As the temperatures drop and tensions rise, researching and implementing new ideas is what keeps the city standing strong in Frostpunk 2. As they say, a well-begun journey is half the battle won, and the same holds true when it comes to expanding your city in this challenging survival-city builder. If the generator is the heart of the city, then the ideas you research are its soul.
Knowing which ideas to prioritize first will set your city on the right path for efficient production and smooth expansion. Here are the best research ideas you should consider researching first when starting out in Frostpunk 2.
This guide does not cover the Coal Mines research, as the game explicitly instructs you to research and build them. If you haven't already researched Coal Mines yet, it's highly recommended to prioritize it over the other recommendations in this guide.
Frostpunk 2: How to Restart a Chapter
Players who are unhappy with their choices during Frostpunk 2's campaign can learn how to restart chapters in this short guide.
Housing Insulation
Each Housing District demands 40 heat and as the city's population grows, so does the number of Housing Districts you must build. The generator does not just supply heat to the Housing Districts but also other vital structures like the Extraction, Food, and Industrial Districts. If the generator fails to meet the heat supply demand, it can lead to the disruption of extraction and production processes.
The Housing Insulation research is a passive upgrade to Housing Districts, lowering their base heat demand from 40 to 20. You can further lower the heat demand of Housing Districts by building them adjacent to one another. Strategically enclosing a Housing District on all sides drops its heat demand to 0.
You can research the Housing Insulation idea under the Heating section in the Idea Tree.
Filtration Towers
As the city moves towards industrialization and mechanization, squalor emerges as a byproduct. If left unchecked, squalor can damage districts and even increase disease. The problem of Squalor can be solved by researching and building Filtration Towers.
Filtration Towers must be built on expanded Housing Districts, and they act as an upgrade to the District itself. These towers can prove to be an asset when taking your city towards industrialization. Filtration Towers can be found under the Resources section in the Idea Tree, and offer the following research options:
- Moss-Filtration Tower: Significantly reduces squalor. Requires : 400 workforce, 20 heat.
- Ventilation Tower: Less effective than the Moss-Filtration Tower. Requires : 300 workforce, 40 heat.
Frostpunk 2: Best Survival Buildings To Unlock As Soon As Possible
These survival buildings spell the difference between life and death in early Frostpunk 2 runs. Here's which buildings to unlock asap.
Sawmills
In Frostpunk 2, every district besides Housing Districts requires materials to function. Running out of materials will halt the production of food and resources. While some materials can be extracted from the ground, it's never a great idea to rely on them when expanding your city. Extractable materials are finite and they deplete after a few in-game weeks.
Luckily, you can secure a robust materials production industry by researching Sawmills under the Resources section of the Idea Tree. Sawmills act as upgrades to Extraction Districts and require one empty building slot to outfit. You can research the following Sawmill options depending on your city's goals:
- Mechanized Sawmills: Produces 200 materials. Requires 300 workforce and 60 heat. Downsides: Slightly increases squalor.
- Untreated Sawmills: Produces 170 materials. Requires 400 workforce and 20 heat. Downsides: Slightly increases disease.
Hothouses
The importance of managing food becomes evident when the city's population soars and there isn't enough soil available to grow food. Ending up in such scenarios can lead to panic, and compel you to abandon strategic future plans and focus on the escalating food crisis. The longer the city goes without a sufficient supply of food, the higher the death toll from starvation, which ultimately raises tension and drops in trust.
You can prepare for such potential events in advance by researching Hothouses under the Resource section of Idea Tree. Hothouses are an upgrade to the Food Districts, and they increase the overall food production of the district. You can research the following two Hothouse variants:
- Biowaste Hothouse: Produces 70 additional food. Requires 400 workforce and 20 heat. Downsides: Slightly increases disease.
- Chemical Hothouse: Produces 50 additional food. Requires 300 workforce and 40 heat. Downsides: Slightly increases squalor.
Frostpunk 2: All Factions and Their Motivations, Explained
Factions and Communities make up every city in Frostpunk 2, and if you'll need to know how to appeal to them to maintain peace and order.
Skyways
Launching expeditions in Frostpunk 2, lets you explore the Frostlands and discover food, fuel, cores, and other valuable resources. Occasionally, you may find resource deposits that can be harvested after building a trail. The problem with trails is that they are both slower at transporting resources and have a limited transfer capacity.
However, researching Skyways under the Frostland section of Idea Tree expedites resource transfer speeds and increases their capacity. Skyways are built in the Frostland and you can select them by clicking the cable car icon at the bottom right of your screen.
You can further increase the capacity of Skyways by researching the Freight Docks idea, but you don't have to prioritize early in the game.
Scouts' Headquarters
Much like in the original Frostpunk, Expeditions play a vital role in progressing your city's goals and addressing resource shortages. Initially, however, you're able to safely explore a few territories that are closer to your city. The farthest territories are either flagged as dangerous or deadly and accessing these regions requires you to research and build a Scouts' Headquarters.
Scouts's Headquarters are an upgrade to Logistics Districts, and they reduce the threat level of dangerous and deadly territories. Additionally, they also reduce the exploration time of expeditions. You can research the following two Scout's Headquarters options under the Frostland section of Idea Tree:
- Scouts' Headquarters: Slightly decreases exploration time and decreases territory threat level. Requires 400 workforce.
- Survivalists' Headquarters: Further decreases exploration time, but matches the Scouts' Headquarters in decreasing territory threat level. Requires 400 workforce.
Frostpunk 2: Synergy Bonuses & District Placement Explained
How players construct districts in Frostpunk 2 can greatly impact their efficiency and requirements. Here's exactly how the synergy system works.
Logistics Bays
When you unlock Expeditions in Frostpunk 2, you're initially limited to just 15 Frostland Teams. This team size can feel restrictive if you wish to launch multiple expeditions or explore the farthest reaches of the Frostland. Sometimes, you may even need to station a few Frostland Teams at harvesting locations, rendering them unavailable for exploration.
This is when the Logistics Bays research comes to the rescue. These bays are an upgrade to the Logistics Districts, and their function is to increase the total number of Frostland Teams. You can find the Logistics Bays idea under the Frostland section in the Idea Tree, and they offer the following choices:
- Automated Vanguard Bay: Outputs 15 additional Frostland Teams. Requires 500 workforce.
- Vanguard Logistics Bay: Outputs 20 additional Frostland Teams. Requires 600 workforce.
Watchtowers
As your city's population grows, fulfilling their increasing demands can get challenging. While securing food and shelter is essential for their survival, goods are not as vital. At the same time, neglecting the demand for goods can lead to higher crime rates, which in turn contributes to a rise in tension.
Fortunately, you won't have to produce goods to satisfy people's needs, building a few watchtowers can keep crimes in check. These towers must be constructed in expanded Housing Districts, and you can find them under the Society section of the Idea Tree. Watchtowers provide the following research options:
- Surveillance Watchtower: Outputs 12 guards and slightly decreases crime. Requires 100 workforce and 20 heat.
- Patrol Watchtower: Outputs 16 guards and slightly decreases crime. Requires 200 workforce and no heat.
Frostpunk 2: Chapter 1 Walkthrough
If you're struggling to get through the first chapter of Frostpunk 2, this guide should help.
Hospitals
If the city's heat demand isn't met, people will begin to fall ill, and if the situation becomes critical, deaths can occur. Illness directly impacts your workforce, and people can get ill due to unmet heat and shelter needs. Unchecked squalor can also contribute to sickness.
However, researching Hospitals under the Society section of the Idea Tree will help you treat sick absentees and return them to your workforce sooner. You have the following options available when researching Hospitals:
- Teaching Hospital: Decreases disease slightly and increases research speed slightly. Requires 300 workforce and demands 20 heat.
- Recovery Hospital: Decreases disease slightly and increases population slightly. Requires 200 workforce and demands 40 heat.
Factories
A city that is destined to expand needs a streamlined automation plan. Relying solely on the resources found in the open can prove detrimental when those resources eventually deplete. Without an alternative production strategy, you could find yourself in a deadlock. Fortunately, you can avoid this fate by researching and building factories.
Factories allow you to produce prefabs, materials, and goods, and they must be constructed in Industrial Districts. You can find and research factories under the Resources section of the Idea Tree, and you have the following choices to work with:
- Salvaging Factory: Outputs 40 goods and 10 prefabs. Requires 400 workforce and 40 materials. Downside: Increases disease slightly.
- Mechanical Factory: Outputs 40 goods and 10 prefabs. Requires 300 workforce and 60 materials. Downside: Increases squalor slightly.
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 85 /100 Critics Rec: 95%
- Released
- September 20, 2024
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood, Drug Reference, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- 11 Bit Studios
- Publisher(s)
- 11 Bit Studios
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Franchise
- Frostpunk
- PC Release Date
- September 20, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Strategy, Survival, City Builder
