Permafrost Free Playtest Hits Steam October 2, Early Access October 9

Ever wondered what it takes to survive an endless winter in a ruined city? SpaceRocket Games is about to let you find out. Their new multiplayer survival crafting game, Permafrost, is getting a limited playtest on Steam from October 2 to October 6, with Early Access following on October 9.

Permafrost drops you into an open-world apocalyptic city locked in permanent winter. You can go it alone or team up with up to four players online. Either way, the brutal climate is out to get you, and your only path forward is repairing abandoned shelters and broken machinery to expand your survival zone.

Good news for dog lovers: you can rescue pups from the ruins and they'll become your loyal companions. They'll haul supplies for you and scout the path ahead, which should make the frozen wasteland feel a lot less lonely.

Survival means scavenging resources to craft and upgrade your gear, working your way from axes and hammers to bows and firearms. Hunting, looting, and base building are all on the menu if you want to make it through the frost. You'll also need to keep an eye on your character's status and body temperature, because let it drop too far and you'll be immobilized or dead. Predators and hostile survivors are out there too, so preparation isn't optional.

Shelter is everything in this kind of environment. Using blueprints and engineering skills, you can construct bases or restore existing structures, set up small indoor farms, recycle salvaged scrap, and gradually upgrade your living facilities.

Before Early Access arrives on October 9, the playtest runs October 2 through October 6. One important catch: each session is limited to just one hour of play once you launch the game. To keep servers stable, only a limited number of players will get in at first, with wider access opening up once the team confirms everything is running smoothly.

If frozen apocalypse survival sounds like your kind of chill, you can wishlist Permafrost on Steam now and keep an eye out for this week's test. Will you be braving the permafrost, or waiting for the full Early Access launch?