Unlock Frostpunk's Expert Mode secrets with our comprehensive guide. Learn essential citizen management strategies, law choices, and building priorities for survival and prosperity.
Walkthrough
- 1Begin Expert Mode by signing the Emergency Shift law to maximize initial resource gathering (Wood and Steel). Build one Gathering Post and two Medical Posts in the innermost heat circle.
- 2Construct a Workshop before unpausing, placing it outside the inner heat circle for its insulation bonus. Sign the Extended Shift law and then Food Additives.
- 3Implement a strict food management strategy by dismantling and pausing the Cookhouse when the hungry icon disappears to conserve Food Rations and avoid building early Hunter's Huts.
- 4Keep 10 Engineers free for immediate Workshop construction. Once built, research the Beacon and dispatch scouts to find Survivors and resources.
- 5When citizens request shelter at night, respond with "some shelter" if unable to provide for all. Activate the generator and overdrive. Build the Cookhouse and another Gathering Post, ideally near the second rift for its resources.
- 6Prioritize researching either the Sawmill or Heaters, with the Sawmill being preferable for increased Wood production. Send scouts out with the Beacon.
- 7The site to the bottom-left of the city has a high chance of discovering the Buried Hamlet, containing valuable Survivors.
- 8Prepare meals using Food Additives and continue managing Cookhouse activity. Build one or two Sawmills to stockpile Wood for future bridges and technologies.
- 9Sign the Radical Treatment law and prepare for Overcrowding. Research Drawing Boards, Hothouse, or Steam Hub. A recommended tech path is Drawing Boards, Hothouse, then Steam Hub to manage hunger and temperature drops.
- 10Sign the Child Labour law to boost resource generation. Build the Hothouse and Hunter's Huts as new Survivor groups arrive.
- 11When building the first bridge, prioritize one leading to an Iron Ore deposit to construct a Steelworks. Research Steelworks and build bridges to Iron Ore deposits. After researching Hothouse and Generator Power Upgrade, research Drafting Boards and then Steam Steelworks.
- 12Build more bridges to reach Coal Deposits for a Coal Mine. This phase is crucial for surviving the first storm and setting up for future prosperity.
Tips
- For a "no deaths" run, consider the law order: Child Labour, Food Additives, Radical Treatment, Overcrowding, Emergency Shift, and Extended Shift. This prioritizes survival over immediate comfort.
- Escorting survivors home directly speeds up their arrival and prevents deaths, which is vital in the early game.
- The Cookhouse can be paused and dismantled to precisely control when citizens eat, significantly saving Food Rations.
- Workshops provide a +2 building insulation bonus, making them useful for early construction outside the warmest zones.
- Scouts are essential for finding new Survivor groups and vital resources. Prioritize researching the Beacon early.
- The bottom-left area of the map often contains the Buried Hamlet, a valuable source of Survivors.
- Be prepared for citizens to be very hungry if you delay building food sources or managing consumption.
- Researching Generator Power Upgrade and Steam Steelworks are key mid-game objectives for resource and power efficiency.
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