Let’s not even pretend: Frostpunk 2 is an extremely challenging game, one that will test even the most veteran strategy and city-building fans. But if you really consider yourself a masochist, you can always up the challenge by playing the game on ‘Captain’ difficulty—something the studio recommends you do if you’ve finished the game and wholly understand its complex rhythms and mechanics. As its own description says, here there’s no room for mistakes, and mounting catastrophes will spell your downfall without adequate planning and preparation. So let’s plan and get prepared!
After spending countless hours tearing my hair out playing Frostpunk 2’s most challenging difficulty setting, I have a few tips to share with you. Hopefully, by the end, you’ll find the confidence and know-how to excel at the end of the world!
Some people might immediately think the Captain difficulty in Frostpunk 2 is too easy, but that line of thinking can lull you into a false sense of security. You want to walk into the scenario prepared. The first hour or so of your playthrough makes all the difference in the world.
Furthermore, I recommend starting on The Crater. It’s a compact map full of naturally occurring resources (with the exception of rich coal deposits), that will give you an excellent start.
Here’s a starting build order to help you with the game’s most brutal difficulty setting:
While the buildings you choose are crucial to your everyday survival, the research projects you select are equally important. The buffs from your chosen Ideas will determine your fate by increasing production, optimizing extraction, and spreading heat more efficiently. Here’s what to prioritize:
With the right build order and technology, along with a careful, calculated approach, you’ll find that surviving Frostpunk 2’s most challenging difficulty setting is not only doable but approachable, too. Of course, it does help to have a few tips and a handy guide. Before you go, check out some other stunning uses of snow in video games!