Start with updates, then adjust the crash settings
For Permafrost PC crashes, install the game hotfixes and latest GPU drivers, then follow the developer's Video settings troubleshooting sequence. If the game fails before you can reach those settings, try the -dx11 launch option; report persistent crashes through Steam Bug Reporting and send crash logs through Toplitz's file hub.
Check your PC against the Windows requirements
Permafrost's Steam version supports Windows, with Windows 10 (x64) listed as the minimum operating system. Minimum hardware includes an Intel Core i5 8600K or AMD Ryzen 5 3500, 16 GB RAM, and an Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB or AMD Radeon RX 590 8GB. The minimum listing also specifies DirectX Version 11 and 30 GB of available storage.
Linux/Proton is not officially supported, and the developers cannot guarantee fixes for crashes there. Keep that limitation in mind when following the Windows troubleshooting steps. Include your operating system in a persistent-crash report so your setup is clear.
Which GPU and gameplay crashes have been patched?
The October 9 hotfixes disabled FSR on NVIDIA RTX 20, 30, 40 and 50 series graphics cards to reduce GPU-related crashes. Let Steam apply these updates before testing graphics changes yourself. If crashes continue after updating, work through the settings sequence below and keep a note of the results.
The October 10 update fixed crashes after skipping the introduction, joining co-op while another player held a ranged weapon, using a held consumable, and reloading a campfire on the world map. It also updated DLSS and FSR and fixed stutters caused by stair building parts. If these actions still trigger a crash after updating, describe the exact action in your report.
The October 11 hotfix added a fix for a Workbench crafting crash. If your game closes during Workbench crafting, applying the update belongs at the start of troubleshooting. For a repeat crash, record the recipe you selected and what happened immediately before the game closed.
Follow the developer's GPU troubleshooting order
Use the settings steps when you can reach the game's Video menu. Test the action that was crashing after each change, and note whether the result changes. Keeping track of each adjustment gives you a clearer account to include if you need to report the crash.
- Restart Steam if the hotfix download does not appear. Steam should update Permafrost automatically, and restarting Steam is the developer's stated next action when the update is missing.
- Install the latest GPU drivers. The developer recommends this first because driver updates can resolve crashes and FPS issues; check the result before moving into the game's graphics settings.
- Turn off Multi-Frame-Generation-Type under Settings > Video if crashes continue. This begins the developer's in-game settings sequence and lets you test the crash with that option disabled.
- Turn off Super Resolution under Settings > Video if the crash persists. This is the next recommended adjustment, giving you a result to compare with the previous graphics change.
- Lower the graphics quality preset if the earlier changes do not resolve the crash. A lower preset is part of the developer's troubleshooting sequence for continued instability.
- Toggle V-Sync if crashes continue after lowering the preset. Record whether the changed setting affects the crash so you can describe the outcome if you contact the developers.
If Permafrost fails before the Video menu opens
- Add -dx11 under Steam Library > Permafrost > Properties > General > Launch Options. This is a troubleshooting option for launch failures that prevent you from reaching the Video settings.
Windows Smart App Control can trigger launch error 11c7. If that is the error you see, preserve the exact message and consult the pinned troubleshooting guidance in Permafrost's Steam Bug Reporting section. Changing an operating-system security setting has consequences beyond the game, so include that specific error when asking for help.
Send a useful crash report and the requested logs
- PC specifications: include your hardware details so the developers can identify the setup affected by the crash.
- What you were doing: describe the action immediately before the failure and how to reproduce it when you can.
- Exact problem or error message: copy the wording shown by the game and explain what stopped working.
- Multiplayer context: state whether you were hosting or joining, and describe where the connection failed.
- Post the reproducible defect in Permafrost's Steam Bug Reporting discussions. Include the details above so the developers have the crash trigger, affected setup and exact symptom together.
- Upload your crash logs through Toplitz's file hub. The developers request these files to investigate persistent crashes; for a stuck quest, they also request the relevant world-save files.