- Games
- Permafrost
Permafrost
Up to four survivors search frozen ruins, gather supplies and build shelters in an unfinished survival world.
Online co-op for up to 4 players.
- 4 online
Where to buy
Playing together
- Online co-op4 players
- Local co-opNot confirmed
- Not confirmedFriends on different platforms, such as PC and PlayStation, can play together.
- Not confirmedA friend can join or leave while you are already playing, without starting over.
- Not confirmedFriends play free with a Friend's Pass or similar.
- Steam DeckNot testedValve has not rated it yet
About the game
You play an engineer searching for an old friend after a disaster leaves Earth frozen. You search abandoned buildings, hunt for food and carry supplies back to shelter. Repaired machines and better equipment let you travel farther into the cold. There is a story to follow, alongside the work of keeping yourself warm and supplied.
Up to four players share an online world hosted by one person. You can divide gathering, building and exploration between you, then return to that host’s world next time. The pace mixes long searches with wildlife attacks and dangerous weather. It suits a group that wants a place to keep improving and does not mind an unfinished Early Access game.
How it feels
Kind of game
One lasting world your group settles. You gather, build and push into dangerous places together.
- At its heart
- A big part
- Now and then
- Laughter and chaos
- Calm and coziness
- Time to hang out
- Sessions
- Ongoing world
Rated on our own feel scale. 4 sources back these ratings.
Screenshots
From the Steam store page. Open one to see it full size.
If you liked Permafrost
You will probably enjoy these too. Each one says why.
Green Hell
Why it scores 87%
What they share
- Kind of game
- Shared survival world
- About
- Wilderness survival
- Notable in both
- Story, Building and creating, Tension and danger, Planning ahead, Getting better, Unlocks and progress
- Core to both
- Exploring
- Sessions
- Ongoing world
- Co-op
- Online co-op for up to 4 players
- 4 online
Both give your group a hard world to survive in together. Both are about surviving in the wild. Both have a story you follow together.
No big difference from Permafrost.
State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Edition
Why it scores 86%
What they share
- Kind of game
- Shared survival world
- About
- Scavenging and Post-apocalypse
- Sessions
- Ongoing world
- Notable in both
- Building and creating, Working in sync, Exploring, Tension and danger, Planning ahead, Fighting, Unlocks and progress
- Co-op
- Online co-op for up to 4 players
- 4 online
- Crossplay
Both give your group a hard world to survive in together. Both are about scavenging for loot and life after the apocalypse. Both give you one lasting world to come back to.
No big difference from Permafrost.
Grounded
Why it scores 84%
What they share
- Kind of game
- Shared survival world
- About
- Wilderness survival
- Notable in both
- Story, Building and creating, Working in sync, Tension and danger, Planning ahead, Getting better, Fighting, Unlocks and progress
- Core to both
- Exploring
- Sessions
- Ongoing world
- Co-op
- Online co-op for up to 4 players
How Grounded differs
- Scarier than Permafrost
- 4 online
- Crossplay
Both give your group a hard world to survive in together. Both are about exploring places you have not seen. Both are about surviving in the wild.
But scarier than Permafrost.
All co-op facts
Last checked 24 October 2026. The small numbers link to the page that states each fact.
Co-op
- Fewest players online
- Not confirmed
- Local co-op
- Not confirmed
- Most players on one screen
- Not confirmed
- Split or shared screen
- Not confirmed
- Separate-device co-op
- Not confirmed
- Most players on separate devices
- Not confirmed
- Free base co-op
- No
The checked computer full-base edition has a paid base-game access model. Demos, trials, guest passes, platform sharing and temporary grants do not establish ongoing free base co-op.
- 349
- Confirmed free setups
- Does not apply
- Crossplay
- Not confirmed
- Crossplay between
- Not confirmed
- Friends can join mid-game
- Not confirmed
- Only one of you needs to buy it
- Not confirmed
- Voice chat by distance
- Not confirmed
Sources
9 pages
toplitz-productions.comOfficial site, read 24 October 2026
Backs Online co-op, Most players online, Genres, Kind of game, About, Working in sync.
- Online co-op: The publisher describes cooperative survival with up to three friends.
- Most players online: The 1 to 4 player feature is the highest maker cap found.
- Genres: Lists Adventure, RPG and Simulation, and describes open-world survival.
- Kind of game: Players divide responsibilities and build shelter networks in a hostile world.
- About: Food, cold, hunting and supplies define survival in frozen ruins. The page says a cataclysm left a frozen wasteland and calls it a post-apocalyptic world.
- Working in sync: The maker explicitly describes dividing responsibilities and using each player’s strengths.
steamcommunity.comOfficial support page, read 24 October 2026
Backs Sessions.
- Sessions: Developer guide dated October 9 and edited October 10 says players return to the same host-owned world.
store.steampowered.comStore page, read 24 October 2026
Backs Release status, Release date, Most players online, Genres, Free base co-op.
- Release status: The current developer answer says multiplayer and the starting narrative are implemented in Early Access.
- Release date: Lists October 9, 2026 as the Early Access release date.
- Most players online: The current-state developer answer independently confirms functional co-op for four players.
- Genres: The developer describes a survival sandbox.
- Free base co-op: The checked computer full-base edition has a paid base-game access model. Demos, trials, guest passes, platform sharing and temporary grants do not establish ongoing free base co-op.
gog.comStore page, read 24 October 2026
Backs Platforms, Free base co-op.
- Platforms: The live product lists Windows and offers the base game for purchase.
- Free base co-op: The checked computer full-base edition has a paid base-game access model. Demos, trials, guest passes, platform sharing and temporary grants do not establish ongoing free base co-op.
store.steampowered.comStore data, read 24 October 2026
Backs Steam app ID, Platforms.
- Steam app ID: The response identifies app 2254990 as Permafrost.
- Platforms: Windows is the only supported PC system in the response.
store.steampowered.comStore data, read 24 October 2026
Backs Steam Deck.
- Steam Deck: Valve has not rated the game for Steam Deck.
fixgamingchannel.comPress, read 24 October 2026
Backs Tension and danger, Exploring, Building and creating, Calm and coziness, Time to hang out, Getting better, Planning ahead.
- Tension and danger: October 7 review, updated October 20, describes recurring cold and hostile encounters with time to prepare. All reported play was solo.
- Exploring: The reviewer spends much of the roughly 30 hour sample finding supplies and learning the world.
- Building and creating: Describes useful bases and a developed crafting loop, rather than constant construction.
- Calm and coziness: Shelters and preparation interrupt dangerous outings. This supports only brief safe stretches.
- Time to hang out: Travel and preparation provide some space between threats, but survival still directs attention.
- Getting better: The reviewer describes learning what to carry and initially struggling with the survival systems.
- Planning ahead: Preparing heat, food and a return route matters before leaving shelter.
kotaworld.itPress, read 24 October 2026
Backs Laughter and chaos, Story, Fighting, Unlocks and progress.
- Laughter and chaos: October 15 review notes occasional humorous dialogue and references, within a serious survival game.
- Story: Describes an unfinished narrative delivered through recordings, messages and characters.
- Fighting: Animals and armed human enemies regularly interrupt exploration.
- Unlocks and progress: Skills improve through use and recipes unlock through points, exploration and missions.
store.epicgames.comStore page, read 24 October 2026
Backs Free base co-op.
- Free base co-op: The checked computer full-base edition has a paid base-game access model. Demos, trials, guest passes, platform sharing and temporary grants do not establish ongoing free base co-op.