Non-RPG General News - Frostpunk Revealed

@GamePressure takes a long look at Frostpunk and finds its an intriguing new title from This War of Mine developer 11 bit studios.

....

The age of ice and steam

You want some cold facts? Well, I suppose we can safely assume that Frostpunk will be a unique mix of various genres and mechanics: we can notice RTS mechanics, elements of survival, social and urban management, as well as decisions that will influence the lives of individuals and the fate of the entire society. As the devs themselves have said:

"We're not trying to reinvent the wheel; we want to combine the existing genres in such a way that we get something original."

Contrary to what you might be expecting, the game isn't set in the future. It depicts an alternative vision of the 19th century. After a cataclysm has almost wiped out humanity from the face of the earth, it's the players' task to preserve the lives of a handful that survived the disaster. The devs promise that the players will be able to explore the reasons behind the Armageddon - was it a divine punishment, or simply a natural phenomenon?

The technology that will become our lifeline will be based on steam and ice. We really like this idea, as it seems more than plausible to use this unlimited resource offered by a world covered in ice. The 19th-century-ish technology of Frostpunk will have us melt ice to get water and steam, and steam-powered engines will in turn enable us to warm the dying residents. As to the stuff we will do in the new game from 11 bit studios, we can only wonder: resource acquisition and crafting? Perhaps some mining and metallurgy, who knows? What we do know is that our main task will be to efficiently manage the city, make the right decisions, provide for the residents, and... sacrifice individuals in the name of survival of the collective.
[...]