Survival is the imperative in the inhospitable wastelands of Frostpunk 2. With countless residents and facilities to manage, you have to ensure that everyone is well protected from the cold. Thankfully, there are several ways to increase comfort levels. Our guide discusses how to get more fuel and heat in Frostpunk 2.
To get more heat, you must consider all potential bonuses when constructing districts. As mentioned in our beginner’s guide, the sequel is vastly different from its predecessor since you need to manage entire districts now. This means planning ahead when it comes to placing these sectors on hexagonal tiles.
The basics of heat demands and bonus heat
Here’s what you need to know when it comes to the Frostpunk 2 heat mechanics/concepts.
- All districts have heat demand as an upkeep cost. Some building improvements and hubs also require heat.
- If your generator isn’t able to supply the necessary amount of heat to the community, people who are cold will likely fall ill and die. This and other related problems can cause tension to rise and your trust rating to fall.
- When placing districts, take note of adjacency bonuses that grant +20 extra heat. These are seen as three small pips, which denote three district hexes that have the adjacency bonus. If all three pips of a particular bonus turn blue, that district will receive extra heat.
- Heat bonuses from the environment include:
- Tiles that are adjacent to the generator or city center.
- Tiles that are in sturdy crevasses.
- Being placed next to other districts. However, take note of potential incompatibilities. For example, community-type districts (i.e., Housing and Food) can be placed next to each other without issues. The same can be said for industry-type districts (i.e., Extraction, Industrial, and Logistics). However, if you place a Housing District next to any facility that focuses on industry, it will gradually increase squalor; if you do this for a Food District, it will increase disease levels instead.
- Tiles that are out in the open and on elevated locations tend to have a red outline. This means they are exposed to the wind and cold, thus requiring more heat than usual. Try to avoid building districts in these areas unless you have no other choice.
What happens when you do and don’t have heat bonuses
You can see an example of the Frostpunk 2 heat demands mechanic in the image above. We used the Housing District, which has a base 40 heat requirement.
- The district with bonuses from being placed next to the generator and the crevasse no longer requires heat.
- The district with bonuses from tiles that are adjacent only to housing still needs 20 heat.
- There are two other districts that still have the base 40 heat demand. That’s because they’re placed on tiles where all three pips with bonuses couldn’t be activated.
Sources of fuel and generator upgrades
Fuel in Frostpunk 2 comes in three types: Oil, coal, and steam. These are usually several hexes away from the city center, which means you need to Frostbreak to reach them. Once you’ve done that, be sure to place an Extraction District to collect fuel.
As for the generator in the city, you’ll notice that it has an overdrive feature. This should only be used sparingly, such as during whiteouts. If it remains active for prolonged periods, the generator could get permanently damaged, and you wouldn’t want that to happen. There are also several technologies for you to consider when it comes to generator upgrades.
- Generator Upgrade I — This is usually related to the main source of fuel in the city. For instance, a generator that previously used coal can make use of oil exclusively.
- Generator Upgrade II — This tends to unlock another function, like the Surplus Injectors. This burns all excess fuel, including from other sources, to increase the output of all districts.
- Generator Upgrade III — This high-tier upgrade makes the overdrive function safer and more effective. It also causes a fuel source like oil to yield more heat.
Other techs related to fuel and heating
Open the tech tree and check the Heating tab to find various breakthroughs that you can research. These include the aforementioned generator upgrades, as well as those that increase the output of coal, oil, and steam. There are also techs like Housing Insulation and Food Energy Efficiency, which lower the heat demands of Housing Districts and Food Districts, respectively.
Additional sources of heat and fuel from hubs, laws, exploration
Finally, when it comes to fuel and heat in Frostpunk 2, don’t forget that there are other sources.
- Hub: Heating Hub — This is one of the most important hubs that you can construct since it grants +40 heat. Make sure that it’s placed in the center of multiple districts so that its area-of-effect encompasses multiple tiles.
- Law: Heat Recycling — Heat demand in Housing Districts is decreased.
- Law: Weather-Adjusted Shifts — Heat demand in non-Housing Districts is decreased; disease is slightly decreased; production efficiency is slightly decreased.
- Law: Heatpipe Watch — Heat demand is decreased; tension is marginally increased.
- Frostlands: Settlements and colonies — Once you’re able to explore the Frostlands, be sure to look for regions that have valuable sources of fuel. These can be funneled into your main city to add to your stockpiles.
That does it for our guide on how to get more fuel and heat in Frostpunk 2. If you’re keen on learning about other mechanics, we suggest checking out our best laws guide and best techs guide.