The Long Dark
We Love Games Like The Long Dark
I Love survival games, I really enjoy games like The Long Dark. If you enjoy games similar to The Long Dark, then check out the following page. I list all the gameplay elements of The Long Dark and at the bottom of the page is a list of survival games with similar gameplay elements.
Full Release Title
The Long Dark released on 08/01/2017 and has continued to receive updates, there is a major content update in the works currently. 01/14/2024.
Game Engine
Survival Elements
The Long Dark, or a another name might be, The Canadian Wilderness is Trying to Murder You. That is pretty lengthy. The survival elements in this game are real enough that the developer has a disclaimer page every time you start the game, saying don’t try this at home.
The struggle to find food and keep fed is a main element of gameplay.
The struggle to find fresh clean water to drink is a main element of gameplay
Heat – not much of an issue.
Cold, a constant battle, you can easily freeze to death.
Time, yes even time can kill you so to speak.
Diseases, yes a significant list of them.
There are also afflictions, and tons of those as well, you know little things like broken limbs, burn, and blood loss.
Base Building
The long dark does not currently have any base building. It does however have base mechanics. You will need to utilize a base to survive, but you don’t have to build it, they come in the form of abandon buildings most often.
Crafting
Crafting, yeah buddy, A LOT. Their are less items to craft then in most survival games, but in The Long Dark, crafting takes game time, and that significantly changes the game play.
Looting
You will be looting a significant part of your resources, you will also need to hunt animals.
Combat, Main Enemy Types
Although everything is trying to kill you, you won’t find any zombies here. Your enemies are going to be only what is found in the Canadian wilderness, and fighting is not a primary goal.
Characters and Leveling
Characters do not level, but there is a skill system that levels, generally speaking making things faster and or easier.
Creature Taming and Mounts
NOPE! Just pure lonely survival.
Weather Impacts on Gameplay
The weather impacts your day more than you can possibly imagine. I really want to avoid spoilers on the features pages for those of us that don’t want to know everything that is coming. What I can say without ruining it is, You won’t make any moves without going outside to check the weather.
Game Modes
Wintermute – Story mode no changeable difficulty.
Survival, pure survival mode with 5 difficulties.
Pilgrim, Voyageur, Stalker, Interloper, Custom
NO CREATIVE MODE
Map
The game takes place on a handcrafted map.
Over Gameplay Difficulty
Brutal, worse than brutal. Absolutely fantastic.
There are two game mode, story and survival. The majority of players state the survival mode “is the real game”. While most players would normally want a story to guide them. The story mode is easier. When you die in survival mode, game over, talk about adding a level of stress.
Game Summary
The Long Dark is a first-person survival video game developed and published by Hinterland Studio Inc. The game is set in the harsh and unforgiving Canadian wilderness, where players must navigate through the vast and dangerous landscapes to survive against a host of environmental challenges, such as freezing temperatures, hunger, and thirst.
Players are challenged to explore, gather resources, and craft items to survive as long as possible in the sprawling open-world wilderness. The game features a permadeath system, where each failure means starting from scratch.
Another unique feature is the dynamic weather system, where players must adapt to ever-changing weather conditions and temperatures to survive.
In terms of graphics, the game features a stylized, hand-drawn aesthetic that is both beautiful and desolate. The sound design is also excellent, with an immersive soundscape that adds to the game’s tension and atmosphere.
Overall, The Long Dark is a challenging and immersive survival game that offers a unique and compelling experience. It may not appeal to everyone, as the game’s focus on realism and difficulty may turn off some players. But, if you’re looking for a challenging survival game that draws you in with its atmosphere and visuals, The Long Dark is worth checking out.
System Specs
MINIMUM:
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
- OS: Windows 8
- Processor: Dual-Core Intel i5 CPU @ 2GHz+
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics: Intel 4xxx Series w/ 512MB VRAM or better
- Storage: 7 GB available space
- Sound Card: Any on-board chip will work.
RECOMMENDED:
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
- OS: Windows 10
- Processor: Intel i7 CPU @ 2.6GHz or higher
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: nVidia GTX 555 w/ 1GB VRAM or better
- Storage: 7 GB available space
- Sound Card: Ideally, something with Surround capabilities.
Available on
Check out Zaknafein on YouTube, this guy is a survival GOAT.
Games Like The Long Dark
The following games have these gameplay features, and are extremely similar. Although most survival games have all these elements and more you should find that overall you would be playing very similar mechanics but with different graphical assets.
Similarities
Creatures or Animals, Survival Mechanics, Crafting,