User Score
8.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 955 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Negative: 65 out of 955
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  1. Apr 30, 2018
    7
    Games looks pretty good, but 3 scenario are very short. When you fall you fall. Play again. But when you win? You can not continue in your city builded. I want to choice continue after do what scenairo want.
  2. Aug 28, 2018
    7
    It is a light real time building game divided in three (possible 4 in the future) scenarios. You'll build a city facing different problems like Manage of hunger, hope of the people, shelter, extreme cold, exploration. In each scenario you will have to make moral choices that will impact game-play and how scenario will end (narrated trough text in the ending sequences...like FalloutIt is a light real time building game divided in three (possible 4 in the future) scenarios. You'll build a city facing different problems like Manage of hunger, hope of the people, shelter, extreme cold, exploration. In each scenario you will have to make moral choices that will impact game-play and how scenario will end (narrated trough text in the ending sequences...like Fallout ending for example in wich some choice will have a differet narration in the same final sequence) . It takes one or two days of casual play to complete a scenario plus some time to replay and see the different outcome of moral choices. There isn't much choices or many random events or many technology tree....so In less than a week you'll probably complete the whole game: It's quite short and does not offer much re-playability. It isn't for hardcore strategy players...it is more like Theme Hospital than Europa Universalis . For an Indie game on sale It's good. I'll hope for a sequel maybe with a little more content. Expand
  3. Aug 16, 2018
    7
    Frostpunk's campaign is an enjoyable experience, with fun base building elements and giving you the opportunity to make your settlement run as efficiently as possible, but unfortunately, if you happen to focus your attention on powering your settlement rather than feeding it, the game can quickly become a tedious progress of going back to save games and making everything run correctly,Frostpunk's campaign is an enjoyable experience, with fun base building elements and giving you the opportunity to make your settlement run as efficiently as possible, but unfortunately, if you happen to focus your attention on powering your settlement rather than feeding it, the game can quickly become a tedious progress of going back to save games and making everything run correctly, which ultimately breaks the immersion of the game.

    If micro-managing is something you enjoy, pick this game up, you are going to have a great time challenging yourself, but if you are someone who just wants to enjoy their playthrough, maybe hold off until it's on sale.

    I played 7+ hours before I decided that restarting to get a better outcome for my city was becoming boring, and the story began to be a second thought.
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  4. Feb 27, 2019
    7
    I expected far bigger from Frostpunk. Not so there are strategy with elements of survival moreover and in a setting of the cyberpunk. It seems and the first 1/3 games it is fine, you are surprised to study of simulation of life and motivation to save as much as possible people. And then, you understand that that a game has no plot and the world of a game is small and it is not interestingI expected far bigger from Frostpunk. Not so there are strategy with elements of survival moreover and in a setting of the cyberpunk. It seems and the first 1/3 games it is fine, you are surprised to study of simulation of life and motivation to save as much as possible people. And then, you understand that that a game has no plot and the world of a game is small and it is not interesting to investigate it. Then there is a strict bifurcation of a plot either on dictatorship or on sect. And when the settlement endures a hard frost - the end. I thought that the history will be longer, than 3 hours. And that upon Frostpunk have no replayability, only besides to choose a way of force and calm.
    And in the whole Frostpunk would be much better if authors did not spread the point of view. Why dictatorship - it is bad? Why authors without any arguments tell it in a final roller?
    Game perfectly looks, the idea and a setting carry away, but realization appeared the average level. It is unclear developers lacked money or time. The idea at Frostpunk excellent.
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  5. Apr 26, 2018
    7
    I was super HYPED now... I'm kinda on the fence about this one. At the beginning I was blown away by the graphics, sound, choices, things that build what's the best about this game and that is the atmosphere (!!) holy crap, this game would be dripping with atmosphere if it weren't so cold (see what i did there? :P). But after a while when you figure out the best way of building town andI was super HYPED now... I'm kinda on the fence about this one. At the beginning I was blown away by the graphics, sound, choices, things that build what's the best about this game and that is the atmosphere (!!) holy crap, this game would be dripping with atmosphere if it weren't so cold (see what i did there? :P). But after a while when you figure out the best way of building town and resource gathering it just become 'casual'. Choices are no longer influenced by morality (if ever were) and it become more like 'Oh, I need a boost to hope, is there an option to do that?'. That said at this stage I'm really worried about replayability although I haven't played on other difficulties yet (some DLCs, updates with new campaigns or even fan made scenarios might adres this issue).

    Overall I really enjoyed (and still am) this experience so it would be solid 8,5 but not being sure about longevity of Frostpunk I will lower it to 7 or 7,5.

    If you like survivals games combined with city building this should be a blast but the price tag is a little to high for how short this game is so either wait a little bit for more content or till the prices go down.
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  6. May 11, 2018
    7
    Just like This War of Mine, Frostpunk is supposed to be a sort of purgatory for strategy gamers.
    Mechanics are fantastic, it's challenging to get into, but not too hard and just when you think you get it right, it screws you over again.
    So you try it again, and again, and again, with different approaches just to hit a wall again. While it is an interesting concept and has all
    Just like This War of Mine, Frostpunk is supposed to be a sort of purgatory for strategy gamers.
    Mechanics are fantastic, it's challenging to get into, but not too hard and just when you think you get it right, it screws you over again.

    So you try it again, and again, and again, with different approaches just to hit a wall again.

    While it is an interesting concept and has all validity for existing, the thing they just can't deliver is a payoff for the player.
    Instead you just try a new approach, fail, until you hit a tipping point where you just say: screw this game.

    And, knowing This War of Mine and actually beating one of the scenarios there, I already sense that you can hardly do "well" in this game either.
    At least the session length is good so you don't waste several hours just to fail. A session takes some 1-2 hours at best.

    While I understand their sadistic approach to their games, I must say that this fits maybe for tough scenarios - but not for when I actually want to play the game and just build up something.
    And there's no sandbox mode either so they don't even give you that option.

    All in all it's a fantastic game but wasted on trying to frustrate the player.
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  7. Dec 9, 2018
    7
    Even tho the Game falls kinda short and you don't have endless Game (yet?), you still got enough options to rule your city. One Playthrough isn't enough to fully complete the Game.

    One of the best Games i've play in the last Years. What made me give it a 9 and not a 10? Well i can always come back and edit the Review so.. but there are some things which bug me : - no endless Game
    Even tho the Game falls kinda short and you don't have endless Game (yet?), you still got enough options to rule your city. One Playthrough isn't enough to fully complete the Game.

    One of the best Games i've play in the last Years.

    What made me give it a 9 and not a 10? Well i can always come back and edit the Review so..
    but there are some things which bug me :

    - no endless Game mode (yet)
    - Translation errors
    - not fully optimized yet (fps and graphics -wise)
    - the lack of scenarios and varety in your Game (like portraits, names, etc..)
    - lack of Housing, Upgrades & Constructables.

    Edit after some Game Updates :

    Have to re-do my Vote from 9 to 7 because the Game just got more punishing, the updates made the Game a whole lot more difficult and annoying. People getting sick although you have everything comfortable...
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  8. Feb 6, 2020
    6
    It's not bad and it's got some interesting mechanics, however the game feels very linear, scripted and constrained. It doesn't really let you know what you are trying to achieve or what the end goal is. There is no story other than the weather got really cold and now you have to survive. Also it becomes very hard to get an overview of your city once it grows in size, buildings look tooIt's not bad and it's got some interesting mechanics, however the game feels very linear, scripted and constrained. It doesn't really let you know what you are trying to achieve or what the end goal is. There is no story other than the weather got really cold and now you have to survive. Also it becomes very hard to get an overview of your city once it grows in size, buildings look too much alike and half of the buildings are hidden behind smoke and other effects. Expand
  9. Apr 27, 2018
    6
    Ok game, nice atmosphere, graphics, sound, UI. But no replayability, very short, need some expansions, dlcs etc... 6/10 cuz of that.
  10. Oct 30, 2019
    5
    A game I really wanted to like, the Trailer looked great, the first few hours played great, but in my opinion, the game was a bit shallow. After 6-8 hours there's really not a lot of new things to discover, and there is surprisingly little re-playability.
  11. Dec 25, 2022
    5
    Stylish visuals and a cool idea, but not a variable gameplay without a challenge, extremely little content, a very short story campaign (5-7 hours).
  12. Aug 31, 2021
    7
    Great game with heavy atmosphere and decent gameplay. But it`s realy short. You can literally finish it in a couple of evenings. A lot of interesting content is in the DLC. Worth a try.
  13. Sep 18, 2021
    7
    ====================IIIIIIIIII GAME SCORE : 71 IIIIIIIIII====================
  14. Jan 16, 2021
    7
    진짜 인간성이 상실되고 기계들이 더 따뜻한 디스토피아 상황을 세세히 묘사했지만, 나는 이런 매순간 손 떨리고 집중해야하는 게임은 너무 진빠져 못하겠다. 그리고 뭔가 한 번 깨면 그 패턴이 파악되어서 같은 방법을 쓰게 되는 것 같은 느낌? 첫 매력은 너무 좋지만 계속 하게하는 그런 매력은 없는 것 같다.진짜 인간성이 상실되고 기계들이 더 따뜻한 디스토피아 상황을 세세히 묘사했지만, 나는 이런 매순간 손 떨리고 집중해야하는 게임은 너무 진빠져 못하겠다. 그리고 뭔가 한 번 깨면 그 패턴이 파악되어서 같은 방법을 쓰게 되는 것 같은 느낌? 첫 매력은 너무 좋지만 계속 하게하는 그런 매력은 없는 것 같다.
  15. Apr 17, 2020
    7
    Atmosfer, müzikler, oynanış ve hikaye anlatımı harika. Yapılan seçimlerin oyun gidişatını çok ciddi bir biçimde etkilemesi muazzam bir şekilde kurgulanmış.
  16. Dec 2, 2020
    5
    While writing my 10/10 review on They are billions a brilliant RTS I remembered what I was playing before, Frostpunk.
    Both are considered challenging but I felt way more frustrated loosing in a frostpunk round even tho it lost way much more games in they are billions.
    Something about this game which let me enjoy it but also frustrate it.
    So yea its okay but I would not like to play it again.
  17. Jun 28, 2020
    7
    Good graphics as a managing game.

    The thing is that Frostpunk set its background in a icy apocalypse world, which survival had become a priceless thing. And I felt a bit confused that people are complaining about working hours or living condition. I wonder if they really prefer to leave New London and explore the frozen world than staying. I thought they are going to let us decide
    Good graphics as a managing game.

    The thing is that Frostpunk set its background in a icy apocalypse world, which survival had become a priceless thing. And I felt a bit confused that people are complaining about working hours or living condition. I wonder if they really prefer to leave New London and explore the frozen world than staying.
    I thought they are going to let us decide whether to kill people for food supplies or whether to rob other cites and enslave/kill their residents. It turned out that food supplies are endless with hunting, as well as other resources : abundant coal, wood, iron all within reach. This is not a frozen world at all, it is almost paradise.

    However, if you forget about the absurdity, and enjoy the written stories, it could still be quite an experience.
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  18. Feb 6, 2022
    6
    Great game whats there at least. Its super shot 5-8 hrs or so depending on much you skip time.
  19. Sep 2, 2020
    5
    Idle Clicker with AAA graphics and sound. Enjoyable for sure, but not something I will tell stories about or come back for more...
  20. Apr 7, 2023
    5
    The game is exhausting and full of negativity. Too much micromanagement. The gameplay is different from the previous scenario, but the storm is coming and every hour is imminent. It is the characteristic of this game company that constantly exhausts gamers. It's kind of fun, but after a while, it's just annoying because I can't afford it.

    After completing the A New Home mission, I don't
    The game is exhausting and full of negativity. Too much micromanagement. The gameplay is different from the previous scenario, but the storm is coming and every hour is imminent. It is the characteristic of this game company that constantly exhausts gamers. It's kind of fun, but after a while, it's just annoying because I can't afford it.

    After completing the A New Home mission, I don't want to play the game again. I tried to go through The Arks scenario, but I have to repeat what I did in the previous mission. Micromanaging people's well-being is frankly boring and annoying. I persevered and continued, but soon got annoyed with the warning that the temperature would drop and destroy the seeds, so I couldn't play the game anymore. Nonetheless, I overcame it. But another ordeal is coming. I start to wonder why I have to endure trials harder than my life in a game.

    Too much to worry about and people being impatient makes me impatient. Everything must be operated manually by the leader. There is no relaxation like SimCity, and it is close to micromanaging every moment. There is no fun in collecting and managing resources and worrying about welfare.
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  21. Jun 8, 2021
    7
    Ever wanted to micromanage the **** out of a frozen hellhole? The Frostlands are always hiring.

    I’d like to share two experiences I’ve had playing Frostpunk. The first happened through my first, almost disastrous playthrough. I had done all I could do, the end game was upon us, and it all went terribly. I could do nothing more, no actions were possible for at least 10 minutes, and
    Ever wanted to micromanage the **** out of a frozen hellhole? The Frostlands are always hiring.

    I’d like to share two experiences I’ve had playing Frostpunk.

    The first happened through my first, almost disastrous playthrough. I had done all I could do, the end game was upon us, and it all went terribly. I could do nothing more, no actions were possible for at least 10 minutes, and yet I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, fascinated and horrified by the Darwinian nightmare my actions earlier had unleashed.

    The second, as if intended, happened during my sixth, and final, playthrough. Again I had nothing to do, but this time, because I had exhausted the game: Nothing to research, nothing to build, no more preparations to be made, tons of resources stored. There was triumph, but also a distinct feeling of “meh”.

    Some context is required: The first playthrough mentioned was on normal. The second one
    was played on easy. Between them, to my mind, they demonstrate both the greatest strength and the greatest weakness of Frostpunk.

    Let’s establish Frostpunk’s central premise: The world has basically frozen solid, and most of humanity has perished. A few dozen survivors huddle around a gigantic oven on top of a coal mine, which might produce enough heat to bring them through this terrible terrible winter, but only if they get their **** together enough to keep it going and keep from starving to death.

    You, dear player, are the one tasked with gathering aforementioned **** up and forging it into a somewhat functional society. To do this, you can do six things.
    Ordering constructions
    Sending people to work
    Direct research
    Write laws
    Manage the heating infrastructure
    Order scouts to scour the surrounding ice sheet for resources and additional survivors.
    The primary gameplay loop consists of deciding on executing a few of the listed actions and then observing their effect. Occasionally, the game feeds you a few very intriguing scraps of story, sometimes with a demand or a decision attached, but that’s frosting. The main thing is you trying to make the best out of what you have, while the environment shows you just how little that accomplishes.

    Is that fun? It’s complicated, at least for me. When things go too well (which they almost can’t help on easy), things become routine. When things go poorly, things are very engaging, but you might make a wrong decision at some point and only realize an hour later that you’re screwed, and that’s frustrating. But when you’re just scraping by, that’s the sweet spot, and it’s very sweet.

    It’s just hard to know where that spot is. It’s not exactly the fault of the game, the difficulty settings it supplies are extensive, but you only really find out what they mean while playing.

    Still, the game has a lot going for it. The world building sprinkled through is excellent and puts a very unique spin on a couple of steampunk tropes. The art direction is great: The city and the encompassing ice are rendered in exquisite detail, and the splash screens telling the story of the different scenarios feature some very evocative art. The sound scape is sparse, but very appropriate and very well realized.

    The UI is mostly excellent, with a couple of minor flaws. When you have a really big city, some specific buildings might be hard to find. I also really wished for a popup warning when a given production facility has exhausted its resource supply.

    Since I’ve started griping already, I wanted to have a bit more variety within the look of the city, maybe even with the ability to put my own flair on it. As it is, all well run cities look very similar to each other. Also, the city doesn’t change much when things are getting dire: No dilapidated workplaces or burning buildings. The social unrest only takes place within the splash screens and the mind of the gamer.

    The main thing for me is that the game runs out of things to do very quickly. The scenarios do a good job of changing things up, but there is little variety when it comes to strategy: There is a way to do things, and if you deviate, the coming winter storms will eat you alive, especially from normal difficulty on upwards.

    So who is this game for? People who enjoy making decisions under pressure and optimizing the crap out processes. And if they like a bit of great apocalyptic storytelling and social experimentation, all the better.

    TLDR: Great city management fun during the early playthroughs, but enjoyment drops quite a bit on repeat runs for lack of variety. Brutally difficult in a very specific, management sim way on the higher difficulties. The unique setting and great world building adds extra value.
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  22. Apr 22, 2021
    7
    Storyline is so good, Atmosphere is also beautifu, but game play is boring,.
  23. Jan 21, 2022
    7
    It's a new and interesting approach to the strategy games with a really good atmosphere and great attention to detail.
    It makes you stress a lot often as many events are pushing you to the limit and every decision you take favors some while harming others.
    It's not that difficult as many people says, I was able to beat it on my first playthrough. But you can increase the difficulty and
    It's a new and interesting approach to the strategy games with a really good atmosphere and great attention to detail.
    It makes you stress a lot often as many events are pushing you to the limit and every decision you take favors some while harming others.
    It's not that difficult as many people says, I was able to beat it on my first playthrough. But you can increase the difficulty and even customize it a lot so you can make it completely impossible to beat.

    The mechanics of the game, buildings and people are not so well explained. So you need to google often to know how the game really works. It's easy to have people dying or wasting a lot of resources because the game doesn't tells you some little details.

    The most negative aspect could be the poor replayability of the game. Once you did the single scenario on the campaign, there's nothing new to experiment. Maybe take a slightly different route but you will do 95% the same than the previous time.
    Also the extra scenarios just present you a new story with a few constraints but not so much differences.
    The scenarios take too much to beat to be repeating the same over and over.
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  24. Oct 2, 2021
    5
    Очень ждал игру т.к выглядела она как минимум интересно, но на деле оказалась унылой и просто пустой тратой времени.
  25. Jun 12, 2021
    5
    The game is shallow. I read a professional review of the game that made the game sound like it had a lot of depth. The reviewer wrote as if the game truly made him or her emotionally invested in his or her decisions. A bit into playing it, there was a familiar feeling to the game. I looked it up and confirmed my hunch. Yeah, the exact same people who made "This War of Mine". A lot ofThe game is shallow. I read a professional review of the game that made the game sound like it had a lot of depth. The reviewer wrote as if the game truly made him or her emotionally invested in his or her decisions. A bit into playing it, there was a familiar feeling to the game. I looked it up and confirmed my hunch. Yeah, the exact same people who made "This War of Mine". A lot of professional reviewers ranted and raved over being emotionally invested in the decision-making in that game too, but in the end, that game was pretty shallow and linear. This is essentially a city-building version of "This War of Mine". Not necessarily a bad thing, but it does NOT have the depth that many professional reviewers rant and rave about.

    I got it for free on Epic, so I don't want to complain too much, but I am really glad I did get it for free. I would not pay for this game. It is just not that good and is overrated.
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  26. Jul 29, 2021
    6
    Первая пройденная мной игра в жанре "городостроение" и скажу что мне понравилось, но вообще не моё
    Интересная генерация событий и чувствуется ответственность за своих людей, ну и конечно я получил статус худшего правителя и меня выганяли с города не один раз
    Если разобраться во всех механиках, то очень даже интересно (а не как я) 6 из 10
    Первая пройденная мной игра в жанре "городостроение" и скажу что мне понравилось, но вообще не моё
    Интересная генерация событий и чувствуется ответственность за своих людей, ну и конечно я получил статус худшего правителя и меня выганяли с города не один раз
    Если разобраться во всех механиках, то очень даже интересно (а не как я)
    6 из 10
  27. Oct 13, 2022
    7
    very interesting strategy building game with new concept, but very hard at the end.
  28. Jan 4, 2023
    7
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  29. Jun 21, 2023
    7
    Enjoyable But Steep Learning Curve

    First and foremost I'd like to say that turning the generator on is one of the most weirdly satisfying things you can ever do in a video game. Watching the burners come on, the smoke flowing from the top, the yellow to orange to red hue glowing up at the chimney, the noise it makes and generally watching the snow melt around the generator is honestly
    Enjoyable But Steep Learning Curve

    First and foremost I'd like to say that turning the generator on is one of the most weirdly satisfying things you can ever do in a video game. Watching the burners come on, the smoke flowing from the top, the yellow to orange to red hue glowing up at the chimney, the noise it makes and generally watching the snow melt around the generator is honestly great. And that's like one of the first things you do in the game, it doesn't get any less satisfying.

    The game itself is a mix of civilisation management and survival, survival in the sense that the cold is your enemy and it's not exactly one you can outrun. You want to see your people succeed, warm their homes through the worst possible times, make sure everyone is happy and cared for and fed.

    You start off with a handful of survivors and you allocate them to the different resources, coal, steel, wood, and then you get buildings which can automate some stuff, as well as hunters and hot houses for food. There's a few things to manage and you'll get an idea of what you need to prioritise the more you play. Your people will come to you with needs to prioritise for you, but this might conflict with your goals at the time; being able to manage all of the above is the key to success, although most of the time, something needs to give.

    I've completed the main game and the two scenarios after it and they do add a new element to the game, the scenarios that is. They provide you with a different play of playing the game from your original main story playthrough, and this is what I seek in a game. Not just more of the same. Same but different. The core gameplay remains the same but how you tackle the problem is different. It adds a lot of replay value to the game and makes it worth your time.

    Prioritising what is the best research and where to send your scouting teams too is a must, once you get this down, the game becomes a lot easier.

    However if you're picking this up for the first time or you're new to civilisation management games, you will likely have a hard time, I know I did. I might just not be good at this genre but it took me more time than I'd like to admit just to beat the main story, and I know there'll be others like me who think that it's impossible to survive the storm. But it can be done.

    The game is a lot of trial and error, you'll know how you failed when you do and you'll take the preliminary steps to avoid this in future runs. I think that's what makes the game so special, you can actively feel yourself getting better at it once you understand how the buildings work and what research can offer you, as well as managing the Heat side of things.

    Overall, even though the game has a steep learning curve, it's very satisfying when you win; the OST is genuinely phenomenal, especially when the storm kicks in and you're screaming for your people to just hold on. It's a great game and I can't wait to sink my teeth into the sequel. 7/10.
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  30. Aug 21, 2023
    5
    Frostpunk presents a unique experience with its engaging in-game choices that challenge your decision-making skills. The game's ability to make you scratch your head in contemplation is a notable highlight. However, its demanding nature in terms of problem-solving skills might alienate some players, leading to a sense of boredom for those who don't find satisfaction in intricateFrostpunk presents a unique experience with its engaging in-game choices that challenge your decision-making skills. The game's ability to make you scratch your head in contemplation is a notable highlight. However, its demanding nature in terms of problem-solving skills might alienate some players, leading to a sense of boredom for those who don't find satisfaction in intricate problem-solving. While the game's choices provide depth, Frostpunk's gameplay loop can become monotonous and potentially discourage players who don't thrive on constant problem-solving challenges. It's a mixed experience that requires a particular taste for the genre to fully appreciate. Expand
Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 67 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 63 out of 67
  2. Negative: 0 out of 67
  1. Mar 5, 2020
    90
    Frostpunk is a city-building simulation game that puts an emphasis not just on efficiency, but also the moral qualities of the player as a leader. Even if you normally don’t play simulation games, you will definitely be able to appreciate its uniqueness on a lower difficulty setting.
  2. Mar 14, 2019
    90
    Frostpunk is bleak. Really bleak. Each decision serves not to ensure progress, but to ensure survival against overwhelming odds. It’s essentially a Crisis Management Simulator, and I love it for that. Just remember to play something more cheerful immediately afterwards.
  3. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Jul 13, 2018
    80
    Scripted events will get annoying, but the very foundation chills to the bones. Extraordinary building strategy, with which you will literally freeze. [Issue#286]