Summary
The Long Darkis currently 90% off onSteam, dropping to its lowest-ever price by some margin.Steamusers have until early May 2025 to take advantage of this deal.
August 1 will mark the eighth anniversary ofThe Long Dark’s release, which arrived following nearly three years' worth of early access. While many conceptually similar titles have hit the market before and since,The Long Darkis still widely considered as one of thebest hardcore survival gamesever conceived. This reputation is reflected in its “Very Positive” user rating on Steam, which is currently based on a substantial sample of 96,630 player impressions.
The Steam version ofThe Long Darkreceived a 90% discountin late April 2025, dropping to $3.49. Previously, the game’s best discount dated all the way back to 2016, when it was a $19.99 title temporarily reduced to $6.79. After leaving early access in 2017,The Long Darkreceived a permanent $15 price hike, though Hinterland Studio eventually reverted it back to $19.99 in late 2022. While officially classified as a “weekend deal,” this newly launched discount will be live until next Thursday, May 1.
Is The Long Dark Still Worth Playing in 2025?
Althoughsurvival gamesare everywhere these days andThe Long Darkwas far from the first to tackle this genre, it still managed to excel in ways that make it worth playing even in 2025. Its combination of harsh survival mechanics, naturalistic horror, and a post-apocalyptic storyline made for a compelling experience requiring players to pay attention and rewarding them for doing so. The game also succeeded in differentiating itself with a grounded setting free of supernatural threats like zombies—a common genre trope. Instead, the main and only threat inThe Long Darkis Mother Nature.
Though much of the game’s popularity stems from its harsh gameplay,The Long Darkoffers multiple difficulty levels, with the lowest providing a fairly stress-free experience that lets players enjoy the story without facing insurmountable obstacles. Those whodoenjoy a good challenge can also test their mettle in Survival Mode and see just how long they can stay alive before the titular long dark inevitably claims them.
The so-calledWintermute campaign that constitutesThe Long Dark’s story modeis still missing its fifth and final episode. While this chapter doesn’t yet have a release date or even a release window, Hinterland has confirmed it will launch at no extra cost. In the meantime,The Long Darkmay see a few more discounts, but the chances of it dropping below the current $3.49 price in the foreseeable future appear slim.
