EmberFrost hard mode: Normal vs Hard, and which to choose

EmberFrost hard mode makes the cold a real opponent: the fire and braziers burn 40% faster, the cold can make you ill, storms and the Great Blizzard last longer, and unserved villagers cost more morale. Normal is the calmer way to play. You choose when you start a new game and can switch in the settings any time.

This guide covers exactly what changes, what stays the same, who each mode suits and a few tips for a Hard run of EmberFrost.

What is the difference between Normal and Hard in EmberFrost?

Normal and Hard share the same village, the same places and prices, and the same story. What changes is how hard the winter pushes. On Normal, the cold slows you down but never makes you ill, a villager who leaves the stall empty-handed costs one point of morale, and woodcutters help keep the braziers fed. On Hard, the main fire and the braziers burn wood 40% faster, snowstorms last 90 seconds instead of 60, and the Great Blizzard blows for three minutes instead of two. A minute in the cold without warming up makes you ill until you rest, an unserved villager costs two points of morale, and early on more villagers ask for fish. Nobody dies in either mode, and a lost Great Blizzard simply comes back a day later. You pick a mode when you start a new game, and you can switch either way in the settings at any time.

What changes on Hard, in detail

The fire is hungrier

On Hard, the main fire and every brazier burn through wood 40% faster. The fire already burns faster at night and as the village grows, so on Hard the trips to the forest come sooner and matter more. The festival fire is the one exception: it burns the same in both modes.

The cold can make you ill

On Normal, leaving the warmth only costs you speed. You get chilled, you slow down, and you recover a few seconds after walking back into the firelight. On Hard there is a second step: stay chilled for a minute without warming up, and you fall ill.

An ill Ember Keeper can still gather, carry and feed the fire, but walks about a third slower and carries a quarter less. To recover, stand still and rest: a few seconds in the infirmary's rest area, or about 20 seconds beside any burning fire, braziers included. Moving pauses the rest without resetting it, so you can run to save a dying fire and pick up where you left off. Granny Maud tells you the first time it happens.

Storms and the Great Blizzard last longer

Small snowstorms blow for 90 seconds on Hard instead of 60, and the Great Blizzard for three minutes instead of two. During a storm every fire gives less heat and burns faster, so a longer storm means a bigger bill in wood.

The in-game How to play page lists the Great Blizzard's wood use as six times the usual rate on Normal and three times on Hard. That looks backwards until you add the rest: on Hard the fire already burns 40% faster and the blizzard lasts half as long again, so over the whole night Hard asks for more wood. In both modes your workers shelter at the fire while it blows, and only you can feed it.

Villagers are less forgiving

A villager who gives up waiting at the stall costs two points of morale on Hard instead of one. Before your fisher's hut is built, more of them ask for fish, so an early ice hole and a few fishing trips of your own pay off.

Woodcutters stay at the wood pile

On Normal, woodcutters top up the braziers when the wood pile is full. On Hard they do not, so keeping the braziers burning falls to you and the carrier.

What stays the same on Hard?

More than you might expect. Hard is the same game with a colder winter, not a different game.

• The places, their prices and the order they open are the same.
• The story, the characters, every voiced line and the ending are the same.
• Nobody dies. Villagers can still fall ill, and leave if there is no infirmary, in both modes.
• The fire never goes out for good. Run it dry and it sinks to embers until you add wood.
• A lost Great Blizzard is not game over. The village rests, and the storm returns the next day with all your progress intact.
• Both modes are part of the free start and of the Full Story. Our guide to what is free in EmberFrost has the details.

Should you play Normal or Hard?

Choose Normal if:

• this is your first survival or idle game, or your first time in Tamarisk;
• you want to enjoy the story and the building at a calmer pace;
• you play in short sessions and would rather not come back to a scramble.

Choose Hard if:

• you have finished the story on Normal and want a real fight against the cold;
• you like planning every trip around the fire and enjoy a tight economy;
• you want the achievement for finishing the story on Hard.

If you are unsure, start on Normal. You can move to Hard the moment the village starts to feel too comfortable.

Can you change the difficulty mid-game?

Yes, in both directions, as often as you like. Open the settings, change Difficulty, and the game confirms: "Difficulty changed. It applies from now on." You keep your village, your coins and your progress.

Some changes take effect at once and some wait for the next moment they apply:

• The fire's burn rate changes at once.
• Switching to Normal cures an ill Ember Keeper at once.
• Morale and fish requests follow the new mode from the next villager.
• A storm or blizzard already blowing keeps the mode it started with. The next one uses the new mode.

The mode is saved with each game and shown on its save slot. With three slots, you can keep a calm Normal village in one and a Hard run in another.

Is there a reward for finishing on Hard?

Yes. The Game Center achievement Forged in Frost is earned by finishing the story on Hard, which means the game has to be set to Hard when the story ends. Every other achievement can be earned in either mode.

Tips for a Hard run

1. Build the infirmary early. Resting there takes a few seconds. Resting by a fire takes about 20.
2. Plan shorter trips. Head back before you have been chilled for a minute, not after.
3. Keep the braziers fed yourself. Woodcutters will not do it on Hard, so the carrier's post is worth building as soon as you can.
4. Open the ice hole early. More early villagers want fish, and every one who leaves costs two points of morale.
5. Top up before every storm. Storms are announced, so fill the fire at the warning, and build the wind screens, which halve what a storm takes from you.
6. Stock up before the lookout. Finishing it starts the Great Blizzard, and on Hard it blows for three minutes.

For the basics that apply in both modes, see our beginner's guide. To know who you are keeping warm, read our guide to the EmberFrost characters.

FAQ

Is EmberFrost hard?

On Normal, no. It is a cozy survival game with real pressure and soft failure. Hard is there for players who want the cold to bite.

Can you change the difficulty in EmberFrost?

Yes. Switch between Normal and Hard in the settings at any time, in either direction, without starting over.

Does Hard mode change the story or the ending?

No. The places, prices, characters, story and ending are the same. Only the winter is harsher.

Can villagers die on Hard?

No. Nobody dies in either mode. On Hard you can fall ill yourself, and you recover by resting where it is warm.

Pick your winter

EmberFrost: Survival Tycoon is free to start on the App Store, with both modes included. Read more on the EmberFrost game page, or browse all our EmberFrost posts.