing the final game as soon as possible so the next build that we plan to distribute is going to be the full, review copy of Frostpunk.
7. When do you plan to post next update? We want to release it in few weeks at most. Again, the idea is to create substantial updates - and those take some time. However, in the meantime we’re going to share some cool screenshots (and GIFs?!) on our social channels - so be sure to follow us there:
Since it is difficult to join them together, it is safer to be feared than to be loved when one of the two must be lacking. - Niccolò Machiavelli
Hello everyone!
Last time we have introduced the automatons with The Cogs of Progress Update - this time let’s talk about something even bigger: advanced endgame mechanics. It’s something we’ve kept secret for a long time - even though you tried really hard to squeeze some information out of us. We’re finally ready to show you one of the biggest choices you’re going to make in Frostpunk: choosing the path for your people. Showing them purpose... even if you have to do it with an iron fist.
--- ENDGAME MECHANICS REVEAL ---
"What makes you a good leader? Or to put it differently - what makes you an effective leader? If you're democratically elected one in some modern country, or if you rule a city in a video game about last bits of civilization trying to survive on a frozen Earth, the rules stay the same" - says Aleksander Kauch, lead gameplay programmer of Frostpunk. "You can try to be the noble one and listen to the people, no matter if they're right or wrong, or you can believe that your cold-blooded calculations will prove valid over the course of survival. Introducing Neighbourhood Watch Law can be the answer to the need of safety on the streets... unless you deem it insufficient and decide to send guards to detain rioters with bats. From a watchful overseer to the rigorous visionary that puts the higher cause over decency - that will be your choice as a player."
See the newly unveiled endgame mechanics and features in the “Irreversible” Developer Update video: https://youtu.be/pFId6lm2MZo
--- GAMEPLAY DETAILS ---
Choosing the path of Order will deeply impact your society - and for you as a leader it means a whole new range of tools available at your disposal. We want you to discover them when you play the game but let us show you some examples of new laws that will become accessible after you choose to pursue the path of Order.
Law: Neighbourhood Watch We need to mobilise and stand together to help people in need and protect them from troublemakers.
Neighbourhood Watch allows you to construct a brand new building: Watchtower. People living nearby Watchtowers are protected by their neighbours serving as watch members and feel a lot safer. This gives them hope.
Law: Guard Stations Organised militia will guard the peace and order in our city and help us deal with anyone who would threaten it.
This law allows you to establish a Guard Station. Guard Stations bring peace and order to nearby homes. The presence of guards lowers the discontent and restores hope.
Law: Patrol Ensuring safety and order is of utmost priority to the long term survival of our city.
This law won’t unlock any new buildings - but it gives you an active Patrol ability to use. After enabling it, guards will patrol the streets near their guard stations to uphold law and order. You'll have to provide them with extra food for their effort.
These are just three basic laws that you can introduce after choosing the path of Order. More of them - in different form and magnitude - await you in the world of Frostpunk!
--- RELEASE DETAILS ---
We’ve already announced that we aim to set the price for Frostpunk to be on a “premium indie” level. What most of you assumed was €35-40... so you should be happy to hear that Frostpunk’s digital version will be available for $29,99/EUR 29,99 (or your regional equivalent)! We really want it to be as accessible as possible - so we hope you’re happy with this price!
That’s not all! We have also finished the box art for the game! It was created by one and only Jakub Kowalczyk - who was responsible for a lot of “This War of Mine” artworks as well. Jakub - busy as he is - was cool enough to share some insights about creating Frostpunk’s cover art:
“The biggest challenge here was to create an inclusive art that would show all aspects of the game: harsh and freezing weather, the generator that towers above the city, cross-section of the society and - of course - you as its leader. It not only had to work as an attractive illustration - but I had to make sure it’s still usable as box art - which means adjustability for different platforms etc. You never know where some additional pesky logos may appear...”
What about the price of the retail version? What versions of the game are we preparing in general? Do we plan to release an art book? What about the release date? We’d love to answer all these questions now but we’re still discussing some final technicalities with distributors and whatnot. We will give you all the details in one of the future updates - stay tuned!
--- ADDITIONAL Q&A ---
1. Do you plan to support controllers (Xbox/PS4/Steam Controller)? Maybe in the future - but definitely not on day one.
2. Are you going to do a surprise release or are you going to announce a release date some days in advance? We plan to announce it beforehand. We just gave you the box art and the price so rejoice! We want to share more info about the release in one of the future updates, stay tuned.
3. You started to show new things from the game: first the automatons, now the Order. Are you adding it to the game last minute? Don't worry, we are not adding new stuff to the game at this point. Automatons are not something new, we didn't introduce them two weeks ago. We just didn't show them before! Same situation with the Order mechanics - they are not new by any means, we were just keeping them a secret.
4. Do you plan to make some kind of AMA in the future? Yes, we would love to do that later on - when we have more information revealed already. In the meantime, we try to visit this discord channel created by our wonderful community: https://discord.gg/CukfhBG - we tend to answer some smaller questions there, so be sure to visit us from time to time!
5. One word: airships. Do you plan to include them in Frostpunk? Well… you have already seen the Beacons that we have in game, right? Let’s just say that they are not the only flying objects in Frostpunk! However, remember that we try to depict our vision of steampunk - which is quite pragmatic and authentic. So don’t expect huge fleets of airships or something like that.
6. Is there going to be a new preview demo for press/influencers anytime soon? Nope. We focus on bringing the final game as soon as possible so the next build that we plan to distribute is going to be the full, review copy of Frostpunk.
7. When do you plan to post next update? We want to release it in few weeks at most. Again, the idea is to create substantial updates - and those take some time. However, in the meantime we’re going to share some cool screenshots (and GIFs?!) on our social channels - so be sure to follow us there:
