Imagine the lights go out, never to return. Bright aurora flare across the sky, and all humanity's technological might is laid to waste, neutralized in a kind of quiet apocalypse. Everything that has shielded humanity from the disinterested power of Mother Nature is suddenly wrenched from us, dropping us a few links down the food chain. Food and water are scarce. The roads are no longer safe. And winter approaches…

The breathtakingly picturesque Pacific Northwest frames the backdrop for the drama of The Long Dark. You take on the role of William Mackenzie, a newly stranded bush pilot crashed far from the nearest human habitation. Lost, wounded, and with wolves circling, you'll have to quickly master basic wilderness survival skills if you're to last long enough to understand how the world has changed since the aurorae appeared in the sky. And that's just the beginning.

In the first season of this episodic series, players experience this grim new reality through the eyes of bush pilot William Mackenzie, isolated with other survivors in the Northern wilderness as a result of the event. Gameplay emphasizes exploration to gather resources and knowledge about the world, while mastering a deep survival simulation to overcome the myriad natural and man-made hazards of the new frontier. Players will also face difficult moral choices that will affect the outcome of gameplay, story, and ultimately, the course of humanity’s recovery.

We all have to do our part to fight the spread of COVID-19.

To that end, Hinterland are proud to have raised $194,619 through our recent “Social Distancing Fundraiser” on Steam, to support the United Nations Foundation and the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund.

“In the face of this global pandemic, we all have to do our part to support each other, and this is a time where game studios and the experiences we create can make a real difference in people’s lives”, said Raphael van Lierop, Hinterland Founder & CEO. “We’re proud to be able to donate 100% of the revenue from this Fundraiser, and to join other world-leading brands in the fight against this terrible virus.”

Donations help the WHO to understand how the virus spreads, provide patients the critical care they need, and also supports frontline workers with essential supplies and information. This infographic illustrates the breakdown of how donations have been allocated so far.

“We launched the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund seeking support for the World Health Organization’s life-saving global response,” said Elizabeth Cousens, President & CEO of the UN Foundation. “We are thankful that donors big and small have answered that call. And, we are grateful to Hinterland for generously increasing their original donation to do even more good.”

Thanks to support from our community of players, and all those who bought The Long Dark to contribute to their crucial work to combat this pandemic.

Features:

• Immersive first-person exploration gameplay featuring a stunning, original art style. Players take on the role of franchise protagonist, Will Mackenzie, as he navigates the savage beauty of the Northern Wilderness and faces the hazards of the new “post-digital” frontier.
• Be on the lookout for potential supply caches, all the while using survival skills to overcome hazards introduced by harsh weather, wildlife, lack of food and water, and other survivors.
• Deep survival simulation gameplay where every decision matters. Explore a large open world in search of resources, and balance Condition and Willpower against the needs of your daily survival.
• Morally challenging scenarios that challenge players to answer the question: “How far will you go to survive?” Any survivor you meet in the world can be friend or foe. Will you risk your life to discover what they know and selflessly sacrifice for the common good, or live — and potentially die — by the adage “might makes right”?
• Rich episodic fiction featuring dozens of locations, a cast of memorable characters, and a mature post-disaster storyline inspired by the creative risk-taking we see in many of today’s exciting television series. This isn’t the end of the world, but you can see it from here.
• urvival Story mode provides hours of narrative-driven exploration gameplay where you play as Will Mackenzie, struggling to understand what has happened to the world. Survival Sandbox mode provides potentially hundreds of hours of free-form survival gameplay where you push yourself and your skill to last as long as possible in a variety of survival scenarios.

The Long Dark is currently available on Steam Early Access for $29.99.