MUST HAVE GAME IN ANY COLLECTION.
DO NOT THINK ABOUT PASSING ON THIS.
IT IS AMAZINGLY WELL DONE ALREADY.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

UPDATE 3:

With good eerie storytelling that surfaces in Episode 3, THE LONG DARK continues to be a MUST HAVE in everyone's collection. It will be the best purchase you ever make on Steam without regrets. Always finding a few hours a week or month to try to complete challenges or personal ones you make up, like fishing for 10 days straight and never leaving your ice fishing hut, THE LONG DARK will reward your patience and instill your own life with courage and confidence built into the game that gives rise to your "natural fears".

UPDATE 2:

Nearly 2 years later, and The Long Dark has commited to its promise of refining and polishing its interfaces and expanding areas to explore. Having played Rust, The Forest, and Salt....I feel The Long Dark has all the right elements and far surpasses each of them in so many ways. Its thrilling feel of near death is a constant and its what makes it the best and most challenging survival adventure game created.

UPDATE:

1 year later and The Long Dark has turned into one of my all-time favorite games...EVER.

The added exploration areas are immense and cold remains your worst enemy. The interface still needs ever so slight tweaking, but that has been promised to come in time, besides those are easier, quicker things for Hinterland to fix. Finding map bugs is the focus now for early access adopters and what the developers are looking for from you with valuable feedback on. (I've only found 1 bug thus far this year)