Thirst is also measured, and both hunger and dehydration can quickly turn fatal. Players consume food to bulk up their calorie reserves, a unit of energy that must be carefully managed and negotiated with every action, even sleep. While other games use methods like health, mana and stamina bars to indicate player health and mobility, The Long Dark is pure realism. The Long Dark is, in some ways, the natural conclusion to this way of designing games. It’s a numbers system that doesn’t perfectly parallel our real life experiences, but it’s close enough. Character stats, hit points, skill trees, leveling up: the foundation of “character building” is built into so many games that by now, we barely even notice. There’s a long history of quantifying the concept of personal growth and progress through game mechanics. Up in the North, it’s an accepted fate: if you aren’t safe, you will be sorry. The horror stories circulate on social media and the news every year, tales of folks who wandered into a snow storm and never came back.
Stock emergency supplies in your car, always wear waterproof and weather appropriate clothing, and never go anywhere without tire chains. While I’ve always lived in the slightly milder climates of Washington state, nonetheless I’m familiar with the survival rundown that comes every winter before the mountain passes freeze over. For a Pacific Northwest girl such as myself, it’s less of a game and more of an exercise in anxiety. The Long Dark is one of the most punishing games I’ve ever played.
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