The Long Dark: Tips & Tricks Beginner’s Guide

by Falagar / Game Guides, General Guides / 05 Nov 2019

Exposure Leads To Frostbite – Uncovered skin can become Frostbitten. Check your Clothing interface to watch for areas of Frostbite Risk.

Hypothermia – Hypothermia happens when body temperature stays too low for too long. Keep an eye on your temperature using the Status screen.

Laceration – Bandages treat Blood Loss and can be found or Crafted from Cloth.

Radial Menu – Press [Key] for a quick way to access a variety of critical game actions, as well as critical status information.

Scent Indicator – Keep an eye on your Scent Indicator [symbol] when carrying Raw Meat or Fish or when Bleeding. Predators can smell you and may come looking.

Sheltered Indicator – When you see the Sheltered Indicator [symbol], this means you are currently protected from the wind.

Clothing As Amour – Clothing can offer Protection against physical harm – whether it befalls or wildlife attacks.

Crafting Clothing – Clothing you make from wildlife hides can offer unique survival advantages.

Improvised Clothing – As a last resort, Craft Improvised Head and Hand Wraps to protect yourself from weather and wildlife.

Wet Or Frozen Clothing – Wet or frozen clothing can be deadly. Warm it by a fire to dry it out.

Cooking – Cooked Food is generally safer to eat.

Cook Longer To Purify Water – To produce non-potable Water, place a Can or Pot on an active cooking surface and Melt Snow. Boil the water to make it safe to drink.

Food Poisoning – You can get food poisoning by eating low-condition food items.

Hot Food And Drinks Warm You Up – Eating warm Food or Drinks will give you a buffer against the cold.

Military – Grade MRE – Contemporary MRE, good quality, and meets all technical requirements to be considered real food. Designed to keep a soldier on their feet.

Warming Up – Drinks and Canned Food can be placed on or near a fire to warm them.

Accelerant – Accelerants are a great way to start a fire when you can’t afford to fail but are a rare resource.

Arrows – Cure Birch Saplings and Forge Arrowheads to craft Arrows.

Charcoal – Spent fires produce Charcoal, which you can use in Survival Mode to update your world map with a Survey.

Distress Pistol – Distress Pistol rounds can be an effective deterrent against hostile wildlife. They are the only thing that can reliably deter a charging bear.

Hunting Knife – A Hunting Knife is a key tool for harvesting meat from carcasses. It can also protect you against hostile wildlife.

Hunting Rifle – An old .303 caliber bolt-action hunting rifle. Will bring a deer down. Maybe a wolf.

Lamp Oil – Every Fish you cook produces oil that you can use in Lanterns.

Mariner’s Pea Coat – Heavy wool coat designed for seafaring types. Not the warmest coat out there, but close to it. It does a good job of blocking the wind but gets very heavy when wet. Stylish.

Old Man’s Beard Lichen – Harvest Old Man’s Bear Lichen to craft naturally disinfecting wound dressing.

Prybar – Prybars are essential for forcing open locked doors and vehicles.

Revolver – A powerful defensive weapon, you can shoot the Revolver quickly from the hip to frighten wildlife or aim down sights for accuracy.

Rose Hips – Harvest and Prepare Rose Hips to brew natural painkilling teas. Useful against Sprains and Burns.

Snare – Craft and place Snares wherever you see Rabbits. Over time, the snares may catch Rabbits. Add multiple Snares to create trap-lines

Stones – Use the small Stones you find on the ground to hunt Rabbits.

Storm Lantern – Lanterns are useful for casting light in dark areas, and also provide a bit of warmth when carried in hand.

Water Purification Tablets – Don’t have a fire? Use Purification Tablets to treat Non-Potable Water no matter where you are.

Buffer Memory – The Aurora can bring old computers back to life, restoring old data left in their memory banks. These artifacts provide a glimpse of Great Bear before the lights went out.

Carter Hydro Dam – First opened in the 1960s, seismic activity on Great Bear Island proved to be a major obstacle for its builder, the industrialist Richard Carter.

The Collapse – Early – 21st-century economic instability in North America and Europe was a key factor in accelerating The Collapse.

Bear Dens – If you find bones in a cave, this may mean it’s a Bear Den. Watch out! Resting in these caves might earn you a nasty surprise.

Cold – Freezing is the fastest way to die on Great Bear. Warm-up by getting out of the Wind, getting near a fire, or getting inside a shelter.

Drawn By Scent – Raw Meat and Fish give off a scent that attracts predators.

Drop Decoy – Dropping decoys can distract predators, giving you enough time to escape their interest.

Finding Fuel – Use your Hatchet or Hacksaw to harvest downed firewood from tree limbs or branches. Sticks are abundant and can be harvested without a tool.

Fuel – Wood burns more slowly when it’s extremely cold

Fuel – Each Fuel type affects your chance to start a fire and how long the fire will last.

Frostbite – Frostbite injuries are permanent. Keep exposed skin covered to avoid this debilitating Affliction.

Great Bear Island – Remote regions of Great Bear Island offer fewer human-made shelters. Come prepared!

Ice Fishing – Use a Tool to break the ice hole in an Ice Fishing hut. It will freeze up again over time!

Items In Vehicles – Locked trunks can be opened using a Prybar.

Landmarks – Look for landmarks to guide your way in the wilderness. Every region tells a story.

Listen Carefully – Wolves can often be heard before they are seen.

Moonlight – Use moonlight to Craft, Research, and Repair when outdoors.

Rabbits – Rabbits are quick but plentiful on Great Bear. Use Stones to stun them for capture.

Rest – You can Rest or Pass Time in a vehicle, with or without a Bedroll.

Scent – Raw Meat and Fish give off a scent that attracts predators.

Shivering – When using a Rifle, a Revolver, or a Distress Pistol, cold temperatures can cause Shivering, affecting your aim.

Sprain Risk – If Encumbered or Exhausted, you are at risk for a Sprain on sloped ground. Drop gear or Rest to eliminate the Risk.

Storms Drop Fuel – Blizzards and high winds can knock loose Sticks or drop tree Limbs which you can then Harvest later.

Temperature – Time of day can dramatically affect the overall air temperature on Great Bear Island.

Thrown Torches & Flares – Thrown Torches and Flares have a chance to scare away hostile wildlife.

The Sun – Use the sun’s position in the sky to navigate Great Bear Island

Wind – High winds will slow movement and exploration, as well as put out campfires.

Wolf Struggles – As well as causing dangerous and deadly Afflictions, Wolf struggles can damage and destroy Clothing.

Workbench & Forge – Keep an eye out for these valuable crafting locations. The items you make with them are often better than the ones you find in the world.

Falagar

He is the founder and editor of Magic Game World. He loved gaming from the moment he got a PlayStation 1 with Gran Turismo on his 7th birthday.
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