The Long Dark is a survival game set on Great Bear Island, a snowy wilderness where you have to find food, warmth and shelter to stay alive. The island is split into regions, and each one has its own landscape, buildings, wildlife and supplies. Most of them make up the base game map, and the Tales from the Far Territory expansion adds the rest.
Content
Base game
Mystery Lake
An inland lake and rail corridor with cabins, fishing, and routes across Great Bear.
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Connecting Routes
- Forlorn Muskeg directly; Coastal Highway and Bleak Inlet through The Ravine; Pleasant Valley through Carter Hydro Dam and Winding River; Mountain Town through a cave near Trapper's Homestead.
- Content Required
- Base game
Coastal Highway
A frozen bay and lakeside road connect its townsite, fishing camp, and nearby regions.
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Connecting Routes
- Mystery Lake and Bleak Inlet through The Ravine; Pleasant Valley through Cinder Hills Coal Mine; Desolation Point through Crumbling Highway (Old Island Connector) and Abandoned Mine No. 3.
- Content Required
- Base game
Pleasant Valley
Open farmland and long exposed routes make its weather a key risk.
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Connecting Routes
- Timberwolf Mountain directly; Coastal Highway through Cinder Hills Coal Mine; Mystery Lake through Carter Hydro Dam and Winding River; Blackrock through Keeper's Pass South and Keeper's Pass North.
- Content Required
- Base game
Desolation Point
A compact coast with an old whaling ship, a processing plant, and a forge.
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Connecting Routes
- Coastal Highway through the Old Island Connector (Crumbling Highway) and Abandoned Mine No. 3.
- Content Required
- Base game
Timberwolf Mountain
A high mountain map with a summit route, harsh weather, and long climbs.
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Connecting Routes
- Pleasant Valley by a rope climb near Prepper's Abandoned Cache; Ash Canyon via Echo Ravine or a cave east of Deer Clearing; Blackrock through a cave near Foreman's Clearcut.
- Content Required
- Base game
Forlorn Muskeg
A wide bog crossed by a railway, with weak ice and little shelter.
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Connecting Routes
- Mystery Lake by the rail tunnel; Broken Railroad directly; Mountain Town via Marsh Ridge; Bleak Inlet via a transition cave.
- Content Required
- Base game
Broken Railroad
A short railway region centered on the Maintenance Yard and a hunting lodge.
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Connecting Routes
- Forlorn Muskeg directly; Transfer Pass through the Far Range Branch Line if you own Tales from the Far Territory.
- Content Required
- Base game
Mountain Town
Milton's houses sit in a mountain basin with routes to several regions.
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Connecting Routes
- Mystery Lake through a cave near Trapper's Homestead; Forlorn Muskeg via Marsh Ridge; Hushed River Valley through a cave between the Trailer and Spruce Falls Bridge.
- Content Required
- Base game
Hushed River Valley
A remote, multi-level valley of cliffs, caves, and waterfalls.
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Connecting Routes
- Mountain Town through a cave between the Trailer and Spruce Falls Bridge.
- Content Required
- Base game
Bleak Inlet
An industrial coastline with timberwolves, steep ground, and a cannery.
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Connecting Routes
- Forlorn Muskeg via a transition cave; Mystery Lake and Coastal Highway through The Ravine.
- Content Required
- Base game
Ash Canyon
A deep canyon with steep plateaus, rope bridges, and few buildings.
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Connecting Routes
- Timberwolf Mountain through Echo Ravine or a cave east of Deer Clearing.
- Content Required
- Base game
Blackrock
A hilly region with a prison, frequent blizzards, and timberwolves.
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Connecting Routes
- Pleasant Valley through Keeper's Pass South and Keeper's Pass North; Timberwolf Mountain through a transition cave.
- Content Required
- Base game
Content
Tales from the Far Territory
Transfer Pass
A quiet railway depot that links Lower Great Bear to three Far Territory routes.
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Connecting Routes
- Broken Railroad through the Far Range Branch Line; Forsaken Airfield by mountain road; Zone of Contamination via the railroad at Immutable Hesitation; Sundered Pass by the northern road and a collapsed-tunnel bypass.
- Content Required
- Tales from the Far Territory
Forsaken Airfield
A broad valley with an abandoned airfield, long roads, and frequent glimmer fog.
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Connecting Routes
- Transfer Pass by mountain road; Zone of Contamination and Sundered Pass through the shared transition cave south-east of Fallow Dugout.
- Content Required
- Tales from the Far Territory
Zone of Contamination
An open-pit mine region where toxic zones and mine gases make travel hazardous.
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Connecting Routes
- Transfer Pass via the railroad at Immutable Hesitation; Forsaken Airfield and Sundered Pass through the shared transition cave near Enduring Waterfall.
- Content Required
- Tales from the Far Territory
Sundered Pass
A cold mountain pass with steep terrain, avalanches, and timberwolves.
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Connecting Routes
- Transfer Pass by the road after the collapsed tunnel; Forsaken Airfield and Zone of Contamination through the shared transition cave.
- Content Required
- Tales from the Far Territory
How the regions in The Long Dark connect
The base game's main regions are joined by smaller transition areas, the passes and roads you walk through to get from one main region to the next. Each region links to at least one neighbor, either directly or through one of these transition areas, so the island works as one connected map rather than a set of separate levels. Knowing which regions link up makes it easier to plan a route before you leave camp.
Survival and Story Mode use the regions differently
Survival Mode is an open-world mode where the goal is to last as long as you can. You can travel freely between the regions on the island, so you can head wherever you want. Story Mode, called Wintermute in the game, works differently. It is split into episodes, and each episode keeps you in certain regions only.
Where to start and which regions to save for later
Mystery Lake is the easiest place to begin. It sits close to the middle of the map, and the railway tracks give you an easy landmark to navigate by. It also has plenty of supplies and food animals like deer and rabbits, though wolves and bears are around too. Timberwolf Mountain and Bleak Inlet are the ones to save for later. Both are rated advanced: Timberwolf Mountain for its harsh weather and long climbs, and Bleak Inlet for its timberwolves, which make every trip riskier.
What Tales from the Far Territory adds
Tales from the Far Territory is an expansion for Survival Mode, so you need it installed to reach any of its areas. It adds new land on the far side of the Far Range. The tales are narrative challenges played inside normal Survival games, and they reveal the history of the region. A handheld shortwave device also helps you find supplies in unfamiliar ground.
How to reach the Far Territory
You reach the Far Territory from Broken Railroad, the region that serves as its gateway. Follow the railway to the end of the line. That route is the Far Range Branch Line, and it leads to Transfer Pass, the hub that connects the other Far Territory regions.
Your first trip has to be made on foot. Bring warm, windproof clothing, tinder, matches, coal, food, water and something to deter predators, since the route is long and cold.
FAQ
Is Mountain Town a good place to start?
Yes, it is one of the friendliest places to begin. It has fewer hostile animals than most regions, plenty of food and fire-starting materials, and many shelters to rest in.
Does Pleasant Valley have bad weather?
It does, since blizzards pass through often. The ground is flat and easy to get around, but wolves and bears roam outside the roads, so stick to the roads when you can.
Where does the first Tale start?
It starts at the control tower on Forsaken Airfield. Picking up the note you find there starts your journal objectives, so that's where your Far Territory story begins.