There is something about survival games that has captured the imagination of the gaming community. From the robotic dinosaurs of Ark: Survival Evolved to the warlike intensity of This War of Mine, the genre requires you to delve deep into a game's systems to succeed, with the constant threat of death making every victory satisfying.
If you're looking to scratch your survival game, or have recently thought of Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Frostborn, from developer Kefir! could be right up your alley. You play as a Viking, explore a wild and dangerous land, collect resources to build your base camp and expand your district in this free survival game. However, it's a tough game, so we've put together a Frostborn guide to get you started.
If you are looking for similar exciting games, we have a list of the best mobile strategy games, the best mobile RPGs and the best mobile MMORPGs. Or, for a broader overview, we have a list of the best Android games and the best iOS games.
Here's what our Frostborn guide contains:
How to download Frostborn?
You can start your Viking adventure by downloading Frostborn on the devices below:
Frostborn tips, tricks and cheats
Now, we'll break down the individual aspects of Frostborn to give you a head start on your new adventure.
Classes
You initially choose between three different classes: Bowman, Warrior, and Curer. However, the game lets you switch between these classes at will, and your initial choice only determines which weapon you start with.
Gather resources
Bar your weapon, you start with no gear or gear and must head to your camp after speaking with the village elder. Here you will be tasked with gathering raw materials for crafting – the main loop of the game.
You can do this manually or by selecting “auto” mode in the bottom left of the screen for a hands-free approach. You can also team up with other players after the tutorial if you'd rather not play solo.
craft
New crafting items are unlocked with blueprints, which you can get by upgrading your district. To do this, you must provide a hooded man, located next to a cart in your base camp or in the village, with the necessary equipment. Then talk to the elder to clean up construction sites and build new buildings like a tax collection office, which provides you with daily cash income.
Be sure to focus on listing objectives for each act, as completing them rewards you with gear and items. Limited-time competitions appear frequently, represented by a trophy icon at the top of the screen, and also give you items.
As you progress, new blueprints will require increasingly rare materials to craft. Workstations like Smelters, Campfires, and Carpentry Tables will help you refine materials into more useful resources at your base camp.
Fighting
Your character attacks automatically when you press and hold your weapon icon. For solo players, classes like Curer and Healer are extremely useful, allowing you to keep your health topped up while fighting monsters.
Enemies in groups can be fought one at a time by slowly approaching them until one chases you, saving you from being overwhelmed. You can loot enemies for specific resources – for example, if you need to collect pelts, you can focus on hunting wolves.
Survival
Death in Frostborn is serious. You drop everything you have equipped, including weapons and armor, as well as the contents of your inventory. To collect your gear, return to the area where you died and look for a green skull indicator on your minimap, where you'll find a bag on the ground.
However, some areas are PvP zones, meaning other players can attack you and steal your loot when you die (or vice versa). It's good to get into the habit of leaving collected materials at your base camp before embarking on a new area, so you don't start from scratch if you lose your gear.
Be sure to keep a close eye on your hunger and thirst as you explore, shown below your health bar. You can supplement them by eating food, which also restores health, and drinking water.
Your base camp is protected by an aura provided by the Totem of Protection, located in the lower right corner of your field. However, this aura can fade, leaving your camp open to raids from other players. You can extend this aura by going on raids yourself or by acquiring a Protection Orb, which you can buy from the in-game store for 40 gold.
Equipment Durability
Frostborn gear degrades over time, including weapons, armor, and tools like pickaxes. When the green bar next to your item's icon is completely depleted, it will instantly break. Try to have at least one weapon as a backup while you explore, although you can craft gear anywhere in the game if you have the right materials.
You can also discover new items by thoroughly exploring the levels of chests and tombs. If you want to repair your broken equipment, you can buy the blueprint for a repair table for 145 gold from the in-game store.
And that's all! Thanks for reading our Frostborn guide and stay safe out there, Viking.
