In Frostpunk 2, the Heat from the Generator is the only thing that keeps the city running. Without the Heat, people will freeze to death, and as you progressively grow, you need more Heat to sustain the city.
Heat in Frostpunk 2, explained
Heat is an essential resource in Frostpunk 2, and not having enough is the biggest cause of Tension, as it increases levels of Cold and Disease in the city. You can see the supply and demand of Heat at the top of the screen, along with the rest of the resources.
While the resource description says Heat is produced by the Generator, the amount it produces depends on how much fuel you have. You can click on the Central District to see the breakdown of the Heat output. There’s also an option to put the Generator into overdrive, increasing its output. It’s a handy feature, especially when you need to survive a Whiteout, but don’t keep it in overdrive mode for too long to avoid damage.
How to get Heat in Frostpunk 2
Build and expand Extraction Districts
The first thing to do is start extracting resources from the city’s area. There are always at least a few deposits of Coal, Oil, or Steam that can fuel your reactor until you find something more reliable. Frostbreak the area around the deposit and build an Extraction District.
You can expand the District once to increase its output and get a building slot. Coal Mines and Advanced Coal Mines are the first ideas you can research in the Idea Tree. Both have different effects on the city, so choose whichever suits your vision best.
If you have an Extraction District over a deep fuel deposit (with an infinity icon), you can research and build a Deep Melting Drill. The building grants access to an almost infinite source of resources. That won’t solve your fuel issues forever, though; there’s only so much fuel a district can produce per week.
Send expeditions to the Frostland
Deposits in the city are limited, and to get more resources, you inevitably have to start exploring the Frostland. Create enough Frostland Teams to explore two or three territories simultaneously and look for fuel deposits.
In the Frostland, you can find fuel stashes (one-time resources), outposts, settlements, and colonies. Aim to find and establish a fuel colony, as it serves as a permanent source of fuel. With the colony, you can transfer resources and keep the Tension low, even if the city’s base fuel supply doesn’t meet demand.
Upgrade the Generator
With a variety of fuel available, your next step is to upgrade the Generator in the Central District. For the first Generator upgrade, you can install either Adaptive or Oil Pumps. Regardless of the choice you make, you’ll be able to make the most out of available resources and maximize Heat output in the city.
Enact Laws to optimize Heat consumption
In Frostpunk 2, there’s a Law for almost everything, including Heat. Some of the policies you should take a look at are Heat Recycling for Waste Heat Conversion and Weather-Adjusted Shifts for Worker Shifts. Both increase the Heat output and decrease its demand, respectively.
Build districts close to each other
Although not as effective, building districts close to each other allows you to lower their Heat demand. I recommend grouping the districts of the same type (Housing, Extraction, Industrial, etc.) as much as possible because building Extraction or Industrial districts close to Housing or Food districts can increase Squalor.
