Summary
The story ofFrostpunk 2picks up three decades after the original game’s main campaign ended. Thecity of New London has survived thirty years of blizzards and turmoil, but now its founding Captain has died of old age. The player takes the role of the Captain’s successor, the Steward, who must guide the city through a new set of crises while earning the trust of the people.
Unlike the Captain, the Steward’s authority is limited. Many of the people havebanded together into various communitiesbased on their background, while a number of more radical factions have begun to clash over their beliefs about how the city should be run. Players must navigate the political tension brewing between these factions to keep the city from falling into ruin.
4Faithkeepers
Progress, Equality, Tradition
If players decide that the Captain established order by using Faith, the Faithkeepers will be one of the starting factions in the story mode. Unlike their opposition faction, the Evolvers, they revere technological progress, equality, and tradition. Their goals are todefeat the frostand create a city unified under the Captain’s original vision.
Their abilities revolve around raising trust with New London’s people. Their passive ability raises trust once the player has raised their relationship with the Faithkeepers above neutral, and their activated ability does this as well. While this is certainly beneficial, players should not rely on faction abilities to raise trust. If they do, they will probably run into more severe problems sooner rather than later.
3Pilgrims
Adaptation, Equality, Tradition
The Pilgrims band together in campaigns where theCaptain used Order to gain controlof the city during the first game’s events. They are fiercely opposed to the Stalwarts and seek to guide the city into a new era of adaptation by embracing the frost.
Both of their abilities are centered around exploring the Frostland surrounding New London. Their passive perk increases the number of scout teams at the player’s disposal, which can help the player send multiple scout teams at once or bring in valuable resources from multiple locations. This is especially helpful if there isa Whiteout approaching, since that forces all active scouts to return to the city. Their active ability speeds up any current exploration, which allows players to reap the rewards of scouting new regions sooner. Players who seek to embrace the frost should keep the Pilgrims on their side, as exploring is vital to this task.
2Stalwarts
Progress, Merit, Reason
The Stalwarts are Captain loyalists that start in New London if the player has chosen Order instead of Faith. This faction served as the Captain’s enforcers in the first game, and they want to maintain the power structure that has existed in the city for three decades.
When the player has a good relationship with the Stalwarts, they passively provide extra Prefabs, which makes it possible to expand more quickly. It also means that the player can divert more Industrial Districts to producing Goods, which can reduce crime. Their special action provides extra Guard Squads, which becomes extremely useful duringfaction protests and civil war. Whether the player wants to further the original vision of the Captain, maintain strict order in their city, or simply roleplay as a dictator, the Stalwarts are a useful group to have on the Steward’s side.
1Evolvers
Adaptation, Merit, Reason
The Evolvers form in opposition to the Faithkeepers, so they are not around at all if the player decides thatthe Captain used Orderinstead of Faith to rule the city before them. They perceive the Faithkeepers to be religious extremists and seek to guide the city towards embracing the frost instead of using technology to overcome it. They also promote merit over equality and reason over tradition.
If players have a relationship above neutral with the Evolvers, they can use their active ability, which drastically increases production inall Districts. This can be a game changer when preparing for whiteouts — and when the player is struggling to meet the demands of the city. Their passive perk is also useful if disease has gotten out of control, as the Evolvers will periodically heal sick and injured workers so that they can go back to work. By driving the city forward toward efficiency, health, and adaptation, the Evolvers are the most useful group to have on the Steward’s side.
