This should help anyone needing some help or direction with the challenge, you should have a basic understanding of the maps if you’re doing the challenge, if not use an online map.

Overview

-Smokey-

I’ll be calling the bear “Smokey”. Smokey is a special type of bear, he cannot be killed and will watch you from a distance and randomly attack as if it was a wolf. But same as a wolf flares keep him from attacking you and the flare shots will scare him off his attack and make him run away for like 10-15 seconds before he comes back to try again.

-Supplies-

Try to preserve flares and flare shots as much as possible as its the only way to stop him attack other than being near a fire (torches don’t work) or running into a car or building. Food will be scarce until you get through the damn after that you should have more then plenty to finish the challenge. Warmth at the beginning will basically not exist as the weather is very cold and windy in pleasant valley after getting through the farmhouse and fixing the clothes there you should be fine.

Pleasant Valley

-Start-

When you start off head to the bas*ment and stay there for the night, if the weather permits, head to the crash plane and search the suitcases for clothing and grab the food in the plane, if not the best grab the items around the broken house nearby then head back to the bas*ment to wait for good enough condition to head to the plane. After getting clothing/food from the plane, head down the mountain to the draft dodgers cabin, if need to stay in the cave nearby for the night then go to it.

-To Farmhouse and Barn-

From there head to the river and go to the Farmhouse. Smokey will appear somewhere around here, try to avoid him for a bit till you either go over the bridge or walk pa*s the river if you need to sprint to the house if not continue on as normal. Once in the farmhouse take some time to search it (don’t forget about the bas*ment) and repair the clothing you got as most found is in terrible condition. If don’t have much fatigue and finished with the searching of the house, run to the barn, quickest exit is the door next to the fridge.

-To Winding River-

Before leaving the barn to make the risky walk to the Winding River make sure your bars are topped up and have supplies to make a fire (if you have more than 3 flares use one instead of the fire saves time and less risky). When you start to leave the barn and had over the road smokey will spawn (he spawned near the river for me). Use the flare gun if he gets too close as you should have around 4 flares to shoot. Once you get to the pa*s that’s between Lower Falls and the climbing spot head up the mountain and make a fire to collect yourself, figure out where you are and regain warmth. From there you should have enough warmth to make to the connector cave. Smokey will attack more often around here so watch him while you walk to the cave.

Winding River

-Cave-

There’s not much in the cave except for a few spots, below the wood plank bridge and at the exit. Other than that just head through the cave and exit to winding river if conditions are fine and your bars are decently high. If not wait near the exit and wait out/fix your problem.

-Winding River-

Once you head out of the cave I high suggest of grabbing the cat tails for food and fire starters. Follow the path the game gives you, once you get to the path that would normally bring you to a dead deer carca*s head up it and climb along the rocks towards the normal path to the damn, If you cant find this take the normal path to the dam but either sneak pa*s the wolfs or scare them away if you have extra flares. Then you get inside the dam search it for supplies

Mystery Lake

-From Dam to Camp Office-

Head out of the dam’s fenced in area and head over the bridge making sure you sneak by the wolves. Smokey will spawn some where near the bridge such as down on the river. Follow the train tracks normally to the Camp Office, once smokey starts heading towards you use a flare and continue along the tracks to the office try to use only one flare here but if you need to use 2 another flare can spawn in the Office. Once in the office search it for supplies.

-To Trapper’s Cabin-

Make sure you have either two flares or a 2 flare shots and a flare, if not the run might end a bit soon for you. After heading out of the cabin and over the tracks to the cabin Smokey will spawn again either in the woods or by the cabin. Use another flare to keep him off you and more quickly to the cabin, watch out for the wolves in the area as well. If need to make a fire to figure where you’re at in area, it’s easy to get lost in this tiny area. But once you get to the cabin you finished the challenge that’s it.

Here we come to an end for the The Hunted, Part 1 – The Long Dark guide. I hope this guide has helped you with your gameplay. If you have something to add to this guide or believe we forgot some information to add, please let us know via comment! We check each comment manually by approving them!