The Long Dark is a survival game set in the frigid Canadian wilderness. It is played from a first-person perspective and is designed to simulate survival conditions, including body temperature, hunger/thirst, caloric intake, fatigue, wildlife, wind-chill, and other environmental factors. There are three game modes available: Story mode, Survival mode, and Challenge mode.

The game map is divided into several regions, including Mystery Lake, Coastal Highway, Pleasant Valley, Forlorn Muskeg, Desolation Point, Timberwolf Mountain, Mountain Town, Broken Railroad, Hushed River Valley, Bleak Inlet, Ash Canyon, and Blackrock Mountain. A new DLC called Tales from the Far Territory has added three more regions so far: Transfer Pass, Forsaken Airfield, and Zone of Contamination. All areas are connected.