Of course, there's a limit to just how accurate the game can be. The studio is currently attempting to fund the game through Kickstarter, with a Windows, Mac, and Linux launch expected in 2014. To that end, you won't have access to a mini-map in The Long Dark, but will instead have to use landmarks, a compass, and maybe even the constellations to guide you through the world.

The idea is to use the environment to direct players as much as possible.

Being out in the woods has already had an impact on the game's design, as the team has learned to use sounds, like a running river or chirping birds, to convey information to players. 'I'd like everyone on the team to have some hands-on experience with living in the bush for a couple of days,' van Lierop explains. The studio is currently planning a survival training session in which everyone - from the art director to the sound designer - will spend a few days off the grid, learning survival techniques directly from the expert. 'What do you do when you're living on the fringes of civilization?' But soon he'll have a much more hands-on approach with the team - literally. 'He's there to make sure that we're as accurate as possible.' Since The Long Dark is still somewhat early in development, most of Fragassi's contributions so far have consisted of 'pretty high-level' concepts, as opposed to more nitty gritty game elements. 'We wanted someone who was going to give us the raw goods on things,' says van Lierop. Stacks of survival guides and manuals were used as a starting point, but Fragassi has since signed on to help add that extra layer of authenticity. While van Lierop currently lives on the northern part of Vancouver Island - 'I can walk out of my office, and five minutes away from here there's about 50 kilometer of mountain biking trails and logging roads that twist through the mountains,' he says - the rest of the team isn't quite so familiar with the great outdoors.

'We're focusing on some things that a lot of games just gloss over,' says van Lierop. Running will burn those calories faster than walking, and finding food to replenish them will be a challenge. For example, the game will track how many calories you burn, so you'll need to be careful about how you expend your energy. Games like Fallout 3 already toss players into a huge world and force them to survive, but the team at Hinterland is aiming to craft an experience that's much more true to real life. 'We're kind of expecting something more from our players.'

Map of the long dark