The Long Dark

The Long Dark
DeveloperHinterland Studio
PublisherHinterland Studio
DirectorRaphael van Lierop
DesignersRaphael van Lierop
Alan Lawrance
WriterRaphael van Lierop
ComposersCris Velasco
Sascha Dikiciyan
EngineUnity
Platforms
ReleaseLinux, macOS, Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
August 1, 2017
Nintendo Switch
September 17, 2020
GenreSurvival
ModeSingle-player

The Long Dark is a survival video game developed and published by Hinterland Studios. The player assumes the role of crash-landed bush pilot Will Mackenzie who must survive the frigid Canadian wilderness after a geomagnetic storm. The game received seed financing from the Canada Media Fund, and further funding was secured through a successful Kickstarter campaign in October 2013.

An alpha version was released through Steam Early Access in September 2014. The alpha version was later launched on the Xbox One as one of the first two launch titles associated with Microsoft's Game Preview Program in June 2015. Early reviews of the alpha release were generally positive, and the game went on to sell around 750,000 copies by April 2016. It was officially released on all aforementioned platforms on August 1, 2017, as well as for PlayStation 4. In 2017, it was announced that a film adaptation of The Long Dark was in the works. A Nintendo Switch port was announced and released on September 17, 2020.

On December 12, 2024, a sequel titled Blackfrost: The Long Dark 2 was announced.