Begin with the fire
Press Start game, then choose light fire. Read the short messages as they appear and keep an eye on the available actions. The game reveals more controls as you progress.
This is the browser text adventure by Michael Townsend and the A Dark Room contributors. The edition here is in English and has no audio. It is separate from the mobile and Steam versions.
A keyboard and a little room to read
Click the text buttons to act. Buttons can also be focused and activated with Enter or Space. Later, exploration uses the arrow keys or WASD.
A desktop or laptop is recommended. The text can be read on a small screen, but this edition has not been verified as a complete touch-only game. The original map controls need a keyboard.
How your save works
The game saves progress in this browser’s local storage. Opening it again on the same browser and site can load that save. A different device, private browsing session, cleared site data or a different site address will not automatically have it.
Return to the village before leaving an expedition. The original game commits exploration changes when you get safely back; loading a save returns to the room. It does not restore an unfinished battle or the exact place you were standing on the map.
Use save. in the game menu to export a backup, and keep that text somewhere you can find it. Importing a valid backup replaces this game’s current progress. An unreadable import is rejected before replacement.
Reload reopens the player and loads its local save. Starting a completely new game uses restart inside the game, with its own confirmation. That restart clears this game’s save while keeping your guide checklist and recent history.
Take a break
Pause freezes this local player’s timers. Resume continues the open session. Exit game saves and closes the player. This edition does not promise offline progress while it is closed.
If browser storage is unavailable, the open game can still run, but progress may not survive closing it. Use the game’s export option to keep a backup, and read any storage warning before you leave.
A nudge, without the whole story
The beginner guide covers fire, wood, the first village buildings and preparing for an initial short trip. The perks reference is for later, when you want exact unlock conditions and a checklist of your own.
Updated