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Survival Mode is the sandbox survival mode of The Long Dark.

During Survival Mode, the player may travel freely between all Regions of Great Bear Island, with the narrative created by their own actions and ability to survive. Survival Mode is a permadeath experience; once the player dies the save cannot be reloaded.

Players who purchase the Tales from the Far Territory Expansion will have access to unique content in Survival Mode, such as more tools, more Wildlife, and new Regions.

Experience

The choice of Experience dictates how harshly the world will treat the player throughout their journey in The Long Dark.

Pilgrim

XpMode Pilgrim
Wander the quiet apocalypse to chronicle the passing of an age. This is the poetry of survival.

The easiest experience available in survival and story mode. Ideal for exploration and learning in a low-stress environment.

  • Great Bear Island is abundant with items.
    • High-quality and abundant starting supplies.
    • High-quality items may spawn.
    • Firearms may spawn.
  • Needs erode slowly.
  • Wildlife will not attack unless provoked. (All hostile wildlife can still detect the player and walk towards their position, but will flee once the player is fully detected.)
  • Safe starting condition (indoors, during good weather, in hospitable Region).
  • Decay of items is slow.
  • All Fires prevent freezing (regardless of ambient temperature).
  • Automatically wake from sleep when freezing IF you are sleeping next to a fire.
  • The player can continue to sleep even when fully rested.
  • Scurvy is disabled.
  • Allows five active Feats.

Voyageur

XpMode Voyageur
Equal parts hunter and hunted, your struggle to survive will eventually lead to mastering the elements.

An experience that balances exploration with a challenge. Available in survival and story mode.

  • Great Bear Island has regular items to be found.
    • Moderate and mid-quality starting supplies.
    • High-quality items may spawn, but are uncommon.
    • Firearms may spawn.
  • Normal Needs.
  • Hostile Wildlife will not spawn for the first 24 hours.[1]
  • Chance to start at night, outdoors, during poor weather, or in an inhospitable Region.
  • Moderate Decay of items.
  • All Fires prevent freezing (regardless of ambient temperature).
  • Automatically wake from sleep when freezing IF you are sleeping next to a fire.
  • The player will automatically wake up once their Fatigue meter is fully rested, and they cannot go back to sleep until sufficiently tired.
  • Scurvy is present.
  • Allows four active Feats.

Stalker

XpMode Stalker
Your demise awaits behind every hilltop, shelter, and tree. Only the strong survive.

A punishing survival challenge. Stalker features numerous and aggressive Wolves and Timberwolves. Available in survival and story mode.

  • Great Bear Island is sparse with items.
    • Limited and/or low quality starting supplies.
    • Incomplete starting clothes; head will be exposed.
    • High-quality items may spawn, but are rare.
    • Firearms and ammunition may spawn infrequently.
  • Needs erode quickly.
  • Hostile Wildlife may spawn immediately, are more numerous, and are found in more locations.
  • Detection radius for hostile wildlife is extremely large.
  • Eating cooked or uncooked meat from predator animals has a chance to give the player Intestinal Parasites.
  • Start will be outdoors: chance to start during night, poor weather, or in an inhospitable Region.
  • Fast Decay of items.
  • Fires do not automatically prevent freezing ("Feels Like" Temperature must be raised above 0° C).
  • No automatic waking from sleep when freezing.
  • The player will automatically wake up once their Fatigue meter is fully rested, and they cannot go back to sleep until sufficiently tired.
  • Allows three active Feats.
  • Scurvy is present and is much more harsh than Voyager difficulty.
  • Sheltering indoors for too long will result in the Cabin Fever Affliction.

Interloper

A guide for players new to Interloper can be found here.

XpMode Interloper
You are not part of Mother Nature's plan, and you will bear the full force of her wrath. The true test of Human VS Nature.

A punishing survival experience. You are an unwelcome guest in this cold, hostile world. Best suited for expert players looking for the ultimate survival challenge. Available in survival and some challenge modes only.

  • Great Bear Island has few items to be found.
  • Needs erode very quickly.
  • Game will start outdoors. Chance to spawn at night.
    • Random starting region (cannot spawn in "Beginner" regions).
    • Higher chance to start in Advanced (most dangerous) regions.
  • Rabbits, Deer and Fish are rarer, and Wolves/Timberwolves are extremely deadly (with Detection Radius and Frequency equivalent to Voyageur).
  • Wildlife becomes rarer and the environment colder over time (up to a limit).
  • Eating cooked or uncooked meat from predator animals has a chance to give the player Intestinal Parasites, with a far harsher treating period compared to Stalker difficulty.
  • Fires do not automatically prevent freezing ("Feels Like" Temperature must be raised above 0° C).
  • Hypothermia and Frostbite progresses faster, and heal slower.
  • Very fast Decay of items.
  • No automatic waking from sleep when freezing.
  • The player will automatically wake up once their Fatigue meter is fully rested, and they cannot go back to sleep until sufficiently tired.
  • Allows two active Feats.
  • Scurvy is present and is on the same level as Stalker difficulty.
  • Cabin Fever is present and progresses much faster than Stalker difficulty.

Custom

XpMode Custom
Use our custom toolbox to craft a unique experience between Survival and Exploration - an experience all your own.

For players looking for their own experience, separate from standard Survival mode experiences. Players can create a custom experience here, with over 50 different variables which can be adjusted to their liking. These variables include:

...as well as many others.

Creating a Custom Experience Mode generates a code, which may be shared with other users for the same experience, including across platforms.

Common Custom Options

The player community has given unofficial names to two of the most commonly used custom experiences. One of them has been dubbed Gunloper, which is an Interloper base game where rifle/revolver spawns are enabled. The other is Deadman, which is an Interloper base game where passive healing is disabled, and birch bark tea cannot be crafted (similar to As the Dead Sleep).

Custom Difficulty Customization Options

NOTE: No Feats progression will occur in Custom Experience Mode. Up to 5 previously unlocked Feats are available for use.

DIFFICULTY PILGRIM VOYAGEUR STALKER INTERLOPER
GAME START
Baseline resource availability Very High High Medium Low
Starting time of day Noon Random Random Random
Starting weather Clear Heavy Fog Heavy Fog Heavy Fog
Indoor spawns permitted Yes Yes No No
Survivor monologue Yes Yes Yes Yes
ENVIRONMENT
Length of day multiplier 1x 1x 1x 1x
Weather variability Low Medium High Very High
Blizzard frequency Low Medium High Very High
World gets colder over time None Low Medium High
Wind variability Medium Medium Medium Medium
Aurora frequency Medium Medium Medium Medium
Fire overcomes ambient air temp Yes Yes No No
Endless night (v1.83) No No No No
HEALTH
Calorie burn rate Low Medium High Very High
Thirst rate Low Medium Medium High
Fatigue rate High High High Medium
Freezing rate Low Medium High Very High
At-rest condition recovery rate High High High Medium
Condition recovery rate High High High Medium
Hypothermia recovery time Low Medium High Very High
Frostbite rate Low Medium High Very High
Cabin fever No Yes Yes Yes
Intestinal parasites No No Yes Yes
Dysentery Yes Yes Yes Yes
Sprains Yes Yes Yes Yes
Food poisoning Yes Yes Yes Yes
Broken ribs No Yes Yes Yes
Rest as a resource Yes Yes Yes Yes
Fires prevent freezing Yes Yes No No
Wake up player when freezing near a fire Yes Yes No No
Birch bark tea crafting (v.1.64) Yes Yes Yes Yes
GEAR
Item decay rate Low Medium High Very High
Loose item availability Very High High Medium Low
Empty container chance modifier None None Medium High
Stick, branch, and stone respawn frequency Very High High Medium Low
Starting gear allocation Very High High Medium Low
Rifle availability Yes Yes Yes No
Revolver availability (v.1.64) Yes Yes Yes No
Harvestable plant availability High High High High
Reduce container item density None None Low High
WILDLIFE SPAWNS
Fish spawn chance High High High Medium
Wolf spawn chance Low Medium Very High High
Timberwolf spawn chance (v.1.64) Low Medium Very High High
Deer spawn chance Very High High Medium Low
Rabbit spawn chance Very High High Medium Low
Bear spawn chance Low Medium Very High High
Moose spawn chance Low Medium Very High High
Time to wildlife respawn Medium Medium Medium Medium
Reduce wildlife population over time None Low Medium High
Wolf spawn distance Medium Close Close Close
Predator grace period No Yes No No
WILDLIFE BEHAVIOUR
Wildlife smell range Low Medium High High
Scent increase from Meat/Blood Medium Medium Medium Medium
Passive wildlife Yes No No No
Wildlife attacks during rest No Yes Yes Yes
Wolf fear Medium Medium Medium Medium
Timberwolf morale (v.1.64) High Medium Low Low
Wildlife detection range Medium Medium Medium Medium
WILDLIFE STRUGGLE
Struggle bonus High Medium Low None
Struggle condition damage modifier None None None High
Struggle clothing damage modifier Low Low Low High
Struggle damage severity Low Medium High Very High

Choose Region

Main article: Region

The player may select any region they want as their starting point. The player also has the option to randomize their starting region. Each region is unique, has different advantages and drawbacks, and are all interconnected.

If the Interloper Experience is selected, then the starting region will be randomly chosen. In Interloper, you will not spawn in Mystery Lake or Coastal Highway, and the number of possible spawn locations is limited.

The current regions are as follows:

Lower Great Bear

Mystery Lake [beginner] - Connects to Mountain Town, Coastal Highway, Pleasant Valley, and Forlorn Muskeg

Coastal Highway [intermediate] - Connects to Mystery Lake, Pleasant Valley, and Desolation Point

Pleasant Valley [advanced] - Connects to Mystery Lake, Coastal Highway, Timberwolf Mountain and Blackrock

Desolation Point [intermediate] - Connects to Coastal Highway

Timberwolf Mountain [advanced] - Connects to Pleasant Valley, Ash Canyon and Blackrock

Forlorn Muskeg [advanced] - Connects to Mystery Lake, Mountain Town, and Broken Railroad

Broken Railroad [intermediate] - Connects to Forlorn Muskeg and Forsaken Airfield

Mountain Town [beginner] - Connects to Mystery Lake, Forlorn Muskeg, and Hushed River Valley

Hushed River Valley [advanced] - Connects to Mountain Town

Bleak Inlet [advanced] - Connects to Forlorn Muskeg and The Ravine

Ash Canyon [advanced] - Connects to Timberwolf Mountain

Blackrock [intermediate] - Connects to Timberwolf Mountain and Pleasant Valley

Far Territory

Transfer Pass (intermediate) - Connects to Forsaken Airfield, Broken Rail

Forsaken Airfield (advanced) - Connects to Transfer Pass, Zone of Contamination

Zone of Contamination (advanced) - Connects to Transfer Pass, Forsaken Airfield

Player Sex

The player can choose between a male or female survivor, with the only differences being the player character's speaking voice (Mackenzie or Astrid), first person arms and hands, and the body shown in the Clothing screen.

Start

The player is alone, not dressed for the cold, and carries only a meager amount of supplies. The player must find food and shelter before nightfall, when the temperatures drop. The amount of supplies one starts with is dependent on the experience mode selected.

Depending on the sandbox difficulty, the players may either find themselves in a house or outside in the cold. In harder difficulties, it may also be approaching nightfall or already dark, and, in some cases, bad weather may move in quickly.

Length of day multiplier

Concretely, this affect the spacetime aspect of the experience. Giving more control and multiply the in-game moving speed by day. In x4 you can walk 4x more in a day like in 1x. Making the world virtually "smaller".

  1. Character is in timed activity: There is no gameplay difference when your character start an "action", like to sleep, craft, cut, read a book.
  2. Management activities are directly linked to the multiplier, like writing note, checking map, make free space in bag, looking landspace and else. In x4, you have 4x more time for this content.
  3. All others parts of the game are impacted, like in slow-motion (irl point of view) or in turbo boost (moving, hunting and else), depending the point of view.

Differences from Story mode

Some items, locations, and even events found within the Wintermute Story mode are different within Survival Mode, suggesting an alternate timeline of events has unfolded. A list of notable changes include:

  1. Despite notes being found throughout the world suggesting possible survivor activity, no human NPCs can be found. (not counting dead bodies that can be found or the signal fires in Hushed River Valley).
  2. All areas of the game world can be freely explored with no restrictions.
  3. There is far less player dialogue. There are no scripted events.
  4. Certain tools, clothing, and story related quest items cannot be found within Survival Mode.
  5. It can be assumed that the player character you choose when starting Survival Mode is either Astrid or Mackenzie, as they share the same voice and appearance as their story counterparts and their backstory involves having their plane crash land on Great Bear Island after a mysterious geomagnetic storm. Will's crashed plane can also be found not far from Milton.
  6. Grey Mother is missing and her home has been ransacked, with her blanket and rocking chair still present within her home. She is presumed to have been burned alive in the school house along with the other inhabitants of Milton after the convict riot that resulted from the crashed prison bus.
  7. Paradise Meadows Farm often contains a corpse inside the toolshed. The inside of the farmhouse also contains evidence of a struggle.
  8. Methuselah cannot be found anywhere.
  9. The Trapper's Homestead lies dormant, with Jeremiah presumably being killed by the Old Bear since no help arrived for him.
  10. The Forest Talkers and any trace of their activities are entirely absent from Survival Mode, including their supply caches.
  11. The Pleasant Valley Farmstead is unoccupied, with neither Molly nor her husband's remains anywhere to be found. The nearby barn has a tTmberwolf sized hole in the doors, but no dead wolf.
  12. The Community Hall at Thomson's Crossing is empty and Father Thomas is missing. Subsequently, this resulted in the makeshift triage center never being made, as there is no lite bonfire in front of the hall to guide the plane crash survivors to the town.
  13. The Blackrock Prison lies in ruins after a catastrophic explosion, with all known prisoners and on-site workers having presumably perished inside. Jace is also missing.

Trivia

  • Although survival mode is intended to be a permadeath experience, some players back up game saves periodically so that if they die, they can load the backed-up save and continue. This practice is called "save scumming"

Gallery

References

  1. Steam, The "Silent Hunter" Update (v.233) -- We've Added Bows & Improved Hunting!, viewed 22 May 2015, <http://steamcommunity.com/games/305620/announcements/detail/235656499654813808>.
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