More on weight later, but starting out there are a few items you should be wary of: Look in every drawer and cupboard, take clothes and medicine, grab all the food you can find. You're going to need a toe-hold to stay alive.Īs your first wilful act of defiance against the deadly nature, you need to find a structure that will shield you from the cold and also serve as a source of supplies. You lack tools that are useful for survival, not to mention weapons to hunt or fend off predators. You don't have much in the way of sustenance. Your clothes don't keep you warm and they're in poor condition. When you are starting out, you are at your most vulnerable. Welcome to the world, you half-dead thing. With that out of the way, let's get to the main point of this guide, the basics of surviving The Long Dark. Getting equipment is also easier, as some NPCs will help you out from time to time. It also features much easier navigation, since in story mode you will always have a complete map of the region and your location and orientation will always be represented there. Story mode is a much more forgiving experience, as it allows you to continue should you fade into the long dark. Playing through story mode will help you acclimate to some of the survival challenges you will find in the sandbox survival mode.

My first recommendation is that if you have not yet played through all of the story mode, start there before playing survival mode. Remember that The Long Dark is a survival game, and as such if you are having some trouble staying alive, the game is working as designed. Do not feel bad or dumb, The Long Dark is a difficult game that is intended by the developers to hold your hand basically never, which is amazing and intimidating all at once. I will make the safe assumption that you are reading this because there are at least some aspects of the game which you are finding challenging and you are looking for a place to start. Welcome to The Long Dark, one of my favourite survival games of all time.

Download the long dark beginners guide