The game have a special “Thermodynamics” system that is used to represent the struggle of surviving in sub-freezing conditions by showing the player the balance of heat and cold.

In Cryostatis all the objects, environments and characters have a certain temperature but Alexander is the only character that needs heat to stay alive, whereas all the enemies thrive in the sub-zero conditions. As a result the frozen foes hate Alexander and his warmth, turning all their attentions to killing the remaining warm blooded creature on the ship.

To avoid freezing to death, players must use all available heat sources – electric lamps, ovens, heaters, etc. – to warm themselves. A special gauge indicates the temperature of both the ship and Alexander. Players must maintain the delicate balance between these two temperatures or they too will become a victim of the cold. To warm the environment Alexander can use both conventional means, such as turning off the air conditioning, or unconventional means, like using his Mental Echo ability or killing frozen monsters. Alexander slowly moves throughout the entire ship, reheating each room and eventually starts to bring the ship back to life and destroy its chilly inhabitants.