Released in 2018, Frostpunk is an addictive management game developed by the talented Polish 11 bit studios. In a London devastated by the volcanic winter, the player must administer the city by taking into account the temperature, the limited resources, but also the behavior of the population. Everything is good to power the coal generator protecting the city, even if it means passing inhumane laws, such as child labor, 24-hour work days or military autocracy. A little management gem whose mobile porting seems relevant on paper.
The art of throwing a chill
Alas, if Frostpunk: Beyond the Ice was expected to defrost in 2021, unexpected obstacles behind the scenes have clearly delayed the project. NetEase is still collaborating with 11 bit studios to develop this mobile version, which will feature some new content, such as an animal shelter or the possibility of trading with other players. NetEase will publish Frostpunk: Beyond the Ice in China while their partner Com2uS will take care of distribution in Europe, North America and the rest of Asia.
“We will actively use our know-how and expertise to make Frostpunk a successful mobile game, worthy of the reputation of the official license“, said Ji-hoon Han, head of Com2uS’s business division. “We plan to strengthen our activities in the world of video games by diversifying the range of our titles in the future.“Founded in 1998 in South Korea, the studio is fueled by the commercial success of Summoners War on mobile, with more than 200 million downloads and $2 billion in revenue since 2014. We have seen worse. The publisher says is also closely interested in blockchain.
At the same time, Frostpunk 2 is still in development at 11 bit studios, officially targeting 2024 although no gameplay footage has yet been revealed. The Warsaw studio is also working on The Alters, a survival game where a space miner must clone himself repeatedly to survive on an inhospitable planet. But as Abbot Pierre said: “hell is oneself cut off from others“. On the publishing side, 11 bit studios has just released the narrative game The Invincible and will release the RPG The Thaumaturge in February 2024.