Tag: Stalker Instinct

The Long Dark – Stalker Instinct Log #4: Sticks, Stone Throws, and a Stupid Food Choice

Mode: Stalker
Region: Mystery Lake
Mood: Cautiously confident, briefly poisoned

I decided to explore more of Mystery Lake. I knew there was a pond nearby, so I headed out to see what opportunities it might offer.

The snare I’d set earlier came up empty. No rabbit. That thing needs relocating.

Pond Plans and Wolf Reality Checks

On the way, I spotted a wolf in the distance. It didn’t see me. I didn’t test my luck.

Even with a bow, I don’t rate my chances yet. My aim needs work, and Stalker wolves don’t forgive hesitation.

At the pond, I found the hunter’s blind. Useful later. Right now, it was overlooking absolutely nothing. No animals. Not even a teasing rabbit.

With daylight to spare, I pushed on toward a nearby cabin.

The Cabin and the Crows

The cabin had slim pickings. Nothing worth staying for.

Outside, I heard crows. That sound still means one thing.

A deer carcass. Ravaged, but edible. I harvested what I could — barely half a kilo of meat — and started a fire. It wasn’t much, but it was calories.

Fire-starting is still slow. I’m counting the days until that skill improves.

Rabbit Hunting: Sticks Strike Back

Rabbits were nearby, so I tried my luck.

I tested an arrow on one. Missed. Fair enough. I stopped there — no sense wasting arrows until I have fire-hardened ones for practice.

Back to stones.

After a few throws, I stunned a rabbit. Walked up confidently. Pressed the button.

I picked up a stick.

The rabbit had landed next to it and bolted while I stood there holding firewood like an idiot.

Second attempt: success. No stick betrayal.

I even got the second rabbit I’d spotted earlier. Clean, no mistakes this time.

Tea, Arrows, and False Confidence

Back at the fire, I prepped reishi mushrooms and made tea. Sensible. Calm. Survival-approved.

Then the game decided to mock me by handing me another arrow and another bow.

Message received. I’ll practice — later.

Before the fire died, I used charcoal to map the area. Useful result: a marked zone where rabbits spawn frequently. Future snare location sorted.

The Fat Mistake

Back at the cabin, I made a bad call.

I ate animal fat.

I knew better. It was heavy. It was in my inventory. I wanted the calories.

Instant food poisoning.

Thankfully, I still had reishi tea. I drank it and collapsed into bed to recover.

That would have cost me one of my three chances.

No wolf. No blizzard. Just a lazy decision.

Log 4 Takeaway

  • Snares need good placement, not optimism
  • Bow ownership does not equal bow skill
  • Rabbits will absolutely humiliate you
  • Sticks are the true apex predator
  • Food poisoning is still one of the fastest ways to burn a chance

Stalker doesn’t need dramatic moments to punish you. It just waits.

YouTube Video

Continue the journey:
Stalker Instinct – Log 3 |
Stalker Instinct – Log 5

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The Long Dark – Stalker Instinct Log #3: Turns Out I Was Already Armed

Difficulty: Stalker
Region: Mystery Lake

The day started well. I sat down at the crafting table to work on my bow, settled in, got into a rhythm… and realised I hadn’t hit record. Rookie mistake. I’d only lost about an hour of crafting, so I chalked it up as a warning shot from the universe.

As punishment, I stopped crafting and went outside. The bow could wait.

The Bow I Forgot I Owned

I grabbed some beef jerky and immediately spotted something I had somehow missed the day before: arrows. Several of them. Right next to them? A bow.

In my excitement during the last log, I’d completely overlooked the fact I already had a functional weapon setup. No crafting required. I took the bow, checked the arrows, and headed straight out to see what my snares had been up to.

Two rabbits, caught cleanly. I reset the snares, started a fire, and immediately had it refuse to light. One match gone, no progress.

Quick reminder for anyone new to this:

  • Light a torch first
  • Use the torch to start fires
  • Save matches for when you actually need them

Food cooked. Water sorted. Crisis avoided.

Exploring Mystery Lake (The Hard Way)

With supplies handled, I decided to explore more of Mystery Lake. I knew there had to be another way down besides the rope, and I was determined to find it.

I did. Eventually.

It cost me a sprained wrist and ankle, but I had bandages and painkillers to spare. No panic. Once I got my bearings and realised I’d hit the transition toward Forlorn Muskeg, I made the call to head for Trapper’s Homestead.

Worst case, I lose some daylight. Best case, I find better clothing.

Crafting Progress (And Future Problems)

No luck on the clothing front, but the trip wasn’t wasted. While there, I crafted a rabbitskin hat. Not glamorous, but effective.

Next target:

  • Rabbitskin mittens

I dropped another snare nearby. No rabbits in sight, but that’s future me’s problem.

I also made a point of staying outside as much as possible. Cabin fever will become an issue eventually, and I’m not interested in speeding that up.

Threats on the Horizon

Two long-term concerns are now officially on my list:

  • Cabin fever – managed for now by not living indoors
  • Scurvy – temporarily covered by stored food, but fishing will be needed

Fishing is unavoidable. It’s just a matter of when.

Stalker Reality Check

Three logs in, and Stalker hasn’t been the nightmare I expected. I genuinely thought I’d be tripping over wolves every time I stepped outside.

That hasn’t happened. Yet.

The tension is there. The margin for error is thinner. But so far, it feels manageable — and more importantly, enjoyable.

That probably means the game is waiting.

Video Log


Continue the journey:
Stalker Instinct – Log 2 |
Log 3 (You Are Here) |
Log 4 (Coming Soon)

More from The Long Dark

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The Long Dark – Stalker Instinct Log #2: The Prepper Cache Jackpot (I’ve Peaked)

Difficulty: Stalker
Optional Features: Cougar enabled, Scurvy enabled, Trader enabled

Today’s goal is straightforward: check the nearby prepper cache.

There are nine prepper caches scattered around Great Bear. Only three are stocked. The other six are abandoned. Unless you’re on Interloper or Misery, in which case the game simply laughs and leaves them all empty.

My reasoning is dangerously optimistic:

  • If I find a stocked cache, I win the lottery.
  • If I find an abandoned one, my odds improve for the next.

Either way, it feels like progress. Which should have been my first warning sign.

The Torchless Mistake

I head out without a torch.

Yesterday, the wolves kept their distance. So I make the bold assumption they’ll continue to be polite today.

They do not.

A wolf appears, and I immediately realise I’ve left my best “please don’t eat me” tool back at the Camp Office.

No torch. No flare. Just a lantern.

I’ve never used a lantern to stop a wolf before, but today is the day we test that theory.

It works. The wolf backs off.

I don’t want to rely on it too much though. Lantern fuel is going to be a problem until I can fish. This is an emergency option, not a long-term solution.

Rope Climb and the Cache Reveal

I climb the rope and find the cache.

It’s stocked.

Not barely stocked. Properly stocked.

Inside I find:

  • Warm clothing
  • Food and water
  • Medical supplies
  • A revolver
  • Enough materials to craft a bow and arrows

I immediately go into full hoarder mode. I must carry everything. Logic takes a short break.

Regaining Some Self-Control

After a few minutes of loot-induced madness, I calm down.

This cache isn’t going anywhere. I know where it is. I know how to reach it. That alone changes the tone of this run.

I take what actually makes sense:

  • A couple of snares
  • The revolver

Then I head out to scout the area.

The Cave and the Corpse

Nearby, I find a cave. Birds are circling, which is never subtle.

There’s a corpse inside. No useful loot, but the cave itself matters. If cabin fever becomes an issue later, this place could save me.

Getting Lost on Purpose (Sort Of)

I’m convinced there’s another way down from up here besides the rope.

I can’t find it.

Rather than keep wandering until something eats me, I start placing markers and testing them. If a blizzard ever hits while I’m up here, at least I’ll have some guidance.

It’s dull work, but it’s future-proofing.

Skill Books and Bow Work

I stay outside long enough to finish reading my rifle mastery book. I don’t know if I’ll ever use a rifle, but I prefer having options.

Back at the cache, I work on my bow until it gets dark. I’m not entirely sure how I keep working once it’s already dark, but I’m not questioning it.

Then I head to bed.

End of Day 2

I found a stocked prepper cache on Day 2.

That’s the peak.

From here on out, it’s just The Long Dark correcting the balance.

I honestly have no idea what tomorrow’s plan is. Everything after this feels like borrowed time.

Video

Day 2 Notes

  • Prepper caches are pure luck, not planning.
  • Lanterns can deter wolves, but fuel matters.
  • Marking routes is boring until it saves your life.
  • Caves are valuable even without loot.
  • Hoarding feels good right up until you try to walk.
Continue the journey:
Log #1 | Log #2 (You are here) | Log #3
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The Long Dark: Stalker Instinct – Announcement

The Long Dark: Stalker Instinct

Three Chances Before the Dark Wins

I didn’t plan this.

But plans rarely survive contact with Great Bear Island.

In the new year, I’ll be returning to The Long Dark on Stalker difficulty.
Not to prove anything. Not to play perfectly.
Just to see how long I can last when the world decides it’s done being forgiving.

This run will use the Cheat Death mechanic.
Not as an escape hatch, but as a countdown.

Three chances. That’s it.

Each death pushes the run closer to its end.
Each mistake lingers longer.
Each lesson may or may not be learned in time.

This isn’t about winning.
It’s about surviving long enough to leave notes behind.

More details soon.
For now, just know this:

The cold is waiting.


Stalker Instinct: A The Long Dark Stalker Survival Diary →

This also marks the start of a long-overdue update to The Long Dark map hub. Interloper and Misery are finally getting proper coverage, with maps split by difficulty to reflect real loot behaviour rather than false guarantees.

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