Harder Difficulty Modes + Patch 1.04!

We’ve just released patch 1.04, which in addition to fixing a handful of small issues also makes a big addition: harder difficulty modes!

Instead of just Normal and Easy, Near Death now includes Hard and Condition 1 difficulties. Hard is hard, and Condition 1 will test even the most seasoned players. Both modes come with achievements so that you can prove to all your friends that you survived a full-on Condition 1 blizzard in Antarctica.

As for what these modes do, they both step up the intensity of the weather right from the start of the game. They also make it so that you receive less loot from containers, freeze faster, and run out of resources faster. Especially with Condition 1, you really have to think about every move and manage your resources extremely carefully; the conditions are brutal, so you can’t waste a single drop of kerosene or even one precious battery.

Here’s the full patch list, and we’ll keep an eye out for players sporting the new difficulty achievements!

• Added two new difficulty levels: Hard and Condition 1. If you’re one of those “eh, Near Death didn’t seem that hard to me” folks, we have a new challenge for you, along with shiny new achievements if you can escape Sutro Station in utterly merciless conditions.
• Added version information to the bottom right corner of the Options menu.
• Fixed bug where players could accidentally place their heater on the other side of a door just after forcing it closed.
• Fixed issue where in rare instances you can get duplicate quests after placing objects on the snowcat.
• Miscellaneous small fixes to rare cosmetic bugs.