Survival Is Earned. Chaos Is Documented.
What’s your #1 priority tomorrow?
Survive the day without a permadeath moment — in real life or in-game. Whether it’s dodging actual deadlines or digital wolves, my main goal tomorrow is to get through it with enough stories (and caffeine) to write about later.
(Plenty more day-to-day survival priorities at Survivor Incognito.)
In what ways does hard work make you feel fulfilled?
Hard work feels fulfilling when it turns into stories. Whether it’s hours of hauling logs in SnowRunner or barely surviving a week in The Long Dark, the grind pays off when there’s a tale worth telling. Real life or digital, the effort feels lighter once I can laugh about it later.
(Plenty more hard-earned disasters turned stories at Survivor Incognito.)
What’s the trait you value most about yourself?
My sense of humour. It’s what gets me through both real life and permadeath runs. If I can laugh after being flattened by a moose in The Long Dark or rolling my truck in SnowRunner, then I’m doing alright.
(Plenty more laughable disasters turned stories at Survivor Incognito.)
I started by taking Red along a road I hadn’t explored yet, which eventually led me to a quarry. Always good to know where the future cargo headaches will be coming from. I tried following the road deeper in, but it came to a natural stop, so I turned back and tried another route.
This second route led to a flooded stretch of road. The map confirmed it was indeed a road — apparently someone at the Department of Transport here has a sense of humour. I was convinced Red would sink or stall, but to my surprise he waded through like a champ, slow but steady. On the way, I even found a raised suspension upgrade for him. I thought I already had it installed, but hey — spares are spares.
At the end of the flooded road, I had a choice: plunge into the unknown or head for a nearby Watchtower. No prizes for guessing which option I took. The tower revealed an upgrade, but before I could investigate, Red needed a refuel. Thankfully, I’d given him fuel cans in an earlier upgrade, so one quick pit stop later and we were good to go.
The upgrade turned out to be an engageable AWD… for something. I forgot to check which vehicle. Classic me.
Another Watchtower was on the map, so we headed there. This is where Red’s sweet spot revealed itself: Low+. He still bounced, but it was more of a playful hop than a chaotic pogo stick. I reached the tower, got briefly excited when I thought I’d found a second fuel station in Smithville Dam, then realised the map was upside down and it was just the same one I already knew about. Disappointment levels: high.
The tower also revealed another upgrade, perched right at the water’s edge. Given Red’s aquatic performance today, I wasn’t worried. We collected it — raised suspension for the Scout — which might just drag him out of retirement. While I was at it, Red got another refuel before heading back to the garage, where I discovered he’d been on stock suspension all this time. No wonder he’d been so bouncy. Raised suspension went on immediately.
Before calling it a day, I checked out a new task called Boulders. It involves two service spare parts to clear a road — easy enough in theory, but the waterlogged section leading there will be a problem until Frank gets his own raised suspension. I’m adding that one to the to-do list for now.
All in all, Red outdid himself today. From quarries to questionable road conditions, he handled everything without a tow truck rescue. He’s earned a well-deserved rest.
The morning began with me jogging toward the latest house that Trader Rekt wanted looted for supplies. From the outside, it looked quiet — shutters drawn, roof sagging slightly, just another abandoned suburban home. But this is 7 Days to Die, so I knew the interior would be less “suburban charm” and more “screaming corpses.”
Sure enough, as soon as I hit the flag at the back of the property and stepped inside, the soundscape turned into a zombie alarm clock. Two of them barreled toward me, cutting off my escape. I managed to fight my way out, but not without a parting gift: infection. Perfect.
After clearing the stragglers and pocketing the supplies, I searched my pack for antibiotics. Nothing. A return trip to Papaw Residence confirmed the same — unless you count decorative piles of junk and a near-useless jar of murky water. But buried in a chest was salvation: honey. Exactly the right cure for my low-level infection. Bee magic saves the day.
I staggered back to Rekt’s, handed over the supplies, and chose skill books as my reward. Then I spent some coin on more honey, because clearly zombies see me as a chew toy. Another fetch quest? Why not. This one sent me toward what looked like a pop-up medical centre — white tarps, overturned stretchers, and the distinct impression that the last patients didn’t leave voluntarily.
The zombies inside were fewer and slower, which suited my still-throbbing wounds. Looting the shelves, I stumbled on something that felt like Christmas morning: a cooking grill. Finally, the days of choking down charred snake meat are behind me. Now I can prepare food that doesn’t taste like it came out of a campfire accident.
I cleared the building, snagged the supplies, and returned to Rekt. My reward? Charred meat. Honestly, I think the man is trolling me. “Here’s some food, survivor.” Yes, Rekt, I literally just looted the thing that makes your reward obsolete. Thanks for nothing, champ.
Back at Papaw, I started eyeing my supplies. Between yesterday’s scavenging and today’s haul, I realised I was close to crafting a Dew Collector. After a bit more rummaging and resource-gathering, the parts came together. I placed the contraption outside, whispered a hopeful prayer to the condensation gods, and waited.
After five minutes of staring at a metal bucket with mesh, I admitted that Dew Collectors are not exciting to watch in real time. With thirst still an issue, I decided to channel my boredom into base-building. The first layer of the horde base is now fully cobblestone. The second layer is patchwork, half cobble, half wood. The third layer? Still dreams and dust. At least I can say progress is being made, even if it looks more like a construction site than a fortress.
The Dew Collector is great in theory, but water production is glacial. By mid-afternoon I was dehydrated again — stumbling around with blurry vision like I’d been on a pub crawl with the undead. Tomorrow, water is priority number one. Either the trader sells me a stash, or I’m boiling every murky puddle I find.
Still, the looming problem isn’t just thirst. It’s the horde night clock. Day 4 is practically here, and my base is still an empty shell. If I don’t switch gears soon, the zombies will be less “contained threat” and more “unwanted guests knocking down my half-finished walls.” Tomorrow, the hammer and cobblestone get priority — fetch quests can wait.
Day 2 | Day 3 (You Are Here) | Day 4 (Coming Soon)
A quick update — the write-up about my b4nny-gifted Stickybomb Launcher from the i52 fundraiser has now been moved to a dedicated page.
This piece of TF2 history deserved a permanent home, not just a slot in the blog feed where it might eventually get buried.
➡️ You can read the full story here: Surviving the Backpack: My b4nny-Gifted Stickybomb Launcher
Future survival logs and shenanigans will keep rolling on as normal, but if you want the full provenance, screenshots, and esports history behind this launcher, the page has it all.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
“Don’t be afraid to fail.” In survival games, failure is inevitable — wolves, blizzards, zombies, you name it. But each disaster makes the next run better (and funnier). Turns out the same advice works outside of games too.
(Plenty more entertaining failures turned into lessons at Survivor Incognito.)
What things give you energy?
Coffee, comfort food, and the thrill of not freezing to death in a survival game. There’s nothing like narrowly escaping wolves in The Long Dark or fixing a flipped truck in SnowRunner to wake me up faster than any energy drink.
(Plenty more chaotic boosts of “energy” at Survivor Incognito.)
What’s your all-time favorite album?
I don’t really stick to just one, but I’ll say this: any album that makes a survival game session feel like a movie soundtrack is my favourite. If I’m trudging through a blizzard in The Long Dark and it feels cinematic instead of tragic, the music’s done its
(Plenty more survival chaos that could use a soundtrack — at Survivor Incognito.)
Mode: Permagear Rules | Optional Features: Winch-assisted woodland detours
I start the day by taking Red back to the Smithville Dam garage to decide on my next move. Both of my current main objectives need wooden planks, and as far as I can tell, the only viable source is back in Black River. The plan: build the bridge first, then worry about the rest.
I hop into Frank for the job, only to be faced with the first challenge — actually getting him there. Instead of taking the standard road, I opt for a less-beaten path through the trees, using the winch liberally and clambering over rocks like a determined mountain goat in truck form. If Frank had feelings, I’d say he was trying to prove something.
Once in Black River, I load up the planks and head back to Smithville Dam. Along the way, I can’t help but admire Frank’s handling — reliable, sturdy, and never letting you down. He’s the truck equivalent of that one friend who always brings snacks and never cancels plans.
I top him up at the fuel station as a precaution (he probably didn’t need it, but who doesn’t like a full tank?). Crossing the Dam, I briefly flash back to the Dam level in GoldenEye 64, half-expecting to see polygons of Soviet guards wandering about.
The delivery goes smoothly, and with the wooden planks in place, the bridge is now a reality. Objective one: done. Frank earns a well-deserved rest while I swap into Red for some post-bridge exploration.
Immediately, I’m reminded of the difference in handling: Frank sticks to the ground like he’s got magnetic tyres; Red prefers to bounce along it like an over-caffeinated pogo stick. Past the bridge, I find a promising-looking track and decide to follow it.
The path is a mix of mud, stones, and one dodgy river crossing that all but confirms Red will need a raised exhaust if such a thing exists. After wrestling through, I spot an upgrade ahead and let my hopes soar — could this be the elusive raised suspension for Frank I’ve been searching for? In my head, I’m already firing him up for a triumphant drive back to the garage.
It isn’t. Instead, it’s Engageable AWD for a White Star truck — a vehicle I don’t own. Still, at least it’s unlocked for the future. I follow the road and, somewhat anticlimactically, end up back on the other side of the bridge.
That’s where I call it for the day. Tomorrow, Red will keep exploring, and maybe — just maybe — I’ll finally complete The Essentials task.
Survivor Incognito 