Nine Useful Shortcuts in The Long Dark

0:00 Intro
0:30 Lighthouse (DP)
1:54 Homesteader's Respite (AC)
5:30 Summit (TM)
9:13 Rope Climb (TM-PV)
10:25 Lake Overlook (ML)
14:10 Ledge (WR)
15:41 Log Sort (CH)
17:31 Landslide (BR)
18:52 Climbing Area (MT)
23:02 Outro

[@JaamKidd69]

I love how, in the timberwolf mountain one, you're just talking calmly and your charecter is just yelling about her hurt ankles haha

[@ArchimedesLP]

I guess I've learned to tune some things out :)

[@ryanlesner0000ninja]

What is behind the light house?

[@Zaknafein]

Great guide, Arc! Many people have requested such a video like this from me, but this one is great and covers (almost) all the same shortcuts I was planning on showing, so I think I will just recommend this video instead. Great job - nicely shown and explained.

[@ArchimedesLP]

Thank you, Zak! There were a few shortcuts I decided to omit because they have a pretty niche use, for example the HRV brush skips. If anyone wants to see some of these, Zak has a great Interloper HRV start guide here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aavPY5aJj8ipprs

[@Zaknafein]

@@ArchimedesLP Also congrats on 1k subs!

[@karlgrylls2406]

i had just the feeling that i would see a great youtuber as first comment when scrolling down :D

[@RadiantSkiddMarx]

I think one of my favorite tricks is that if you find a waterfall, you can take all your clothes off and walk through it, then throw your clothes back on dry and warm up. Thanks Bear Grylls, that info never came in handy IRL, but helped with my TLD run.

[@ArchimedesLP]

If you don't already know, you can also preserve a lit torch through the waterfall if you throw it on the ground and use the right-click placement mode to carry it through. But yeah, I like that the clothing trick mirrors something you would do in real life.

[@enforcer8856]

​@@ArchimedesLP I did not know you could do that, thank you so much!

[@Luna-ki9rp]

Just used the lighthouse shortcut to get past a bear walking near the road after breaking my only arrow, just saved my playthrough

[@ArchimedesLP]

Nice!

[@humpiedouglas6789]

The Log Sort one made my jaw drop. I've been through that area and up and down those roads so many times and never knew that path from the Log Sort to the trailer was even there.

[@ArchimedesLP]

The same thing happened to me! I'm glad I decided to include this one :)

[@derkatzenfuerst6077]

Same here. It is extremely useful for the challenges Hopeless Rescue and As the dead sleep. You can go down from the mine to the log sort almost in a straight line and then walk over the ice in a straight line to reach the transition to Crumbling Highway. Before knowing about it,my intuition was to get to the coastal road and follow it, which is a much longer and more dangerous route.

[@strategieswithsasquatch]

The fact you can get from The Summit to PV without rope climbing is new to me! Thanks for the video.

[@ArchimedesLP]

Just wait until my next video, we are freeclimbing to the summit without ropes :)

[@strategieswithsasquatch]

@@ArchimedesLP nice. I only know one rope skip but the route I use still requires 2 climbs.

[@jackr2287]

1:35 I wish to populate a caveat, I have definitely been chased by wolves over those bridges. Now, charitably, you probably meant to suggest "they don't regularly patrol across this bridge" To which, I'm being a little unfair to. Regardless, a nice path.

[@BloodPheonix137]

Very useful! I knew a few of these (the Ashe Canyon Homesteader's Respite is easily my favorite), but the TM-PV rope avoidance and the MT Climbing Area escape would have saved me in a few past games.

[@ArchimedesLP]

I love using the Homesteader's Respite skip because you can do all of the upper area in one loop without backtracking. There are a lot of saplings up there which is handy for Interloper.

[@millej11]

Been playing for years and I never knew of that Milton path. Good stuff

[@fernandoullaguari9073]

Have been looking for this kind of tutorials for a while. thank you Sr

[@JonathanRossRogers]

Thanks! Even after thousands of hours in the game, I hadn't discovered most of these.

[@elliotlee13]

Nice work homeslice

[@TheSquidworm]

Great guide, thanks, will be using the ash canyon shortcut pretty soon

[@slomkaadas9603]

Great video - thank you so much Sir! I will use it all now. Cheers from Poland 🍻

[@stevekelly2018]

There's another way up to DP lighthouse as well, start point is different but you come up in the same spot. There's one in Dave's Quiet Clearing in ML that gets you up to the upper area if you want to avoid the rope climb.

[@Sokol10]

7:43 - Just to for left from this point, are a more safety climb down route, no risk of sprains and wolves encounter.

[@leakplugger93]

I knew all of them except the last one. That will be a big help. Thanks for that.

[@HamBown]

Nice. I have a good number of hours in TLD and definitely learned a thing or two!

[@Seriously_Unserious]

Good shortcuts. I am familiar with the Timberwolf Mountain Billy Goat shortcut, and can add this about it - be careful using it in poor visibility, it's easy to get yourself lost and ledged up. One time when taking that route down, I got caught in a lightning blizzard that came out of nowhere, and nearly fell to my death several times as I got completely lost and couldn't find the relatively safe path down. I was just walking blind in the swirling white nothing. Had to take a few leaps of faith and hope I didn't fall to my death and tank some fall damage as I got, ledged up a few times on blind ledges I couldn't see a safe way down from in the whiteout. Another time it was a rapid onset of thick fog that did it. That one wasn't as bad as I was able to just find a flat ledge and set up camp to wait it out. The Blizzard fall was enough for me to decide that shortcut wasn't worth the risk though, and I haven't bothered with that particular shortcut ever since.

[@toben6517]

The broken rail road land-slide, is actually the only way I’ve ever travelled to the machine shop, even when I started playing I was like:”hmm, I could probably cheese that”.

[@ArchimedesLP]

Nice :)

[@prague5419]

I am relabeling this video to "Traveler's Guide to 157 Easy Sprains"

[@TheReaper955]

The lighthouse one i use a spot in 1:26 going up and right, than you get stuck in one of those large dark blue rocks, you stick to it all the way to the left tip of that rock and than go up again Once you get use to it it's easier and faster than the one you showed

[@nik_em7345]

last route is something new for me xD thanks!

[@ZombiZohm]

In response to this company's hate for mods, I'll happily use whatever exploits they forgot to patch out

[@nerdyguyD679]

They hate mods?

[@isaaco5679]

I just found that you can take the Blackrock mine return one-way shortcut. Just work your way around the left as far and as high as you can, then return to the front where it won't let you back up before. You should be high enough to get to the log you walk down normally.

[@d-man9921]

When Wintermute launched I wanted to take all my stuff with myself when leaving Milton, so I didn't want to put down the rope that you are supposed to climb down on and break and started Skyriming through the mountains, eventually reaching the truck that you can see from the cave entrance

[@fufumccuddlypoops5502]

Good video. I enjoyed

[@johnme7049]

Just a FYI, while it is rare, don't count on a wolf not crossing the footbridge to the lighthouse. I saw a video of it happening earlier this year. I really enjoyed this, You got a sub.

[@peterhansen7964]

Used the Ash Canyon Shortcut today. Travelling and exploring in tld is so much more fun now

[@timpaterson2352]

Wow, I have logged many hours and figured I would know all of these... but there were at least 2-3 I had no idea about. That lighthouse one will be so incredibly useful for spawns in DP. You're right that some of the others do feel a bit like cheating... I enjoy the challenge of establishing the rope connections in AC and TWM. But to each their own.

[@chadstondangerfeld6749]

I was sub number 1000 btw, makes me feel special

[@ArchimedesLP]

Congratulations! You won a personalized response! (pay no attention to any other comments I may have responded to)

[@jeremysaynomore7175]

Thank you for the ash canyon shortcut

[@stevekucpittet802]

Very useful!

[@fredaygaming3165]

Well done

[@mateusz11123]

Super uselful Thank you! :)

[@simonnachreiner8380]

Skyrim physics Skyrim physics never changes.

[@Fayreangel]

Thank you

[@jordongee2347]

I'm not to most of these places yet, chapter 2 in story, and only exploring mystery lake in survival, but I appreciate a good time saver, I'll be checking into these when I get better.

[@salmon_wine]

if im being honest- there is a massive level of beauty to the understanding of the harder locations in the Long Dark that wintermute sort of dampens by making you familiar with these areas and sort of guiding you? So, I would really suggest trying places like HRV, AC, Blackrock, etc. in survival first... just be aware, that you WILL die, but its part of the core experience

[@strategieswithsasquatch]

Cool video. The last shortcut is mind blowing...

[@ArchimedesLP]

Thanks Sasquatch! I always thought it was impossible to enter Milton without rope climbs before I found that one :)

[@strategieswithsasquatch]

@@ArchimedesLP did you find that yourself? No judgement if you didn't.

[@ArchimedesLP]

@@strategieswithsasquatch Yes, I believe it's an original discovery(probably the only one in this video.) I have another video where I talk more about it and also show a safe route to skip the rope coming down into the climbing area from ML: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jn7VmWiAZdCKjs0 I think there used to be a death wall between the upper part of Milton and the basin that was removed at some point, so people probably looked originally but nobody rechecked when it was removed. That's my theory anyway.

[@strategieswithsasquatch]

@@ArchimedesLP wow, very cool. I use the term "my arm hairs are dancing" when I get that sensation of heights while playing this game. Let me say, they were doing a friggin jig watching you look down.

[@fractalgem]

I picked my way from the milton climbing area exit down to the basin due to horribly misunderstanding where i was. And then a blizzard cropped up along the way... And i still didn't understand where i was. I wound up with just a few condition points left when i found poor but barepy sufficient shelter down there. Never using THAT one again unless something has gone very, very wrong indeed (like discovering id left my bedroll behind, yea.)

[@BushcraftEurope]

I used DP climb since I watched this and made it so easier to play, it's my spawn locatio for every run I had

[@ArcheraFX]

well this is kinda cool, never thought anything about this 🤣

[@djmills1]

I have over 800 hours in this game and I learned 6 things from this video. I need to be more adventurous!

[@chadstondangerfeld6749]

THANK YOU! Idk why but there isn't a whole lot of TLD content on this site

[@suli_jo]

Thanks!

[@kevlar4339]

hey man I wanna teell you about the shortcut I've been using since i started playing ( right before steadfast ranger ). So basically there's a even better way to climb up to lake overlook without using ropes. What you want to do is go to the camp office, from where if you look in front of. you there will be a hill. What you want to do is climb up on it as high as possible, and once you can't go any further youre gonna hug a wall, and go to your right. As soon as you touch the ground without having to worry about sprains look for a clearing with grass on it. Once you see it you know youre there. My explaining is kinda bad sorry about it.

[@ArchimedesLP]

Yeah there are 3-4 different ways up there and this is the "standard" one that most people know about(if they know shortcuts at all!) I mentioned that but I probably could have been clearer. In hindsight the one I showed isn't really useful, I just wanted to show it off :P

[@user-yx2vy5io6j]

Невероятно полезное видео. И в добавок с русскими субтитрами

[@ArchimedesLP]

Спасибо 🙂

[@blakewalsh9489]

Good video. Another shortcut, not sure how useful, is in BI, you can goat down the cliff bypassing the long rope climb from Pensive Lookout to the lowlands, it's the dodgiest thing ever in terms of going through a bunch of terrain. I made a video, "Goating down the cliff in Bleak Inlet", that shows both goating down the cliff, and a smaller but more practical shortcut (one I always use in actual games) from Pensive Lookout to the rope tie-off point that is good for bypassing the local timberwolves so long as you crouch. BI's a bit risky in terms of shortcuts because there are invisible walls nearly everywhere fencing off the high area, and if you go down a steep slope into an invisible wall you'll be forced to quit and reload.

[@ArchimedesLP]

My eyes automatically unfocused looking at your comment because believe it or not I have never been to Bleak Inlet! I enjoyed my blind One Region Challenges so much and I've kind of been saving it because I'll be very sad when I can no longer do any more... although I'm considering exploring it in my NOGOA run if I survive long enough. Anyway I've made a note to come back and read this comment once I've explored the region on my own.

[@TocsTheWanderer]

That last one looks terrifying

[@Sokol10]

15:12 - More than once I meet the wolf in this spot (Interloper).

[@bcav712]

A very random KZbin recommendation but very useful

[@illuminati1866]

Cool

[@JonathanRossRogers]

10:33 It's *usually* predator-free. I have been attacked by a wolf up there after harvesting some meat.

[@giausjulius4]

It's the craziest thing that you can't step over some of these ledges. It's like a 6 inch step but it can make an area inaccessable. Really wish they would add a little QoL where you can just...vault or step over stuff. Like not even a jump, just let me lift my leg a few inches to clear this insignificant obstacle.

[@johnjoeson3115]

Some other ones that I know of, in case you ever do a part 2 or 3. Blackrock: as you leave the prison, up the mountain to the left --> tree bridge --> cave above frozen river --> halfway to mine TM: From deer clearing to rope climb up to secluded shelf (credits to kimiota) HRV: over brush to signal fire without hatchet

[@ArchimedesLP]

Thanks! I'm not very familiar with Blackrock at this point but I'll check it out sometime. The shortcut near Deer Clearing didn't make the cut because it saves very little time and gives you sprains right before a climb, and the HRV brush skips because they are only really useful in a specific situation and there are already videos showcasing how to do HRV Interloper spawns(Zaknafein has a good one.)

[@jackr2287]

16:41 I think that one behind the trailer I've used a fair bit. That, or a very similar looking locale.

[@piddy3825]

You can avoid alot of the sprain damage by just walking down the mountain side while crouching and traversing from side to side between the rocks as much as possible while descending.

[@jeremygonzal8603]

I didn't know about that last route. Looks really risky though, but good to know it's an option.

[@ArchimedesLP]

Even if you mess it up the worst case is usually that you have to goat down into the basin. But yeah I wouldn't typically use it unless I'm trying to carry heavy stuff into Milton.

[@BloodPheonix137]

I have ended at least one run by getting stuck in the climbing area with out a bed roll, so I'm very happy to know it is an option!

[@ArchimedesLP]

@@BloodPheonix137 I only found that one recently and made a separate video about it, as far as I know it was undiscovered before then. Back when I first traveled to MT (back in Interloper Mapping Season 2 I think) I actually got stuck here because I wasn't familiar with the maps. But I ended up using a snow shelter to get some rest.

[@bigbobrossa8524]

Legs and Wrist will be Sprained!!!

[@rcsibiu]

I used the landslide in BR a lot after I discovered it by accident once. Also the Climbing Area in MT was used once because I really wanted to get to Basin and into FM fast :))))

[@ArchimedesLP]

You can goat down to the Basin from almost anywhere in MT, but some routes are safer than others :) The skip from Climbing Area to Milton requires a very specific route though.

[@lumbagocorp]

I found almost all of em on my own :)

[@lindseymashburn-fonzeroth1806]

lol, the BR one, I just thought that was 'the way' didn't realize i was supposed to go down and around.

[@patrickmuhwheeney6518]

I've literally (on survivor mode) never seen a wolf on the path to the lighthouse...

[@henribeyer9873]

Hi all, Here is another shortcut (kind of) I Blackrock Region at Bear"s bend (ground level) it is possible to go back directly on the road towards old substation although the road looks cut by rocks and lumbs. Once in front of the fallen rocks/lumber just billygoat the right wall, to reach the big fallen rocks, then the lumbers. The first lumber seems impossible to walk over. Indeed u can't. You have to walk on a side of the lumber, to the tip, then walk back on the other side. Then u'll find then way. This shortcut is a good way to take back bear loot to creek bed cave without any predator. Otherwhise u have to leave Bear's bend to the north where u'll meat timberwolves. ++

[@ArchimedesLP]

Thanks, that one sounds handy! I'll have to check it out sometime.

[@thedeadp00l80]

1st one you can get up at the light house no need to go across any bridges. When you started you are looking right at it.

[@ArchimedesLP]

Interesting, I'll take a look. Thanks!

[@valentinorubio703]

I find it funny that i already knew some from just trial and error...

[@NomadSage07]

With Mountain Goating, everything is a short cut.

[@Stranzua]

Has anyone found a bunker up by the Lake Overlook in Mystery Lake?

[@a50ftfall6]

Glad to know someone else is using the crappy geometry of this game to their advantage

[@purebreedgrape5568]

The only issue with me pulling off these skips is that i constantly use the travios especially when looting the summit

[@jmwall24]

Is there any way to get up to the so-called 'Wolf Plateau' now that the rock cache exploit has been removed? I have a feeling my Curator's Rifle is up there (have double checked every other known location and have seen crows circling that plateau) but can't get up there anymore.

[@ArchimedesLP]

I was looking into this the other day but never finished. There was an invisible wall blocking progress in one part which doesn't bode well(although sometimes you can find ways around these.) It's probably no longer possible to get up there but I can't rule it out yet.

[@pazzik400]

I tought you are going to do the campfire glich in to summit :D

[@ArchimedesLP]

I will do a video showing how to summit without glitches though :)

[@Zaknafein]

I have a video on exactly this (campfire, not glitchless) coming out soon. It was previewed on my Twitch but not released yet.

[@derkatzenfuerst6077]

Very interesting and useful! The last shortcut would make it possible to revisit Grey Mother after Episode 2 of Wintermute. Has anyone tried that?

[@ArchimedesLP]

I don't know.. I never even finished episode one :)

[@derkatzenfuerst6077]

@@ArchimedesLP I just tried it now before the end of Episode 2, she is still alive and well in her house, sitting by the fire. There are no dialogue options though, she's not reacting to Mackenzie at all. Still happy to see that she's fine.

[@NotKnafo]

isnt falling hard damage your shoes?

[@ArchimedesLP]

You can damage your clothing by falling but I don't think I took any hard falls in this?

[@NotKnafo]

@@ArchimedesLP need to test

[@whitedeath47]

does this shortcuts cause extra wear and tear to cloths or gear?

[@ArchimedesLP]

No, that only happens if you take a big fall which shouldn't be an issue if you're careful.

[@whitedeath47]

@@ArchimedesLP good to know that..

[@jennifermelloy3944]

I didn't know there was loot behind the lighthouse!

[@ArchimedesLP]

Only sometimes :) On Interloper there can be a body with a wool scarf, there can also be a piece of firewood lower down and I think they spawn independently. Maybe you can get better stuff on lower difficulties, I'm not sure.

[@rstainsbury]

Man, that last one was a bit hairy!

[@davidgoodrich1258]

Is this story mode or survival?

[@ArchimedesLP]

It's Survival, I probably should have clarified that but sometimes I forget Story mode exists, oops!

[@davidgoodrich1258]

@@ArchimedesLP It’s fine. I haven’t played in months and have only played story mode. Thanks for the reply.

[@user-om4ed9et1m]

Почему так мало просмотров?

[@sleepingninjaquiettime]

Hopefully they don't update the game and kill the shortcuts

[@arupian666]

15:49... that's not really a "shortcut"... it's more "how to get there"...

[@ArchimedesLP]

True, but I included it because it's very easy to miss. I already got some comments from other people who didn't realize it was there, so I feel justified in including it.

[@ludvanbeethoven1]

You move the camera too fast and all the time, i feel nauseous looking at this video

[@ArchimedesLP]

I'm sorry you're unable to watch the video. Someone commented about this a long time ago and I tried to fix it but it's just second nature in how I play games. Fortunately the motion sickness doesn't seem to trigger in too many people.

[@jakenikolia1453]

think its the dumbest thing in this game that you cant jump

[@RogerCillion]

The missing point is how the physics are broken when you can conserve the energy gaining mechanical potential 😮 I honestly hope the nerf the shit out of this horisontal movements. I never found it "fun". But i guess the community will complain so much... Because gaming the game is a game for some. I would vote for an increase risk of sliding the more sprains you have... And ultimately there is a risk of dying(falling)... If not the spains are bandadged.

[@ArchimedesLP]

Yes it's very unrealistic. If a new game was being designed, I would support the slipping/sliding along with greater injuries(but would also want a way to scramble up small areas if you're willing to take the risk.) The problem with the current system is that there is no way to scramble up small areas or even set up ropes once you've been higher to make your own shortcuts. I get the level design aspect but it's nice to have some of these tricks to get around the strict rules, for those of us who like to play around with them. This whole aspect can definitely turn into a game of itself, with some very complex routes for climbing out of crazy areas that you would never think possible.