The Long Dark: Surviving the Deadly Wilderness
Prepare to die. Many, many times. The Long Dark is a grueling Survival game where your every mistake can lead to death. The game focuses heavily on environmental hazards, meaning that the environment itself is as deadly as your own lack of adherence to your character’s needs. So, as you set out into the post-flashpoint world of The Long Dark, it’s important to understand that more than half of the items you’ll be hoarding are in bad shape. The items you do manage to keep in good condition are few and far between, so you’ll have to wise about which ones to hoard.
Manage Your Supplies and Avoid Death by Weather
Though The Long Dark‘s combat is fairly limited, the systems that govern the items in the game are paramount to your survival. So, as you prepare to head out into the wilderness, here are some tips to help you manage your supplies and avoid death by weather.
Keep Warm
The temperature system in The Long Dark is more nuanced than you might initially think. The game itself doesn’t offer much information about it, so it takes some time to figure out the mechanics. For example, you’ll only see the “real-time” temperature, the degrees Fahrenheit or Celsius, on the HUD if you’re moving or performing an action. However, you are continuously impacted by temperature, and this is shown by the “feels like” temperature, which impacts your character.
Keeping warm is essential, and having means to create a campfire is important. Different fuel sources have varying effectiveness, with coal being the best option. Beyond that, freezing raw meat can prolong its shelf life in the cold weather.
Before diving into the game, it’s recommended that you start with a lower difficulty level, like Pilgrim, to get a feel for the mechanics and locations. The weather is the fastest killer in the game, so you’ll want to equip additional clothing and seek shelter indoors at night. The clothing system in The Long Dark is fairly straightforward, with most clothing items offering buffs to either the condition or hunger meters. However, low-condition clothing offers little to no bonuses, so it’s important to prioritize good-condition items.
Stick to the Essentials
Carrying essential tools and minimizing meat can help avoid attracting predators. You’ll want to be conservative with your bullets and arrows for hunting, as these may be needed for self-defense against wolves and sometimes bears. Fire can be an effective deterrent against wolves, and sometimes bears, so conserving flares and torches is recommended for safety.
Get to Know the Notes Tab
The Long Dark is massive, and it can be easy to lose track of where you’ve stashed supplies. It’s useful to stash supplies in various locations, but it’s even more helpful to use the notes tab to keep track of them. This way, you have a central hub to keep track of everything from deer stands to caches.
Go Easy on the Hunger
The constant need for food can be alleviated by going easy on the hunger meter and focusing on efficient food sources like rabbits and fish. Sacrificing a bit of the condition meter allows for more activities and efficient resource management.
Pay Attention to Ambient Sounds
It’s easy to get caught up in your own survival and forget about the dangers of the wild, but paying attention to ambient sounds can provide valuable information about nearby animals. If you hear wolves howling, it’s a good indication that they may be in the area, which is something to be aware of when hunting.
Conservatively Use Flares and Torches
Flares and torches are valuable tools, and conserving them can be the difference between life and death. Fire can be an effective deterrent against wolves, and sometimes bears, so conserving flares and torches is recommended for safety.
That’s everything you need to know to survive The Long Dark. If you’re looking to delve into another challenging survival game, check out our guide to the best survival games to see what’s on offer.
