All about Exploration in Whiteout Survival

Whiteout Survival puts a big focus on building a city in the frozen wilderness and turning it into a thriving society. Part of what makes that work, however, is seeking out supplies and other survivors in the tundra, and that's what Explorations are for.

This guide will teach you everything you need to know about the Exploration system in Whiteout Survival, from how to unlock it to the best strategies in fighting through the stages. There's a lot to unpack, but once it eventually clicks, you'll be sitting pretty with plenty of fuel for your city furnace's fire.

During Explorations, select members of your party called Heroes will venture out into the wilderness, taking on all comers in brief strategy-RPG style battles. The ability to explore unlocks with the Explorers' Cabin at Level 4, and once you place the Cabin in your city, you'll be able to venture forth.

Explorations offer rewards for each stage completed, as well as "idle time" bonuses which give a few extra rewards when you've been logged off for a while. Be sure to check that idle time chest first before taking on an Exploration stage; you might need what's inside!

Before taking on an Exploration stage, you'll need to build a party of five Heroes. Heroes are recruitable soldiers with specific skills and weaponry that, when combined, create a powerful army that enemies won't be able to handle.

A Hero's power is gauged by its rarity – Rare, Super Rare, and Super Super Rare – and by how much it has been upgraded. Using collected resources to upgrade heroes is a big part of succeeding in Exploration stages, so upgrade whenever you can to stay on top of things.

Once you've selected your group of five Heroes, you'll need to take a look at their abilities. All heroes have a set of Exploration Skills, which give a buff to the group while exploring. A few examples of Exploration Skills are as follows:

Each hero you designate for battle in an Exploration stage will also bring along "escorts," or a group of soldiers that will help that hero throughout the battle. Escorts come in one of three types, and the three types have a "rock-paper-scissors" type of relationship:

You can see which type of escort each hero brings along in the Heroes menu, which also includes skill descriptions and upgrade options. Be sure to include a mix of all three escort types, which will help you deal with whatever your opponent may throw at you in the next battle.