How To Play Frostpunk 2: The Ultimate Beginner's Guide

[@b9904]

Explore the frost lands asap. Build housing to address the deficit but space it out so you can expand later. Ignore food, materials, and goods deficit. You can survive for a while at deficit. Fuel deficit is more dangerous.

[@Czardus]

As long as the starting area has the resources, I see no reason to go to the frostlands ASAP. It's better to get a self-sufficient base, imo.