Image: Hinterland Studio

The Long Dark still remains one of the most interesting survival sandboxes out there, mainly because survival is never taken for granted in its frozen, haunted post-apocalyptic world. It also has one of the most convoluted development histories out there, first launching as a public alpha back in 2014, and only fully launching in 2025, long after the announcement of the upcoming sequel, Blackfrost.

That one won't be out until 2027, but this week, Hinterland Studio rolled out one last expansion for the original game... in early access. The Long Dark: Iron Road begins its two-year journey across five rail-linked islands this week, if you're up to buy an early ticket.

The Iron Road expansion is once again a road-trip adventure through an apocalyptic world where all advanced technology has died, temperatures have plummeted, and only the hardiest of animals (and most stubborn of humans) can survive. Or, rather, it's a rail trip. The cosmic event that nearly killed the world is apparently worsening, and this expansion has you repairing and maintaining a train to allow you to travel closer to a mysterious facility which might hold the answer to surviving the Aurora and outliving whatever's coming next.

This means scavenging for fuel, parts, and resources to keep your iron steed in one piece as well as feeding and maintaining your own squishy meat-body. The expansion is split into five chapters, each set on one of five islands. Right now, there's just one island, connected by a sprawling 30km of railway track, making this one the longest-haul adventure in the game to date. Or at least, it will be once it's done.

There's a long road ahead for the expansion, though. At least 18 months, possibly two full years, potentially stretching even further. All of this is while the developers work on the sequel in parallel. It seems like a lot to chew on, but given that The Long Dark has been around for twelve years now (and still holding up great), I expect this one to get finished, even if it has to take a scenic route.

The Long Dark: Iron Road is available now for £20.29/$25, with a 10% discount running until November 3rd. You'll also need the original game, which is available in two versions: the raw Survival sandbox edition, which is £16/$20, or the full edition including the Wintermute story mode, which clocks in at £28/$35. The Iron Road expansion is also planning to increase in price as it closes in on v1.0.