Game Designer
Speciality Units in Frostpunk: Feature Proposal
Date: Fall 2024(This was originally written as a part of a short Design Test in 2024. Modifications for clarity were made in June 2026)
What is Frostpunk?
Frostpunk is a city-builder in which you build a colony capable of surviving the extreme cold of an apocalyptic winter. Gameplay primarily consists of the construction and precise layout of Structures that can procure resources to maintain the colony. This, in turn, ensures the colonists can survive the cold by keeping them both warm and sane. It’s not as free-form as your traditional city-builder due to the finite win conditions for each of the game’s Scenarios; these are self-containted stories that make up the game’s campaign mode to introduce you to different mechanics, and increase in difficulty upon multiple playthroughs. It’s clear that 11bit studios tuned their gameplay for Scenarios over the game’s Endless Mode, as the hallmark of their games is to force you to really consider the morally grey decisions you need to make in order to achieve cut-and-dry gameplay objectives.
Adding Specialty Units to Frostpunk?
I wanted to explore the possibility of expanding the game’s existing systems in a way that could lead to higher strategic play while still complementing the overarching narrative themes. Specialty units in strategy games grant an additional level of risk/reward and allow for more complex playstyles, and when well integrated can make a game world feel whole. If there are particular conditions that need to be achieved to acquire a speciality unity, that can also be an additional motivation or something that they align their initial strategy towards. For example, I really like how Civilization IV handled the concept of Great Heroes in their titles by making the individual units relevant to your civilization/leader and the era you are currently in. There are also multiple options depending on the win condition you want to achieve with your civilization, and opportunities to adjust your strategy depending on the Great Hero you select.
While there are currently unique story units scattered throughout the Scenarios that progress you through specific storybeats, none of them offer added gameplay functionality (they, in fact, aren’t even represented in the game world outside of UI pop-ups and a few cutscenes!) For this reason, I believe that Frostpunk would benefit from the inclusion of specialty or hero units.
Feature Proposal: Tacticians
I propose the introduction of a specialty unit system called Tacticians. Tacticians could be specialized units within Frostpunk that have unique abilities that can affect a Structure’s production and/or activities.
The colony’s inhabitants are currently divided into three core character classes: Engineers, Workers, and Children. While there are small differences in the capabilities of each class, the majority of tasks can be performed by every class from the start/early on in a playthrough. Almost all of the game’s mechanics are tied to these classes, so it makes sense to see if Tacticians can integrate here as well.
Design Goals
My design goals were thinking through how to integrate this system were as follows:
- Specialty Units should create more emergent storytelling and strengthen the moral choices made in during different Scenarios
- Frostpunk’s timed Scenarios introduce different strategies on how to engage with the game’s systems, but also give the player a sense of purpose and reason for engaging with the world. Specialty unit characters you can interact with would provide greater connection to NPCs as a whole and in turn make player choices feel more meaningful.
- Increase the Endless Mode’s longevity and provide meaningful challenge during the late-game
- There are minimal scripted events or catastrophes outside of weather changes in Endless Mode. While this leads to a more streamlined and building-focused early-to-mid game, most runs stagnate at the 100~ day mark as most cities begin to run autonomously.
- Introduce an element of spontaneity and reactivity for all playstyles
- Specialty units could allow players to approach Scenarios in a non-formulaic or meta-reliant fashion.
Tacticians Overview
Tacticians can be acquired via signing a new Higher Education law. Once the law is in effect, players have the ability to create a Trade School Structure within the colony that allows them to educate two individuals per existing base class.
Tacticians would take 24 hours to be promoted from their base class. Once promoted, these units will spend their Free Time at the Trade School “studying” to maintain their special abilities, and won’t participate in the building of Structures or Roads. If a Trade School is not sufficiently warm to be operational for Tacticians to study at least once every 24 hours within the day cycle, they will revert to their base class. This adds a level of challenge in having to maintain the social class, which isn’t the case for the other existing classes.
Technology Tree + Book of Laws Progression
The Higher Education law would be found in the Adaptation branch of the Book of Laws. As there is currently a penalty for each Tactician and a limit to how many are available, each branching law addresses one issue the player could tackle. Narratively speaking, discontent arises at the introduction of the Trade School due to lack of opportunity for the entire colony.
Like the Factory and Medical Post Structures, Trade Schools can be upgraded through the Technology Tree, with a caveat that they won’t appear until their law is signed into effect.
In the early-game, the Trade School is only able to promote the Workers class, with subsequent classes available as a part of the tier progression. The Building Upgrade would be dependent on the Reintegration Training or Continued Studies law being signed. The Heating Upgrade is placed later in the tree to help players in the colder months towards a mid-late game, and avoid issues with Tacticians losing their status.
Technology Tree/Exploration and Industries Tab
| Tactician Type | Required Upgrade (For Tier Progression) | Optional Upgrade |
|---|---|---|
| Unlock Tier | -- | -- |
| Tier 1 | Trade School | -- |
| Tier 2 | Engineers Unlocked | -- |
| Tier 3 | Building Upgrade (Dependent on law signed) | Child Tacticians Unlocked |
| Tier 4 | Heating Upgrade for Trade School | -- |
| Tier 5 | -- | -- |
Tacticians: Special Abilities/Production Modifiers Examples
The following table lists example of possible Tacticians that could be available in both Scenarios/Endless Modes:
| Tactician Type | Required Upgrade | Tactician Bonus | Tactician Penalty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Handyman | -- | Grants ability to tolerate lower heat levels better | Only the Worker class allowed to work in the Structure |
| Mastermind | Trade School | x1.5 increased research and medical speed | Disables extended and 24 hour shifts |
| Prodigy | Engineers Unlocked | Increases production of child workers in structure to rate of a standard worker | x2 more likely to get ill/injured |
A dropdown or selection would have to be added to the game’s UI for structures, as depicted below:
Tacticians that are unique to Scenarios operate a bit differently. Once the NPC arrives at your city via scripted event, there would be an additional gameplay option to send them to the Trade School, as shown below. In the event that a Trade School is unavailable, the option would not appear or would be grayed out.
There could only be one of these Tacticians per playthrough unlike the other ones, and they cannot be brought back if they die. If they lose their status, they become a regular worker. Below are some examples as to what that could look like:
| Scenario Specialty NPC | Scenario Name | Tactician Bonus | Tactician Penalty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lord Craven | Refugees Scenario | No discontent lost if extended / 24 hour shifts are enabled | - x1.5 discontent in surrounding structures |
| Londoner | A New Home Scenario | x1.5 resource production at structure | x1.5 chance of coworkers converting to Londeners |
| Messanger | Engineers Unlocked | 25% increase to travel speed if working near Beacon or Outpost | Chance of decreased resources found during scouts |
Additional Considerations
- The listed percent increases/multipliers are based on the games current averages for system multipliers
- Ideally, there would also be more opportunities for more Tacticians unique to their Scenarios; maybe they can appear in the Endless Mode?
- Units from the additional Convict and Clerk classes should not be able to be promoted to Tacticians.
This was a fun exercise in looking at an existing system and seeing if there’s a way to squeeze something new given the constraints. Here’s to seeing whether Frostpunk 2 already has systems like these in mind for when it releases!