Is Frostbite on Steam?

No. Frostbite is not distributed on Steam, so there is no Steam Charts or SteamDB player count for it. Its live popularity is tracked here via Twitch viewership instead.

What platforms is Frostbite on?

Frostbite is available on Atari 2600.

When did Frostbite release?

Frostbite was first released on August 14, 1983.

Frostbite

Aug 14, 1983ArcadeAtari 2600

Frostbite — frequently asked questions

Is Frostbite on Steam?: No. Frostbite is not distributed on Steam, so there is no Steam Charts or SteamDB player count for it. Its live popularity is tracked here via Twitch viewership instead.
What platforms is Frostbite on?: Frostbite is available on Atari 2600.
When did Frostbite release?: Frostbite was first released on August 14, 1983.

About Frostbite

You're an Eskimo who wants to build an igloo to live in during the cold season. To do this, you must jump from ice-block to ice-block, while avoiding wildlife such as birds and crabs. Coming with contact with any of these will cause them to push you off the block and into the deadly water. Once you have built your igloo, you must enter it to proceed to the next level. Remember, you must build it before the temperature drops to 0°. You have four lives.

Summary via IGDB.

Frostbite on Wikipedia

Frostbite is a 1983 action game designed by Steve Cartwright for the Atari 2600 and published by Activision in 1983. In the game a player controls Frostbite Bailey, who must hop across several ice floes to collect ice while avoiding falling in the water and avoiding the hazardous natural elements such polar bears and snow geese.

Source: Wikipedia (text under CC BY-SA 4.0).

Game details

Platforms: Atari 2600
Developer: Activision
Publisher: Activision
Game modes: Single player, Multiplayer
Themes: Action

Details via IGDB.

Reception

IGDB rating

63/100

from 10 ratings

Collector value & authenticity

Atari 2600 · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-06

Loose

$20

Complete

$89

Sealed

$338

Release record

Territory	Label	Catalog #	Rarity
North America Activision	Standard	AX-031	Scarce+

Also released in South America by Cosmovision, Digitel, Polygram, Polyvox, VGS, Arte Vision, Digimax.

Source: Catalog numbers, label types, rarity, controllers and player counts: AtariAge 2600 software database

Region: NA+EU
Released: 1983
Controller: Atari Joystick
Players: 1 - 2
Authenticity: Low

Not in Atari 50 — other compilations and plug-and-plays are not tracked hereLow counterfeit risk

Atari 2600 prices, all games & how to spot a fake

Steve Cartwright's ice-floe platformer is one of Activision's later 2600 games and still a fine one to play.

Steve Cartwright designed Frostbite for Activision, released in October 1983. You play Frostbite Bailey, hopping across ice floes to collect ice while avoiding the water, polar bears and snow geese. It was the last game Cartwright made for the 2600.

Critics compared it to Frogger and Q*bert. Cartwright said he based it only on Frogger and had not played Q*bert before he finished it. Some reviewers liked the arcade-style twist, while others thought it looked dated next to other Activision games. Retro Gamer later put it in its 2008 list of the top 25 Atari 2600 games.

How it was made

Designed by Steve Cartwright, who had made several Activision games since 1982. It was his last Atari 2600 game, and he has said Frogger was his only model.

What the press said at the time

Computer Entertainer Vol. 2 No. 7	October 1983	Graphics ★★★ · Play-Action ★★★
Electronic Fun with Computers & Games Vol. 2 No. 3	January 1984	3 joysticks

“Our initial impression of the game was basically, "cute, but kind of dumb." Much to our surprise, however, we found it very difficult to stop playing once we got going. The more we played it, the better we liked it!”
— Computer Entertainer, October 1983

“Activision has taken a hackneyed theme and given it new life by adding new strategy problems to it.”
— Electronic Fun with Computers & Games, January 1984

Computer Entertainer rated graphics first and play action second, from four symbols (excellent) to one (poor) — stars in most years, diamonds in 1986–87 — comparing each game only with other games for the same system. Electronic Fun rated games out of four joysticks.

Cartridge & preservation record

Program size 4 KB, measured from the preserved dump.

Catalogue number as recorded for the physical release.

Worth knowing

Sold as "rare" in 1986. By spring 1986 the 2600 market had moved on far enough that Computer Entertainer's mail-order list sold brand-new copies under the heading "RARE GAMES — THESE ARE YOUR SPECIAL PRICES", at $18.00 (good through 10 May 1986).

Before you buy

Low risk. No reproductions are documented. Loose carts are inexpensive, while complete copies cost several times as much, so the box and manual carry most of a complete copy's value. Sealed copies sell for far more again and are a packaging purchase.