Ten Years

[Raphael van Lierop]

Hello everyone,

We tend to not celebrate major milestones around THE LONG DARK because it inevitably brings up a lot of discussion around long development timelines, delays, etc etc. Totally understandable. But for the dev team's sake, and those of you in the community that have been fans for a long time, I feel that we can't just let this important date in TLD's history slip by.

Yesterday, September 22nd, 2024, was the ten-year anniversary of us launching TLD on Steam Early Access. There are a lot of stories of what happened before that day, and there have been a lot of stories since. But I can confidently say that, apart for meeting my wife and the births of my kids, September 22nd 2014 is one of the most important days of my life. It was the beginning of a 10+ year journey that would see us building and growing TLD, the team, and the community into something I feel is very special to all of us.

I won't take too much time dwelling on the past or bringing up anecdotes. I just mainly wanted to say thank you. We haven't always been perfect, *I* haven't always been perfect, we maybe haven't always seen eye-to-eye on every single feature, update, hotfix, etc. over the past ten years, and things haven't always been smooth, but the truth is that we wouldn't be here if not for you, the fans.

We work our hearts out because we love what we do, we love our game, and we mostly want to create memorable experiences that we feel proud of and that will hopefully stick with you for your entire lives. Without players, we'd be throwing our game into an empty void. Even though it's not always perfect, we've creating something special together -- this weird and wonderful interplay of creators and players -- and for that I am very grateful. It's a big part of what makes this game special to millions of people around the world.

Thank you for everything you have brought, and bring with you every day, to THE LONG DARK. It's a lot more than just a game to me, and I know it's the same for you.

Here's to another 10 years of making memorable experiences for you, our players.*

♥️ 🐺❄️

- Raph

* Just maybe some new experiences too, thanks.  😅

[Deer RudolF]

I treat everyone to my pie.

 

[xanna]

Happy birthday, TLD 🎂

[ThePancakeLady]

Thank you Raph, and thank you to the entire team, current and past.

This game has helped me get through some rough times in my life, and made the more settled times more interesting. 

Going to make (more) Pancakes in honor of the game's birthday. 😄 (Like I need an excuse to make Pancakes, lol.)

 

 

[Sito]

I have loved this game (and the studio) since I first downloaded it. You guys have made an incredible experience, not just a game. 

[dave1122]

Truly a milestone to be proud of, congratulations to you and the entire team.  I first head of the game when it was a epic store giveaway in Dec 2020, I didn't start playing it till several months later and once I did I found I couldn't put it down and still can't.  It is truly an amazing game and extremely well done. 

I can honestly say that I enjoy it so much that I wouldn't blink at paying for future dlc even if it was at a premium price, the game is that enjoyable in my opinion.

You guys keep doing what you do.

[mintietcatm]

Give the team a big congrats on my part. You guys have made an incredible game that even after 10 years i cant put down, the game has grown and improved so much and has been an important part in my life (and many others). 

Happy birthday TLD! (Did this for Wintermute´s aniversary but it works anyway 😄)

[RossBondReturns]

Back in 2015 I was searching Steam for a survival game.

I was and still am very picky. I wanted no zombies, and no PVP and a few other no's.

I wanted wildlife and mother nature to be my adversaries, oh and my own stupidity.

And the very next page of the search bought me to The Long Dark!

Later this week I will be celebrating 6,000 hours in the Quiet Apocalypse, it is an utterly amazing experience- and I cannot wait for what is to come.

Thank you so much to the entire team past present and into the future!

[Dantuin]

Congrats and Thanks for all the many years of hard work and caring put into this game by you and the entire team (past and present).

Over these past 10 years this game has been my constant retreat I can just slip into when times are rough.

Always seems to give me great perspective and the much needed space to experience it.

Many Cheers toward the future.

[TWMountain]

TLD 4ever!

[odium]

wow, i cant believe its been that long!  i remember my buddy told me about long dark when it first hit xbox, summer 2015ish maybe? i remember finding trappers for the first time, thats a core TLD memory 

[Pyroxene]

Happy anniversary!

TLD is my best game on PS4 so far, I feel honored to be thanked.

Of course I'll keep making wish list requests, as always.

[Cr41g]

WOW....congrats.... I started playing December of 2017 and platinumed mid 2018... and have never stopped playing. Many, many games have come and gone in the interim but The Long Dark never leaves my console....

[javijungle]

Happy anniversary! 🤗
Playing this game since May 2019 and I am still enjoying it and impatient to know the final outcome of the story.
Thank you very much for more than a thousand hours of satisfying experience.

[ManicManiac]

I know I've said as much many times over the last few years, but I think it absolutely bears repeating (and I think this is a milestone definitely worth celebrating).

I've now spent more than 2,700 hours (which is not as much as some, but still far more than any other game in my library). 
I found TLD after the Kickstarter closed (otherwise I absolutely would been a backer) and started exploring Great Bear Island in late 2014 (shortly after it entered Steam Early Access).  Since then, I've gotten both volumes of the soundtrack and of course Tales of The Far Territory.

I can say without any risk of hyperbole, that I have been given far more value from The Long Dark than any game I've played (especially since I've playing more-or-less consistently for nearly 10 years now).  The list of games that have been in regular rotation for nearly 10 years is very very short... and for me TLD holds the highest place of honor on that list.   I suppose it goes without saying that The Long Dark is my favorite contemporary game, by a very wide margin. 

The gorgeous expanse of Great Bear Island, rich environmental storytelling, breathtaking art & design, and how unafraid it is to punish the player; is for me the singular example by which I measure all other survival games.

Thank you, Hinterland.

Edited September 24 by ManicManiac

[deviro_verity]

I still remember where I found out about the game, RPS. Those were the days. Happy Birthday TLD!

[Sir Major M.oos.E Sr.]

Oh Boy, all the cool things I could have done in that time. Learning an instrument or ice fishing or gun smithing. But i guess it is what it is: Dog food - toilet water - death. Over and over again. Good Work HL ☠️

[Jolan]

Happy B'day Long Dark!

[ManicManiac]

[Amir]

I've played a lot of games in my life, but unlike many of those games, The Long Dark has a soul... And it feels like a privilege to be able to congratulate its 10th birthday.

Happy birthday 💙

[bascolais]

happy birthday to you and all the team members. many years, a very good job, largely upper than many "big" companies, a real success, not yet today "copied" even if some tried it. the lore you created made it.

you made what lacks many games, not a graphical thing or reworked thing, a new game with lore & attractivity, making many players in love with it, and feeling it when playing.

its refreshing, relaxing, helps getting out of the day to day job.

so... simple & rightful word : thank you

[RaukGorth]

Dear team,

Thank you for working on such amazing game for such a long time. TLD holds a special place in my heart.

You've made an amazing game. One I find myself returning to quite often. One of the best games out there.

All the best,

[The Feng Hunter]

To the wonderful team at Hinterland:

As a person who grew up in the outdoors only to lose that access later in life due to disability, it’s because of the world YOU have created that I’ve been able to allow my imagination and spirit to continue to soar.

Thank you for bringing my most beloved digital space into existence.

— Dr B

[Sherri]

Congratulations! This is an accomplishment to be proud of & we as players are richer for having experienced the game! 

Thanks for all the progress & updates in "The Long Haul" - it's been an awesome journey & I'm looking forward to the next few years too! 

[ManicManiac]