Frostbite is an action game released by Activision for the Atari 2600 in 1983. Designed by Steve Cartwright, it puts you on a frozen river where you must hop between drifting ice floes and collect enough blocks to build an igloo before the cold claims you.
How to play
Ice floes drift across the screen in horizontal rows, alternating direction. Use the arrow keys to jump between rows (↑ / ↓) and move along each floe (← / →). Landing on a floe strips an ice block from it and adds it to the igloo forming at the bottom of the screen. Collect enough blocks to complete the igloo, then cross back down and enter it to advance to the next stage.
Spacebar reverses the direction all floes are travelling — your main tool for getting to the right spot when they are moving the wrong way. Hazards escalate with each stage: snow geese dive across rows, a bear appears near the igloo entrance once you are close to finishing, and clams lurk in the water below. A temperature gauge counts down throughout; let it reach zero before the igloo is done and the round ends immediately.
Controls (Player 1): arrow keys to move · Spacebar to reverse floes · F11 (SELECT) to cycle game variations · F12 (RESET) to restart · Alt+P to pause.
Tips
- Plan your floe reversal before you need it — triggering Spacebar while airborne can drop you into the water.
- When the bear appears near the igloo, stop collecting and head straight in; stalling costs you a life.
- On faster stages, ride a floe across a row rather than jumping every second — patient movement beats frantic hopping when the floes are flying.
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