The city looks generous at first glance. Permafrost opens in frozen streets where ruined buildings sit within easy reach, and the early game rewards players who search methodically instead of sprinting for the horizon. This page covers what we can confirm about the resource loop on day one. It also lays out a scouting method that fits the tools the game gives you. Everything else is deliberately marked as unverified until the game unlocks tonight at 20:00 CST (12:00 UTC).

The resource loop we can confirm

Permafrost is a survival game built around exploration and gathering, with crafting tying the two together. It is developed by SpaceRocket Games and published by Toplitz Productions, the studio behind the Dynasty series. The setting is the year 2035, after the Moon shattered and plunged the world into an eternal winter. You play Rook, an engineer searching for a lost friend named Icarus.

Resources feed two long-term projects. One is your personal gear, which keeps you alive against the cold. The other is a network of shelters you build across the map, which turns one-off trips into repeatable routes. The signature setting is frozen city ruins, and that urban layer is the differentiator against pure wilderness survival games like The Long Dark. Expect salvage from buildings to matter as much as anything you pull from the wild.

Plan in routes. Every shelter you raise is a warm reset point that makes the next ring of ruins cheaper to search. The network is the real progression.

Your dog is a gathering tool

Your canine companion belongs in the resource strategy. Its senses give early warning of danger. It also helps you locate resources and can carry items for you. That last point changes the math of every trip. A run that ends because your hands are full is a run the dog could have extended.

Keep the dog close when you push into unfamiliar blocks. Early warning matters most where you have no shelter nearby, and a companion that finds resources for you effectively widens your search radius without widening your risk.

A scouting method for day one

Reports from the October playtest (October 2 to October 6) describe the starting area as relatively forgiving, with demands on cold-weather gear rising sharply once you push into the wilderness. That gives us a simple rule. Range expands only after warmth is handled.

  • Search the ruins near your start first. Built structures concentrate salvage, so a block-by-block sweep beats wandering.
  • Move the dog to the front when you leave familiar ground. Its senses cover the blind spots your eyes miss.
  • Mark every reliable pickup you find and return to it. Repeatable routes beat random walks, since a shelter network makes routes safe.
  • Build your next shelter before you need it. Each new shelter lets you scout one ring further out with a warm return waiting.
  • Do not chase the far wilderness on day one. The playtest was explicit that deep zones punish players who arrive without serious cold protection.

What we are not claiming yet

This is the honest section. As of October 9, 2026, the game has not unlocked, so the following are UNVERIFIED and will stay marked until we can test them in the live build.

  • Exact resource node locations and respawn timing: UNVERIFIED
  • Animal and enemy spawn lists: UNVERIFIED
  • The full map layout: UNVERIFIED
  • Crafting recipe values and temperature thresholds: UNVERIFIED
  • Day-one patch contents and any confirmed bugs: UNVERIFIED

We will replace each UNVERIFIED tag with tested data once the game is live. Check back after launch night and this page will start filling in.

Frequently asked questions

When will this page get real resource locations?

After the game unlocks tonight at 20:00 CST and we can verify nodes in the live build. Everything marked UNVERIFIED will be replaced with tested data.

Is the dog worth bringing on gathering runs?

Yes. The dog is confirmed to help locate resources and carry items, which directly raises how much each trip brings back.

Which mode is best for resource scouting?

Story mode is the friendliest starting point because it includes a guided tutorial structure. Survival mode makes resources scarcer, which suits a second run.