Frostpunk: The Last Autumn

Most expansions build on the gameplay of the original title to enhance the story, but this one tosses everything you know out for a prequel scenario that's as challenging and engaging as the original. Frostpunk: The Last Autumn is intentionally set before the events of the original, which turns the format upside down. Perhaps the largest change is that the world isn't frozen, so your workers won't immediately die from exposure or lack of heat. There's also a large amount of resources that are available, because you have access to fishing grounds as well as docks that you can dedicate to specific resources that are delivered on a regular basis every day. Even better, you can send telegraphs back to England and get new workers, scientists, and steam cores delivered to your work site. There are so many new game elements and play features, it feels like a fully fleshed out sequel than extra content, one that will take time to learn and master.

But don't think that this game is any easier. In fact, The Last Autumn may be just as hard, if not harder, than the original game. Players are constantly trying to balance the motivation and the discontent of the workers at the site, because if they don't feel like working, progress slows to a crawl. If they're not happy, they may strike. If they're not careful, they'll injure each other or die in work accidents. What's more, you're constantly up against the wall with imposed milestones for your generator's development, and each phase of its construction is packed with hazards and pitfalls designed to ruin your progress. The difficulty level is extremely high and demands perfect placement of structures, micromanagement of people and resources, and a massive amount of luck to avoid problems that seem to come out of nowhere. That can be infuriating to virtually anyone but the most dedicated strategy fan. But for people looking for a hard-core challenge of their strategy skills, The Last Autumn won't leave you out in the cold.