The People's Examiner fresh from the New London Printhouse!
“C’mon Thomas, stop dawdling!”
Henry was pushing forward, through the rowdy crowd that was slowly but steadily gathering around the main generator. Thomas could barely catch up with his newsie friend. No wonder, the public executions still created quite a stir in New London, so there were always quite a lot of eager viewers present to witness the painful demise of a fellow citizen.
Luckily, Henry and Thomas were small enough to squeeze through the human wall without problems. Well, not entirely without problems. A tall man muffled in a thick coat gave Thomas an angry stare when the boy bumped into his knee. This incident almost made Thomas lose the still-pushing forward friend from his sight.
Yet, finally, boys managed to finally emerge from the crowd just in front of a few dozen yards from the base of the generator. From up close it seemed even larger and higher than usual, just like a finger of a giant pointing up toward the sky. For a while, Thomas decided to enjoy the warmth coming from the generator's loud, humming bowels. It was so peaceful - the boy almost didn’t want to ruin the whole experience by looking at the execution platform.
Yet, it stood there - sad, lonely, with two poles on its sides, both wrapped up in chains. For a moment Thomas felt a cold shiver of dread - it was almost as if the site was greased with pain and misery of the executions that took place there for 30 years, long before Thomas was born.
The tumult of crowded people pulled Thomas out of his thoughtful state. The noise came from the direction of the city’s main street.
“He’s coming”, said Henry straight to his companion’s ear.
A moment before, they were surrounded by talks and whispers, now shouts and calumnies have arisen among the crowd. People who were standing behind the boys were slowly moving to the sides to make room for someone who was making their way toward the generator.
He was there, the convict. Screaming in a language that sounded foreign to Thomas’ ears.
“I’ve heard he went mad, Tom’, said Henry, trying to outshout the voices of other viewers. “He went off the rails, I tell ya. Left his entire expedition to die in the frost” added the boy.
Indeed, the man looked insane, screaming and jerking his cuffed hands to the sides, trying to free himself from the clutches of four municipal guards. That seemed strange to Thomas, as the convicts he has seen so far seemed devoid of will to fight or to live entirely. A long period of rotting in a cold prison cell probably did that to even the bravest soul.
This convict seemed built from sterner stuff. All of a sudden, he even managed to break free from his captors' strong embraces and ran towards Thomas himself! For a split second, he reached the boy and grabbed the flaps of his jacket.
“They are there!!!” yelled the man straight towards Thomas’ face. He was so close that the newsie could smell his breath, warm and stinking with a half-digested alcoholic beverage. The boy was stiff like an ice block from fear. “They are there!” yelled the man once more, before the strong hands of the guards tore him off Thomas and threw on the cold guard.
It was only then that Thomas managed to compose himself. Especially that the people who were beating and kicking the man on the ground failed to see that he had lost his cap which was now lying just a few inches next to the boy's feet.
“Yeah, waste the bastard!” yelled Henry, fixated on the violent scene before him. At the same time, Thomas grabbed the cap from the ground without anyone noticing. It was quite a good, warm cap that will surely come useful in the upcoming months. The boy was examining the hat when something grabbed his attention, a small detail hidden inside the cap’s stitches.
Thomas started to uncover the mysterious hidden item. In the meantime, the convict, pacified by the excessive use of force, was dragged towards the execution platform. Municipal guards proceeded towards undressing him and preparing for the final demise. It was a piece of paper. Thomas unfolded it and started trying to decipher the strange markings it held.
A few moments later when a terrible scream brought Thomas back to reality. This was the last sound coming from a man whose naked skin was stricken with a deadly wave of cold air…
Share your questions about the world of Frostpunk!
Hello Citizens,
Throughout the years the fans have been asking questions, speculating and discussing various topics related to the frozen world of Frostpunk. A time has come to shed some light on some of the unanswered mysteries! If there’s anything you’d like to know specificaly related to the world and lore of Frostpunk 1, let us know in the comments. We’ll choose the most interesting questions that we can answer and share the responses in the upcoming future.
Take care, 11 bit studios
PS: We expect that a lot of you will be tempted to ask “fp2 when?”. All we can say for now is that we’re working hard every day on developing the best possible sequel for Frostpunk and as soon as we’re able to we’ll be more than happy to share more details with you.
New London 1858
Hi everyone,
This is an appreciation post for one of Frostpunk fans from Korea, Eddy Choi (EddychoiBP) who also happens to be an architecture student. The game has served as the basis for Eddy's architectural reconstruction of London. We found his work very interesting and thought you might enjoy it as well. Below you can read an introduction written by the author:
"London has frozen.
After the sedation period from the 14th century, in the early 19th century, the earth's CO2 decreased, resulting in severe cold. The atmosphere was destroyed and strong winds in the stratosphere washed down into the troposphere, destroying everything and trapping it in ice. Londoners who fled to the alpine regions decided to return to the city due to the rapid increase in population density, and London, which eventually collapsed due to excessive industrialization, began to rebuild the city radically by using steam engines as a civilization.
Set in 1858, we propose a radical reconstruction of London based on steam engines, which is a major civilization of the First Industrial Revolution, and the theory of Laugier's primitive hearth. The existing building designed by Frostpunk was reinterpreted from an architectural point of view.
Analyzing the relationship between the number of sunspots and the Earth's axis of rotation, a new ice age scenario was written. A radial city is planned based on London's urban planning methodology and the movement of heat. It adds a new story that every building in London freezes and extend a new building on the roof.
The theoretical background of the Londoners' new glacial datum is suggested by citing the concept of a primitive hearth in Marc-Antoine Laugier, “Laugier’s three elements of architecture”. Based on this logic, all new buildings were designed by default, combining a primitive hut consisting of horizontal beams, vertical columns, and pediments with London's First Industrial Revolution, steam engines, and the material and morphological features of the time. Each building unit changes its kinetic characteristics according to its function and moves according to the direction of the sun in common.
The steam engine was directly cited and used in urban typology, as shown in Frostpunk. At the nodule point of the city of London, a huge steam engine, which is the center of the city and the main power, is deployed, which shapes a hearth, a community living base.
Londoners, where everything is frozen due to the Big Ice Age, live with the sound and smell of intense irons built on the glacier."
Hello Citizens, A new patch has been released for Frostpunk. Read the notes below to find out what’s been updated.
Bug Fixes - Fixes to Builders’ Monument collision box - Scenario’s Economy difficulty sliders work correctly again - A New Home scenario starts in survivor mode if the player lost the survivor mode game earlier bug – fixed - Issue with steam coming out of Machine Shop when the building is inactive fixed - Book of Laws UI tweaks in The Last Autumn campaign - Comma visible at the beginning of many words fixed - Localization tweaks and fixes - Minor bug fixes and improvements
Builders’ Monument - New building - Builders’ Monument. You can grant an access after subscribing to our publisher page. The new building is only available in the Endless Mode by starting a new game. It’s not available on previous saves. - We have added a confirmation pop-up after claiming the new building
Take care, 11 bit studios
Building update hotfix!
Hi everyone!
A new hotfix for the yesterday's building update is here. Thank you for letting us know about the bugs! The latest update will address the following issues:
The intro panel in a New Home scenario is visible again.
The refugees counter is now working properly.
If you've stared a new game in this scenario after the yesterday's update you'll need to start a new game after this update. Sorry about the inconvenience!
Have a good one!
South of the Circle | Available Now
Hello everyone!
We’re glad to announce that South of the Circle is finally here! Watch the release trailer below:
South of the Circle is first and foremost a captivating cinematic experience featuring an immersive multi-layered story masterfully crafted by the BAFTA-winning State of Play. It’s a perfect addition to our existing portfolio of meaningful entertainment but it’s worth mentioning that if you’re searching for a challenging survival game then this is not it. However, if you’re looking for a game with a compelling mature narrative focused on the unavoidable consequences of various life choices with fully motion-captured performances, amazing voice acting and distinguished art style, then South of the Circle is most likely your cup of tea.
Dear Citizens, Our survival in the harsh frostlands depends upon combined efforts. We shall never forget those who sacrificed themselves so that we may live. In the memory of our heroes we will raise the Monument to the Builders of the Generator!
To unlock the Builders’ Monument launch Frostpunk on Steam and follow our publisher page. By doing so you’ll be up to date with all the upcoming news from 11 bit studios. Remember that staying informed is crucial to our survival!
NOTICE: The new building is only available in the Endless Mode by starting a new game. It’s not available on previous saves.
New London Sports latest issue is also available here full size in PDF: https://11bitstudios.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/New_London-Sports_Fists_of_Stone-3.pdf
On a day like this, not even the piercing wind and frigid temperatures could spoil Thomas' mood. They were welcomed and revived the boy after a mostly sleepless night. Today, despite being glued to his regular spot on a corner of one of the many shabby streets in New London with a bundle of newspapers on him, his mind was elsewhere.
“Hey brat, are you with me?”
A harsh, out-of-the-blue voice of an approaching gentleman tore Thomas out of his blissful idleness. “Could you tell me what’s up in the news?”
“The great Joey McGregor retained his middleweight championship title, sir! Can there be more exciting news than this?”, replied the newsie enthusiastically.
“Pshh... do I look like someone who cares about commoners' amusements?” The man’s face twisted in a disapproving grimace. “Are they reporting about any matters that have an actual meaning? Or has even the press in this pitiful world reached the level of the London cobblestones?”, ranted the monumentally tall gentleman.
With a bushy mustache, a monocle in his eye, and a posh trench coat, he indeed didn’t resemble those who packed into the arena yesterday, to take in an unforgettable fight night.
“Plenty of important matters inside, sir, as always. Take a look”, Thomas assured the customer while handing him the paper.
Albeit today, Thomas didn’t even care about sweeping through its pages. Today, nothing mattered more than the joy he still felt from the night before. He could feel a tickle of excitement while remembering the jarring knockdowns and had a sore throat, torn by his enthusiastic screams. Thomas was at the tournament until late in the night along with a few other newsboys. The loose board in the fence had once again done the trick, and he was able to forget about his burdens and lose himself in powerful emotions provoked by the untamed crowd.
Thomas' father was a hardened coal mine worker. A puny gear in the city's machine leading a life that no one reckoned with, he couldn’t broaden the boy's horizons much. He often returned home drunk, mumbling about class injustice and wishing death upon all of those who beguiled him, but it usually ended with him venting his frustration on his family. Despite his downfalls, the boy’s father had passed on his love for bare-knuckle fighting, even taking young Thomas to see his first bout. He taught Thomas about jabs, and haymakers, and told stories about fearless, undefeated champions who demanded respect from every rival.
Thomas idolized them as warriors who lived by their own rules and who were loved by the crowds. They were heroes leaving an indelible mark on this hopeless world and were a beacon of courage in an era of despair and anguish. Thomas dreamed of becoming such a warrior. He didn’t have a clue how he would achieve it, but if the boy was sure about one thing it was an overwhelming sense that he never wanted to end up drowned in bitterness like his father.
“Thomas, Thomas!”
This time a younger voice muffled the boy’s thoughts. It was Henry, a fellow newsie. “Don’t stand here like a broke drunk outside the pub. It’s about to start. We better hurry”, shouted Henry, passing him by in a rush. Thomas immediately remembered what this was about and without further ado followed his colleague.
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South of the Circle | Release Date Announcement
Hello everyone!
Watch the latest trailer and have a glimpse of the engaging cinematic story contrasting the freezing cold of Antarctica with the burning desire to keep our promises in the upcoming game from State of Play and 11 bit studios.
If you've enjoyed Frostpunk and especially its outstanding soundtrack then you should definitely check out Circles EP. It's a fruitful result of a powerful collaboration of the Frostpunk OST composer and the creator of the South of the Circle OST. Two amazing artists covered each other's music blending the original mood with the new sensibility.
The Invincible | New previously unpublished screenshots!
Hello Astronauts, The Invincible developed by Starward Industries is a thrilling philosophical adventure set in a sci-fi world by Stanisław Lem and we as 11 bit studios are excited beyond words to be publishing this gem! The game tells a story of an astrobiologist Yasna looking for her missing crew after they all ended up on the unexplored planet Regis III.
Check out the new previously unpublished screenshots below to immerse yourself in the eerie atmosphere of the distant unfamiliar planet.
Also, make sure to check out the gameplay trailer, if you haven’t already:
