The Long Dark: Tips & Tricks Beginner’s Guide

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.

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