Designing the Powerful Loneliness of The Long Dark 

I am one of those people who needed this game in my life for personal reasons. In 2016, the love of my life suddenly died from a pulmonary embolism at only 32. Everything felt surreal. I felt very much like I was going through the motions, like life didn't have a purpose anymore, and like the world was just this empty, dismal void. TLD really struck a powerful chord with me, because it was a world that perfectly reflected my inner state. Most of the time, it's serene, but mournful. The crunch of snow, the wind, the abandonment, it was true to my own sense of isolation, but there was something healing about it, too. You have nothing, and you're at the mercy of winter, so there's simultaneously a sense of inevitability and hopelessness, but at the same time, the small victories where you find something to eat or manage to escape a storm and find a warm bed, they feel rewarding. It's okay to be lost. Getting by day to day is enough. You can work your way back up from nothing, even if it isn't much. I needed that lesson in my life. So, thank you.

The fact that he is proud to have built an anti-power fantasy is just amazing. Love the game, love his thoughts.

The Long Dark: a lesson in anxiety management. This game has actually taught me a lot on how to manage low level anxiety due to, as you mentioned, vulnerability, survival, the impact of decisions, etc. You're dropped into a state of constant low-level stress, and you have to plan ahead how you're going to get through the next few seconds, minutes, hours, and days. You must learn how to deal with your present situation and the threats/unknown of the future at the same time. Who says video games can't be used for therapy? If you can learn and apply helpful strategies in a simulated environment like a video game, they can be applied to help irl, too, as many people in the comments have said. (Of course, this is not meant to dismiss professional help. If you need help with your mental health, seek professional therapy, too!)

Of the 100s of video games i have played in my life, i can confidently place The Long Dark in my top 10. It is a breath of fresh air, to what most companies are trying to feed us as entertainment these days.

One of my favorite games. I play it every winter and every time I do I immediately get into the vibe of being alone in a world where everything tries to kill you. Best enjoyed with a kettle of tea.

I'm 52, have been video gaming literally since Pong. TLD is definitely in my top 10 games, probably top 5. Great work Hinterland, and nice to know you're in my back yard!

It feels so damn nice after a stressful long day of school to play this, it like melts away all of my stress.

long dark can swing from one of the most tense and horrifying games i've ever played to one of the most relaxing and cozy games. Hinterland has done an amazing job of crafting an atmospheric and immersive game and I highly recommend giving it a shot. It might take a few tries to start getting a grasp of the mechanics and how animals behave and stuff though fair warning.

this game deserves so much more attention than it has, its an incredible game and hard to put down lmao, prolly the most realistic survival game ive ever played. Also the fact there is no monsters and only wildlife and the weather as enemies its incredible

One of my favourite games is getting the exposure it deserves ♥ We need more non-combat focused games, especially in AAA territory. I'm glad Death Stranding looks like it's heading in that direction

I've been playing videogames for more than 30 years and I can say that this is definitely my favourite game

I would like to thank to Raphael Von Lierop and to Hinterland Studios for this amazing game. A game than makes me feel, FEEL, the loneliness and the power of nature and at the same time to feel the live. Thank you so much

As someone who bought this game the moment it came to early access and enjoyed it quite a bit, I find that by the time all the episodes are released, the new game to experience shine has long worn off. This has nothing to do with this great game, but rather the fact that having games in early access and with episodic content stay there for so long means we might get tired before they even began. Perhaps Danny and the guys at Noclip could cover a studio talk about the psychological effects of something like early access. We've seen how the feedback of early access was beneficial for Supergiant Games, and everything System Era had to go through, and I'd be curious to see how a studio copes with the problematic "it ended before it began" issue where many people leave the game they paid for in early access and don't even play the final finished product. Of course, I'm referring to the story mode, survival mode is its own thing. Keep up the brilliant work guys.

I remember in my first few playthroughs I made the mistake of relying on canned food so when it ran out and I had to leave my shelter and go looking for a rifle or an animal carcass to steal from the wolves. I went to the top of the watchtower and I had hoped there would be a rifle or more canned food. Nope. I never made it off that hill and it stuck with me. Damn I really wanna replay this game

Such a different game. Each update and action is clearly well thought out and planned. It is so close to being a master piece. It is already one of a kind. This might be my favorite game of all time.

Always a pleasure watching this channel. Actual art. :)

"I was the narrative director on Far Cry 3." So basically you're the best person to ever do that job

Never played this before but now I'm intrigued. I guess I'm going to have to give this game a shot now :)

The Long Dark and This War of Mine both succeeded in making the players feel the solitude feeling. Loved both of those amazing games. Recently stumbled upon an upcoming game named Northern Lights that looks like a combination of the Long Dark and The Forest but tends to follow the same solitude feeling path. Indies really be making the greatest survival games out there

i really love this game. not only for the reasons you've mentioned in the interview but also for the brilliant soundtrack and the beautiful artwork. in my eyes it's a masterpiece.

I'm playing survival stalker mode and I love each moment. Me against the wild. Enjoying every moment. Thanks hinterland

Noclip huge respect for this .

I didn't even know about this game and now I'm excited to play it. It's seems oddly relaxing but yet interested. Can't wait to play it.

It's great to hear about what goes into this. The Long Dark is by far the most compelling survival experience in a video game and really just pulls you in. As he says, no matter how far you get in the game, there's always a chance that the next time you go out and explore you could end up getting lost and freezing to death. You get more experienced, but sometimes the elements just seem to have it out for you. Like getting caught in a blizzard, jumped by a wolf and then finished off by a bear...

I love the Long Dark, ironically the only thing I don't like about it is the combat.

I've had more than 2K hours in game but I got lost in fog while I was playing just a few hours ago.

Great game, One of my all-time faves. Hearing this guy describe the creative direction of the game in words literally resonated with all the things I love about this game. Yeh, it's 'another' survival game, but it's a survival game with a difference that difference is personified in the loneliness of the world.

Thank you for this great game. As a Canadian, its so nice to play in an environment that's familiar and awesome in its danger and beauty. One thing I just noticed this weekend while snowshoeing in the laurentiens of Quebec is that there is no dense forest in the game - a good shelter from the wind! But I suppose its too far north for that but might be cool. Thanks again.

I love the quiet and peace that I can find in the Long Dark, even when I'm starving or dehydrating or freezing, there is a level of panic but also a level of peace. I also love that the game doesn't have a combat element.

This game is one of the industry's best kept secrets. 10/10

Phenomenal game. I’ve played it for years and still it beats me upside the head when I least expect it. Rare gem.

I love the long dark, and I use it as a sort of escape from the normal day to day kind of survival, and into a more primitive survival. I've noticed a sort of constant fear or nervousness hovering over me combined with the knowledge that I, the physical me, am fine, even if game me isn't, creating a new feeling that I really like and feels really refreshing. TLD is a super immersive game for me and I love it.

I need to reinstall. I loved it when I played it in early access, and I stopped playing because I wanted to wait till the story was completed. I then built a new PC and had forgotten about it till now.

Not to be too morbid, but I love how slowly you die in the game, sometimes, it compels you to keep pushing forward and trying to survive, and sometimes you do and that's really crazy knowing if you had given up when you thought it was hopeless, your whole save would have been gone.. Best Game Ever. Probably. imo

Love these short videos almost as much as the long. Great work :)

I absolutely love this game. Every time it starts getting cold outside I have a strong urge to play it. Playing it now actually! ♥

The game is on such a different level to all other survival games, its really beautiful

I love The long dark , thanks for all the feelings that I experienced during the game..

This is my favorite and most realistic game ever. Thank you for giving them this spotlight!

im really enjoying theses shorter more focused docs!

What a delightful surprise. The Long Dark is one of my favorite video games of all time, primarily due to the flexibility and mood of its sandbox mode. I bought in pretty early, so maybe i'm a bit biased, but this look into the Exact Thing that kept me playing the game for a hundred hours is awesome. Thanks Danny and Noclip team!

YES! I love this game, I'm so glad my fav doc channel is covering it

It feels good to know, that there are developers who really know the difference between being alone in calming solitude and feeling lonely.

I love this game so much. Ive been playing since Beta and i still go back to it quite often, espicially in the winter. I enjoy being outdoors and this makes me feel like I can do so much more. I cant wait for the next chapter in the story.

Thanks for the video. I completely agree that the game is a meditative escape. I don't have a cabin or a place to escape the pressures and noise and anxiety of the city. However, now I have the Long Dark. I instantly fell in love with this game because of its beauty and solitude and zen simplicity. I also love that there are no people, just you and your thoughts. Its therapy in a way... Hopefully many people try and love this game like I do.

Thank you for your game. Absolutely amazing experience, grows on you and absolutely stuns you with its immersion. Glad to have contributed to your cause and specially pay for your product, which happens not so often these days. THANK YOU AGAIN GUYS FOR CARING, stay independent, stay real.

Didn't know of it but looks fantastic and I'll check it out. His thoughts about the game resonate with me. Such a great channel.

looks like a really interesting experience. wish i had the time. hope the best for all these devs

This game been on the shelf of my Steam library for a long time now. And I do gotta say. There is always time to start playing it and I'm really enjoying it right now.

I love this game so, so much, especially the exploration in that vast emptiness. By now I have a pretty well conditioned fear response to the wolves though...

After 35 years of gaming this is in my top 3, It's sublime gameplay a masterpiece. BRAVO Ralph

I'm not a big gamer, but I've poured hundreds of hours into this game since I discovered it a few months back. I have a condition that prevents me from traveling (including going into the woods that I love the most). This game is like meditation for me. Such beauty to explore.

Love this game. Played it since the day 1 launch in September 2014 and still play it to this day on and off. Edit: Okay just finished watching and I have to agree with the whole escape aspect. When I first got this game there we're certain rather heavy issues in my family revolving around my mothers ex that drew me often times to the brink. The calm drawn out gameplay I felt help you get this sort of aspect of drowning out everything else and just getting to take a breath.

"lucky enough to find a wolf" ... clearly he's not used to playing on interloper... O.o

imagine Far Cry 5 with no story. build a base, explore and survive, have seasons, so winter would be sorta like the Long Dark and summer would be fishing, hunting and gathering supplies etc.. that would be amazing!

Really liking these short docs.

Raphael van Lierop is my hero and I didn't even know it. Seems that every game he touched is golden.

Hmm...I've heard about this game but never though it could be this intriguing. Gonna shortlist it and probably buy it soon enough.

very personal game for me as well.. the sandbox mode I think has *unique therapeutic value* in how it forces the player to confront their own fears re: food insecurity, isolation, loneliness and death. I got the achievement awhile back for surviving over 100 days in sandbox mode which I did without any deaths, which is probably the only game achievement I have that really means something to me. When I finally died on that run it was on the lighthouse road & I got greedy... ran into 3 wolves... scared one off, survived attacks by 2 more, and didn't survive the bear that followed. But - it was good day to die. 😵

Man, it's really cool to learn that the game developer put a lot of thought into this game, and was inspired by another really cool game. I play this game to escape chronic pain, and it helps a lot. I don't think my life would be the same without The Long Dark, so it means a lot to learn that the Hinterland founder is legitimately cool.

TLD is one of my favorite games. One of the heavier moments I've had was while I was playing The Long Dark. I was in Desolation Point for the first time atop the lighthouse and I looked out to see the mainland. You know there has to be other people out there surviving maybe alone, maybe together, and those are people you could connect with if you weren't trapped on the island. I just stared at it for a while and I realized I was on an island of my own in real life. I needed to make some changes and I'm and it sucks sometimes and it's hard and some days I hate it, but it gets easier everyday.

I love the long dark. Stoked to see this on noclip.

I've not played the game; but youtube allows me to almost play it thrugh the eyes of their channel. You have an excellant game; you have a game from which other games are measured; every bit as poignient powerful, and replayable as the game you idealized, Falloud 3 [a game I played a few times through myself!]

Guys you should do a longer doc about this game, that would be awesome!

Holy crap, I had no idea Raphael was instrumental in Far Cry 3, Space Marine and Dawn of War - all games I really loved and played the heck out of. (Space Marine was CRIMINALLY under-rated!) No wonder I've been enjoying TLD so much.

Thanks for creating my favorite game in the past years.

I associate this game with cold December nights. Every year since it came out I played it around December and something about the atmosphere of the game, and the time of year just kind of makes it a super immersive experience. No other survival game has done it in that way for me before, a mix of anxiety and calm in a game.

Always can't wait for your videos. Great content as always!

Been following this game since it’s Kickstarter and man did it come a long way. Unfortunately I had to put this game down at 69 hours played because my lap top couldn’t even run it. 2 years pass and I finally get a gaming pc and how stunned was I to run this beautiful game at 60 FPS and was so happy to see how the game changed. The amount of content they add to survival should be set as an example to any developer. The single player is unique and the setting is brilliant. It’s amazing what Hinterland pulled off truly. I can’t find any flaw with this game and that’s saying something. P.S. While this game was in early access I actually chatted with Van Lierop about my game I was making at the time. He actually took time to give me some insight and inspired me to continue for a career in game development. Amazing dude.

Raphael, Thank you. Fallout 3 was the first game to really create that feeling of loneliness in an open world game for me also and i agree, i would have enjoyed it more with less combat. Fallout 3 being your inspiration makes sense that the only other game which has been able to give me the very same feeling is yours! I adore the long dark. Its genuinely one of my all time favourite games. Thank you so much. :).

Thank you Raphael for creating the game I always wanted to play!!! I used to play Fallout 3 carefully evading enemies but enjoying the adventure & discovery. I have been playing The Long Dark since it first came out and a lot has changed but always for the better :) TLD is my all time favorite game I can "escape into"

Long dark is one of those fantastic games that creates a story as you play. For example there is the time I discovered you could survive off cat tails and naps. (can't do that any more but it was an option) Or the time a hunt for a rifle ended at the hands of a candy bar. I now fear small ledges, blizzards, any food below 70%, branches, and wind because of that. It really is a great game that lets you chill after a long day.

Nice work. Really want to try this game out now.

I think the loneliness is the biggest factor that makes survival mode gameplay so different from Wintermute. Love the commentary

I love this game and I was surprised to see Hinterland show up on NoClip. Hopefully this introduces more players to this awesome experience.

The long dark was a game that just enveloped me. It's entertaining and lonely. Frustrating to retrack for 30 min through nothing for something, It's great at expressing emotions through game play.

I really love The Long Dark. It has quickly become one of my favourite games and it's easily the best survival game I've ever played. Everything about it just works. It's also another game that proves that consistent art-style and lighting is more important than high-res textures and fancy shaders. At times it's absolutely breathtaking. I'm really happy that this game is as successful as it is, considering that it's quite a niche title. Hinterland also deserves an award for best developer. The amount of communication with their audience, their willingness to admit mistakes, and the fact that they actually listen to feedback and do changes to their game based on it is really commendable.

Yes, The long Dark! One of my favorite games. Love it.

This sounds amazing. Hope they make a VR version one day, that would be incredible!

The Long Dark is one of those games that deserves way more backing. I've been playing for about 9 months now, and only see how much more potential this game has. The only thing I really really wish Hinterland did for survival mode, was add some sort of scavenger faction that you have to deal with. But make them a very sparce occurance, as to add to the tension of meeting another human. That could add allot of tension to scavanging building, or staying put for to long. Maybe you'd get robbed, maybe you can join them.

Awesome game, loving it! Reminds me of my boyscout years. Thank you sir!

this became my second most played steam game in a week. if you get hooked by it it hooks HARD. really makes you feel like you're alone vs the winter storm. for me I liked having a map as i was getting started. It can be a wikigame if you want to play it that way. i reccomend ziesteau if you want a good lp. start in story mode

Played this when it first come out on Xbox, been wanting to try it again for a while now

Thank you for this, very interesting.

This is amazing!

I love the game,l been playing the game for about a year now and it's the best game I have ever played. Great job

This and Subnautica are the best things I played in my 30 years of gaming.

I love this game. I had been looking for something like this for years. I enjoy games with epic battles, like Skyrim or first person shooters, but sometimes I want to play something where I can explore without being attacked every few minutes. Skyrim is a beautiful game, but after you get to a certain level, the battles just become easy and tedious and feel like they're interrupting your experience of walking through the world. The Long Dark gives me a huge world to explore where the elements and resource management are your main difficulty. It's beautiful and peaceful, with occasional "Oh, shit!" moments, when you're starving, freezing, being attacked by an animal and sometimes all of the above while lost in a blizzard. I wish there were more games like this. I've always wished for a more adult version of The Oregon Trail , that has a journey, but also let's you keep playing that life after you reach your goal. Whenever I used to play that, I wanted the challenge of starting my life in Oregon based on how many people and goods I managed to get there with. Another type I'd like to play would be an apocalyptic game where you're not only searching for food and shelter, but also other people to start a community in a promising spot you have to find. Something with a long journey, but also trying to make that community thrive.

i am always on youtube so no need of notification from noclip.

Truly amazing.

This was my most played and favorite game of this summer (quite ironic I play an winter themed game on summer). I've have played a lot of single player games until a point where I'm really bored of an typical AAA single player games in general, (multiplayer games don't interest me neither). But I find this to be a novelty, It gave me an unique expirience, that's why it's my favorite game of this summer. Now I fell bad for buying this for only 6$ on Steam sale.

I love The Long Dark and I love the idea behind this very unique and compelling survival game

Incredible game! Needs more love!

I've owned this game since before they even had the Story in it, if you are even remotely a fan of Survival Games, buy this right now It is worth the full price

i love this game and the team behind it

TLD is kinda like factorio in that from the very start it had the basic gameplay loop set from the beginning and development was just polishing and perfecting that loop

Thank you so much this game is amazing I had to buy it twice so my dad could watch me play. It’s funny cause he just one day stopped by my room and looked at my computer while I was playing it and asked what I was going and since then I’ve been playing a world for us together if you were to ever make another long dark or something of the sort it would be cool to have two players

I have been playing a ton of this game while on lockdown. I have been feeling lonely, but the beautiful desolation of The Long Dark has made my loneliness... okay.

I am depressed since maybe 10 or more Years. Since 6 Years i am in Therapy. Currently i get again a Deep Dark Path of it. Where i dont know when the Light comes. It is very hard to Explain when u dont know this feel. The Long Dark is one of the Few Games who bring me a bit down from my inner tension. It is always a interesting Adventure. I think much of it is from the Sound, it is very good and makes a superb Atmosphere. The only thing what i dont like that new Areas takes ages to come. But thank u Hinterland Studio. This Game is a Masterpiece, and one of the few Survival Games where i have the feel it is not too much to think about Surviving.

I have loved this game since the very beginning. I remember when the UI was boxy and awkward, and when you could spawn next to a wolf at night in a blizzard the middle of nowhere. The art has come a long way, the music is perfect, the interactions with your surroundings are amazing, and the combat is pretty simple - much better than it originally was. I LOVE what they've done in this time, despite the lag on story mode updates. I use screenshots for my desktop and cell phone backgrounds. It offers a break from reality and a challenge - one in which death is the fault of the player and not because of crappy design. I look forward to what comes in the future for it, and because so much consideration has gone into the other parts of the game as well, I don't mind if they need to take more time to make the story mode part of it more like they need it to be. This is absolutely my favourite game, with nearly 1,000 hours played on it. The only thing I'll say is that I wish you could jump. My God, I wish you could jump. Being stuck on one of those little bumps that mark where a car can park and not able to get over it, but having to spare those precious couple of seconds running from a wolf to go around it, is incredibly frustrating. The game has helped me get better at strategizing and planning things out because of the resource crunch, and provided a lot of distraction from upsetting things in real life that I badly needed when the problems came up (two deaths, one a best friend and one a family member; and difficulty with workplace harassment). Whoever says nothing good can come from video games and that they only cause violence needs to rethink such baseless claims, because they can save lives.