Back in 2020, I purchased an unusual game called “The Longing” by Studio Seufz. Unlike most games, it is (in the developer’s words) an “ultra-slow idle adventure.” Intrigued, I decided to give it a go.
I won’t belabor the details. Here are the basics: Players assume the role of a solitary Shade who keeps watch while the king naps for over a year of real time. While the king sleeps you can either explore the cave looking for ways to improve the Shade’s quality of life, or you can log out until 400 days pass. The game continues without you every time you log off.
The game isn’t for everyone. The thrills (such as they exist) are few and far between, and mundane by design. Picking up bits of charcoal, for example, is a commonplace activity. Reading books, too. Actual, full-length books like Moby Dick. It’s such a subdued experience that even waiting a week (of real time) for moss to grow or a stalactite to fall to open new paths to explore feels very rewarding. The deliberate tedium has the effect of transforming the ordinary into the remarkable.
In any case, on day 400 the game ends. Show up to finish the final task, and the game gives you an opportunity to restart. Or so I read. If you forget (as I did), the Shade just goes on existing with no way to end the game. I discovered this about a week ago when I logged on two years after starting the game.
Which brings me to the very simple solution and point of this post, courtesy of a Google search and the developer’s mercy. By chance, if you find yourself in this situation, unable to finish or restart this game so as to experience again the full extent of the ennui brought on by the Shade’s seemingly meaningless existence, do this:
- Start the game.
- Type 399d-23h-59m-59s and hit Enter.
No need to bring up a console or any other interface. Just type it in blind and hit enter. The game closes, but on reopening the counter will read 400 and you’re given the option to start. That’s what I did and it worked perfectly. The developer posted this information HERE.
Best of luck!
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