Permafrost Beginner Guide
Written for the Steam Early Access launch build (October 9, 2026). Systems will change during the planned 12+ months of Early Access.
Permafrost is a story-driven survival sandbox set in a world locked in eternal winter. Your biggest enemy is the cold itself: a Body Warmth meter drains whenever the temperature drops below what your clothing can handle, and night, storms, and Cold Zones can kill you faster than any wolf. Build a network of shelters, keep a fire burning, rescue your dog companion, and explore during daylight. It plays solo or in co-op with up to four players, all PvE.
Platforms: PC via Steam, GOG, and Epic Games Store. Early Access launched October 9, 2026 (developer SpaceRocket Games, publisher Toplitz Productions), priced at $19.99 as an introductory offer through October 23. Steam reviews sit at Mixed, around 72 to 73 percent positive, with stuttering and crashes the main complaints. The developers plan at least 12 months of Early Access, so expect systems to change.
Your first hours, step by step
1. Learn the survival meters
You juggle five stats, each out of 300: health, hunger, energy, stamina, and Body Warmth. Body Warmth is the one that kills beginners. Every clothing set protects down to a temperature threshold: the starter outfit covers you to about -26°C. Drop below your threshold and the meter drains. When it empties, hypothermia sets in and you die fast.
2. Build your first shelter early
Players on the Steam forums and TechRaptor's beginner guide converge on the same rule: get a roof over your head before nightfall. A 3x3 footprint is enough for a solo player (4x4 if you host co-op). Find blueprints in the world, scavenge resources, and put up a Workbench first, then a Forge and a Radio Bench as you settle in. You do not always have to build from scratch: repairing abandoned shelters and broken machinery is often faster, is sometimes required by quests, and restoring them can unlock new areas.
3. Rescue your dog
The dog is your early-game companion and extra storage. Take the "Dog Days" quest from Robyn, Horizon's leader: head to Bone Cave, where you will find the dog injured beside a dead survivor. Heal it with any Bandage (a makeshift one costs 2 cloth), then feed it one raw Meat. That unlocks the companion for the rest of the game, and after that it needs no upkeep.
Commands run through a radial menu (one Steam user reports the dedicated companion hotkey felt unresponsive, but the radial menu worked fine). You can call the dog over, tell it to stay, have it stand guard, carry supplies, and gather resources. And yes, you can pet it. Be warned: players on Steam and TechRaptor's preview report the dog has a habit of disappearing at random or getting stuck, so do not store anything you cannot live without in its inventory.
4. Link up the shelter network
Permafrost's big idea is a network of refuges across the map, not one mega-base. Visit fast-travel sled points on foot to unlock them (players cite the ones outside the Church and at Horizon's post as the early pair), then press F at a point to travel between unlocked points in about 10 seconds, dog included. Each unlocked point becomes a lifeline when a storm rolls in.
5. Stock food, tea, and firewood
Hunt deer for passive early food and keep away from hostile wildlife until you have a bow. Brew Improvised Tea for +45 warmth and +45 health, one of the cheapest ways to recover from a cold snap. Carry wood and stone for emergency campfires: a lit campfire reportedly refills Body Warmth from 0 to 300 in under a minute, per TechRaptor's guide.
6. Travel by day, bunker down by night
Night is dramatically colder than day, and starting a long journey late is one of the classic beginner mistakes. Sleeping only works when you are adequately warm with a fire lit nearby, and settlement beds are not well signposted, which players complain about. If you die, you respawn at a safe zone with partial stats and a tombstone marker where you dropped your gear. Rushing back for it at night without a fire risks a second freeze-death, so waiting for morning is sometimes the smarter play.
Staying warm: the complete picture
| Method | Effect | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Campfire | Refills Body Warmth fast (0 to 300 in under a minute, per TechRaptor) | Carry wood and stone for emergency fires |
| Wall torch / lit fire at base | Steady warmth around your shelter | Required near your bed to sleep |
| Settlements | Populated areas do not drain warmth | No fire maintenance needed while inside |
| Hot drinks | Improvised Tea: +45 warmth, +45 health | Cheap and stackable |
| Better clothing | Lowers your protection threshold (starter outfit: about -26°C; Hybrid set: Cold Res 32) | Craft the Hybrid set and treated hide as soon as you can |
Cold Zones are localized pockets of extreme cold scattered around the map. Entering one without preparation means fast death, but they hold high-tier loot, so mark their locations and come back with top-tier clothing and fire supplies.
Enemies: what can actually kill you
- Wildlife. Wolves, boars, and moose are actively hostile. Deer are passive and your early food source. TechRaptor's guide recommends a bow and about 30 arrows plus fire supplies before exploring far.
- Hostile humans. Rival factions patrol the world and drop lootable old-world food. The Technocrats and Tribals are near war, and you can push them together or exploit their discord. The Moon Cult (the "Moonwalkers") is the one faction you cannot befriend, per a developer interview.
- No zombies. A Steam thread titled "Zombies?" shows players asking, but nothing in the game confirms the undead. Enemies are wildlife plus hostile humans, with the Moon Cult as the creepy wildcard.
Solo vs co-op
Permafrost is fully playable solo. Online co-op supports up to four players and is deliberately symbiotic: players split tasks like building, scouting, and stockpiling while sharing a world and quest progress. Because resources are shared, some coverage notes solo can actually feel more efficient, so do not treat solo as the lesser mode. Everything is co-op PvE: despite a Steam thread asking "PvPvE/PvE co-op only," no PvP has been confirmed by the developers.
There is no first person mode at Early Access launch. A developer replied on Steam that it might come later, and player demand for it is vocal, but nothing is confirmed.
Performance and known issues
Launch weekend reviews are Mixed (about 72 to 73 percent positive), and the main complaints are technical. An active Steam thread titled "constant stuttering and crashing" was live as of October 11. The launch-day patch added rebindable movement keys, performance and co-op improvements, and localization fixes, but stuttering and crash reports persist into launch weekend. One note for keyboard players: Interact defaults to F (E is reserved for the companion), and one player reports changed bindings resetting on relaunch. The developers pin a "Known Issues and Workarounds" thread on Steam, updated October 11.
Sources: TechRaptor's Permafrost beginner guide, allthings.how how-to guides, Steam community discussions (app 2254990), SteamDB, fixgamingchannel and winchestergamingandtech early-access impressions, Gamereactor developer interview. Written for the Early Access launch build (October 9, 2026); systems may change with updates.
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Frequently asked questions
How do I keep my Body Warmth up in Permafrost?
Stay above your clothing's protection threshold (starter outfit: about -26°C), and warm up with campfires, wall torches, settlements, Improvised Tea (+45 warmth), and better clothing like the Hybrid set. Night is far colder than day, so travel during daylight.
How do I get the dog companion in Permafrost?
Take the Dog Days quest from Robyn, Horizon's leader, and head to Bone Cave. Heal the injured dog with any Bandage (makeshift: 2 cloth) and feed it one raw Meat. The dog then needs no further upkeep and follows you through fast travel.
Can I play Permafrost solo, or is co-op required?
Fully playable solo. Online co-op supports up to four players in shared PvE, with players splitting building, scouting, and stockpiling. Solo can even feel more efficient since resources are shared in co-op.
Is there PvP in Permafrost?
No. Everything is cooperative PvE. Players have asked about PvP on Steam, but the developers have not confirmed any PvP mode.
Does Permafrost have a first person mode?
Not at Early Access launch. A developer said on Steam that first person might come later, but nothing is confirmed. Player demand for it is vocal.
What do I lose when I die in Permafrost?
You respawn at a safe zone with partial stats, and your gear drops at a tombstone marker where you died. Run back to recover it, but do it in daylight with fire supplies: a night rescue risks a second freeze-death.
How does fast travel work in Permafrost?
Visit fast-travel sled points on foot to unlock them (early ones are outside the Church and at Horizon's post), then press F at a point to travel between unlocked points in about 10 seconds. Your dog comes along.