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Time of day is dynamic. The day progresses as you play, as do other aspects of the game world. Temperature, daylight, and weather patterns may vary based on time of day. Cycles of the moon pass over the course of weeks; some animals may wander from prior territories; food decays and may cause illness if consumed after turning rancid; and clothes wear down from use or even just being kept in storage.

Time scale[]

An in-game hour is 5 minutes, so 1 real-world hour is 12 in-game hours. Some activities speed up time (such as breaking furniture or sleeping), so 12 in-game hours can pass in seconds.

Day vs. Night[]

The coldest temperatures are usually early in the morning, just before dawn. As the day progresses, temperatures usually start to warm; how warm it gets depends on the region and the weather. Example of temperature in °c in interloper J8: AM 6h -24/-17. 8h -22/-16. 11h -17/13 PM 1h:-10/6. 2h: -9/1 3h: -8/5. 4h -7/9. 5h -8/9. 0h: -20 AM 5h -26 8h -24.

In general, it's best to explore the outdoors during the day because it offers better visibility and wolves are less aggressive. However, bears also wake up and patrol. Auroras, which make predators even more aggressive, never occur during the day.

Light[]

To study, mend, craft items at workbenches, or recycle with tools indoor, most of the time light is needed.

As evening falls, outdoor temperatures start to drop and wolves are more active and alert, making it difficult to be outside as they will immediately attack instead of stalking the player. However, bears usually return to their dens and sleep. You’ll probably want to find shelter before it gets dark. Night time strips shelters of any natural interior light (except for ice caves in the Hushed River Valley), making navigation a challenge.

Snowing at night

Being lost in heavy snow on a dark night can be extremely challenging. When traveling in the dark, light sources are a must as it's otherwise very difficult to navigate. Night travel comes at the risk of wolf attacks, as they can detect a player from longer distances before a player may notice them. There is also a small chance for the Aurora to occur if the weather is clear.

  • One day in 'The Long Dark' is 24 hours long, split almost evenly between 13 hours of daylight and 11 hours of darkness.

Time Display[]

The time of day is estimated by a sun and moon icon, which rotates to give a rough idea as to the hour.

7h30am

The left screen depicts the hour at approximately 7h30 or 8H PM.

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