Permafrost Tools Explained: What Are Sledgehammers For?
Updated 2026-10-14 · Last checked 2026-10-14 · Early Access
Sledgehammer demolition is planned, not a verified launch-build ability. The official 7 October roadmap places the new obstacle-demolishing tool in Update 3. The developer known-issues post also says the refined flint sledgehammer is not in the game yet: its blueprint can drop without unlocking anything.
This is a source-based tool reference, not an in-game test. The community files contain sledgehammer stats and hidden recipes, but a file entry does not prove that a player can craft or use it. Official availability notes take priority over those internal classifications.
Sledgehammer file entries, not available-tool recommendations
These are base damage parameters from the 9 October file archive. Sledgehammer recipes have a hidden flag. Do not gather materials expecting these entries to unlock demolition before the announced update.
| Sledge | Damage |
|---|---|
| Stone | 10 |
| Flint | 14 |
| Copper | 18 |
| Scrap | 22 |
| Iron | 27 |
| Moonrock | 35 |
Which pickaxe should you carry?
The community descriptions support the early stone, flint and copper ladder. For moonstone, the developer warns that the basic iron pick description is wrong and says a quality iron pick is needed. That wording does not establish which similarly named file entry is the required live tool; check the current in-game name.
| Pickaxe | File description | Availability caveat |
|---|---|---|
| Stone | Flint and stone | Starter tier |
| Flint | Copper, sulfur, coal, flint and stone | Workbench recipe: 2 flint + 4 wood |
| Copper / Scrap | Adds iron | Upgrade before an iron-mining trip |
| Basic iron | Claims to mine moonrock | Official known issue: description is misleading |
| Quality / Moonrock | Claims to mine every formation | File descriptions; not a tested unlock route |
Stone shiv and refined-tool costs
The community recipe table lists the stone shiv at 1 stone + 2 wood. That recipe is not evidence of a lock-opening command or a required hold duration. Read the current door prompt; an exact first-door input sequence is not verified by the saved sources used here.
The refined flint pick row requires a flint pick, 4 flint and 1 cloth at the workbench. Keeping the basic tool is therefore part of the listed material requirement, but the file row alone does not establish when a recipe becomes available in your save.
Questions
What are sledgehammers for in Permafrost?
The roadmap plans obstacle and new destructible-object demolition in Update 3. Do not treat that as available in the launch build.
Why did the refined flint sledgehammer blueprint do nothing?
The developer known-issues post says this tool is not in the game yet, even though its blueprint can drop.
How do I open the first locked door?
An exact input sequence is not verified in the saved sources used here. Follow the current interaction prompt. The stone shiv recipe costs 1 stone and 2 wood in the file reference, but this does not prove that it opens a particular lock.
Related pages
Sources
- Developer — Early Access Roadmap, 7 October 2026 — Official announcement checked 2026-10-14. Update 3 plans sledgehammer demolition; Update 4 plans White Hell. No release dates promised.
- Developer — Known Issues & Workarounds — Developer-tagged post, edited 11 October; checked 2026-10-14. Iron-pick description, unavailable refined flint sledgehammer, controller crafting and co-op. Newer patch notes take priority.
- ITRIABOV — game-file reference tables on Steam Community — Downloaded and checked 2026-10-14. Archive files dated 2026-10-09; game build not identified. Includes hidden, NPC and quest variants, not just player-accessible content.