These survival tips will help you stay alive on any difficulty as you’re playing The Long Dark, including Pilgrim, Voyager, Stalker, and Interloper.
The Long Dark is one of the most authentic and brutal survival games ever created, and with the release of Story Mode imminent, there are bound to be new players discovering it for the first time. Some of them will wisely begin on difficulty levels like Pilgrim and Voyager, thus easing into the harsh conditions. Others, however, will jump into modes like Stalker and Interloper where death is calculated by when, not if. With more than 260 hours of play time under our Wolfskin Coat, we wanted to pass along our best tips to help you survive in The Long Dark.
Avoiding Predators
Besides Pilgrim, all difficulty levels in The Long Dark have predators in the form of Wolves and Bears. You can even be attacked by a Bear on Pilgrim, but only if you shoot it and it sees you. If you’re playing on Stalker, Voyager, or Interloper, avoiding Wolves and Bears is vital to your survival. Sure, you can kill them with a Survival Bow or Hunting Rifle, but doing so isn’t always convenient. Sometimes you must avoid them.
The best way to avoid predators is to know where they are, which requires your eyes at long distances, and your ears when you’re a little closer. Turn down the in-game music and listen. You will almost always hear the footsteps of an animal, even if you can’t see it due to an obstacle in your way. Even better, each animal has a unique sound when it’s walking, so as you gain experience, you’ll know what it is that you’re close to.
Avoiding predators like Wolves and Bears is also easier if you keep a low profile. What we mean by this is that you should crouch down. Doing so will allow you to sneak past animals which seek to make you their next meal, and will even allow you to sneak up on Deer that can provide you enough calories for a week or two. Keeping a low profile also includes staying downwind from predators, as being upwind from them means they’ll smell you easier.