Category: blog update

Sneak, Snipe, Repeat: Skyrim Survival Day Five

I return to Shroud Hearth Barrow to face a “ghost,” discover it’s just a deranged frost mage, clear out undead, remember how to zoom with a bow, and miss Lydia more than I expected.


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The Ghost Isn’t Real, But the Frostbite Is

The day begins with a voice echoing through the ruins of Shroud Hearth Barrow, telling me to turn back. I don’t. Obviously. If I turned back every time a disembodied voice told me to, I wouldn’t have left Helgen.

Inside, I find frost-covered halls and a frost-wielding “spectre” who turns out to be a man in a robe with a superiority complex. I resist the urge to shout, “You’re not even undead!” and settle for fire spells and potions instead. Frost resistance does most of the work. A few spells later, he’s dead—and not the kind that gets up again.

Turns out he snapped from isolation and decided to LARP as a ghost. His journal’s full of ramblings, paranoia, and bad decisions. I should probably relate, but instead I loot his body and move on.

I can’t help thinking Lydia could’ve handled the distraction while I circled behind. She was good for that—charging in recklessly while I fired off spells and arrows from the shadows. It hits me again that she’s gone. Permanently. Not resting in Breezehome. Just gone. And for the first time, that feels like more than an inventory loss.


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A Quick Detour to Town

I return to the inn with the ghost-faker’s journal. The innkeeper’s relieved to learn the place isn’t haunted and rewards me with the Sapphire Dragon Claw—because apparently the correct response to surviving a haunted dungeon is to send someone deeper into it.

Not one to refuse free ancient loot access, I eat some food, warm up, and head back in.


—

Back to the Barrow

The second half of the barrow is more undead and more danger. I find a sleeping bag tucked beside some barrels and take the opportunity to rest. One hour’s enough to regain stamina and level up. I put the point into Health and choose Light Armor for the perk—mainly because I’m tired of dying in three hits.

The claw fits the puzzle door and grants access to the barrow’s inner sanctum. I shift into stealth mode and start clearing the area with arrows and fire spells. It’s during one of these fights that I finally remember: I can zoom in with my bow. (Hold ZL to aim, click right stick for zoom.) This information would’ve been helpful literally four days ago, but better late than dead.


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New Magic, New Words, Same Cold

Along the way, I find an Oakflesh spellbook. Boosted armor without metal? Yes, please. It pairs well with my current sneaky-bow-mage playstyle, especially since I’ve yet to find decent armor that doesn’t clank.

At the very end of the dungeon, I’m greeted by a Word Wall. I approach and learn Kyne’s Peace, which… sounds like something the Greybeards might want to chat about. I haven’t seen them since I shouted at a mountain goat near Whiterun, so I imagine they’re still waiting patiently on their high stone perch.

Before I leave the crypt, I rest again and hit another level up. Health gets another boost (cold and axes both hurt), and I drop a perk point into Sneak. Because what’s better than being hard to kill? Being hard to find in the first place.


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Day 5 Summary

Defeated fake ghost in Shroud Hearth Barrow

Acquired and used the Sapphire Dragon Claw

Cleared out all skeletons and draugr

Remembered I can zoom while aiming with a bow (finally)

Picked up Oakflesh for magic armor buffs

Learned Word of Power: Kyne’s Peace

Leveled up twice: +2 Health, Light Armor +1, Sneak +1

Missed Lydia more than expected

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The barrow’s empty, the loot is mine, and the Greybeards are probably wondering if I’ve died in a ditch. They’ll get their answer tomorrow—assuming I don’t freeze to death first.

Check out the full series here: Sneak, Snipe, Repeat: Skyrim Survival

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Why I’m Not Chasing Clicks (And What That Means for Survivor Incognito)

When I started this blog, I knew 2 things for sure:

  1. I love survival games.
  2. I didn’t want to turn them into something stressful – for me or for you.

So I made a choice early on: I wouldn’t flood Survivor Incognito with SEO trickery, hyped-up headlines, or “Top 10 Ways to Get Views Fast!” guides. I wanted this to grow like a campfire — one spark at a time. Slow, steady, and occasionally smothered by a blizzard.

The Stats So Far

May was my first full month live. I got:




Some days it’s just one or two views. Others it’s a little spike from Reddit, Facebook, or Pinterest. It’s not explosive — but it’s real. And it’s mine.

  • 324 views.
  • 243 visitors.
  • And one mildly surprised blogger wondering who these brave souls are clicking through the fog.

Why I’m OK With Slow Growth

Because I’d rather build a small camp of readers who:

  • Actually enjoy what I like.
  • Like permadeath stories, region guides, or rabbit-stunning mishaps.
  • Stick around for the tone, not the traffic.

Clickbait can bring numbers, sure. But I’m not aiming for viral. I’m aiming for cozy. If a blog post of mine makes someone laugh, try something new in The Long Dark, or curse a moose in solidarity — that’s enough.

What’s Ahead

The blog will keep growing — one post, one map, one diary entry at a time. If you’re here reading this? Thank you. You’re part of what makes this space feel less like a webpage and more like a cabin with the fire lit.

Feel free to browse the hubs, subscribe for updates, or just keep coming back when the blizzards hit.

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Stick Around?

I post new survival diaries, game guides, and mildly catastrophic moments every week. Head to the homepage to see what’s been happening, or subscribe if you want updates without the clickbait.

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Day 1 Diary – The Long Dark Customloper – Cold Coast, Hard Start

Day 1 of a Customloper survival test in The Long Dark. Spawned in Coastal Highway. Made gloves out of scraps, got hit with a blizzard, and somehow didn’t freeze to death.

I put in the Customloper settings, picked my character, set the spawn to random, and named the file Day One. I spawn in Coastal Highway – specifically right next to the path leading to The Ravine.

Map of Coastal Highway

I think about going that way for all of five seconds, I choose life instead and head toward the Train Unloading Trailer I know is nearby

Spawned in cold, sprinting for shelter. Train Unloading it is

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Inside I grab what I can, including a second pair of socks. Then hit the tunnel corpse – and score a hatchet.

My loadout after looting the trailer. No gloves, great.

—

From there, I billy goat my way down a nearby cliff, grabbing sticks while the temperature plummets.

Alternative route, gravity assisted travel

—

I find another trailer. It’s warmer, but still not warm enough. And I didn’t spawn with gloves, so my hands are freezing.

I cut across the road, stop at a car, then head toward the Fishing Camp.

Note: I had to double-check the name using my own Map Hub — I knew where I was, just couldn’t remember what it was called. Proof the hub’s not just for readers.

I loot what I can — some food, but not enough to carry me far. In the first house, I grab cloth and craft handwraps. It helps, barely. In the second, third and fourth houses, I scrape together enough to make a makeshift hat.

Then I step outside.

I step outside. Weather steps on me

—

I retreat and sleep for three hours to warm up. When I wake, the blizzard has cleared. I push toward Jackrabbit Island and manage to snag three rabbits — finally, a win.

Inside the house, I raid the fridge and score water. I harvest the rabbits for meat as the sun drops.

Then I head outside, light a fire on the first try, and cook everything. I even remember I have herbal tea, brew it, and drink it to recover some condition — which was down to about 50%.

Back inside, I scavenge the place and find a pair of wool mittens, climbing socks, and a pair of boots.

I go to bed warm, full, and genuinely surprised I made it through Day One.

—

Next week, I start my actual Customloper run. I start in a new area, and will attempt to explore the whole island before I succumb to The Long Dark.

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If you want to know more about Customloper, why not check out The Long Dark Customloper Settings: Easier Interloper Survival Mode

If you enjoyed this entry, why not check out my other Day One Diaries

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Friday Fright Is Coming – Something’s Stirring Beneath the Waves

A new survival series is surfacing on Survivor Incognito this Friday. It’s cold. It’s wet. And it wants to be seen. Welcome to Friday Fright.


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You’ve braved the cold.
You’ve dodged dinosaurs.
You’ve survived Skyrim without socks.

Now it’s time to confront something older… and deeper.

This Friday, Survivor Incognito plunges into the unknown with the launch of a new weekly series:
Friday Fright – where survival meets suspense, and things don’t just go bump in the night—they slither, stalk, and stare back.


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What to Expect:

New Friday posts exploring the eerie, the strange, and the just plain cursed corners of survival gaming.

Permadeath challenges with a twist—when the danger isn’t just wolves or weather, but something… weirder.

Short stories from the edge of logic, sanity, and safe game design.


The first entry will be revealed this Friday at 5PM GMT.
Hold your breath. Not all horrors come from the land.

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Day One Diary Customloper Drops – Tomorrow

The Day One Diary of Customloper is coming—and no, I didn’t freeze to death immediately.
Spawned in with Interloper-level weather and a backpack full of questionable decisions.
There were snacks. There were was lots of snow. There was looting in the dark like a confused burglar. Find out what happens tomorrow at 1pm GMT.

For information on what Customloper is, read here: The Long Dark Customloper Settings: Easier Interloper Survival Mode

Catch up with my other Day One Diaries here: Day One Diaries

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The Doedicurus Incident: How I Lost a Fight I Didn’t Know I Was Starting

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Day 1 of ARK: Scorched Earth. I spawned, made some pants, and was murdered by what I thought was a friendly armoured pet rock. A true story of betrayal, bad aim, and Doedicurus rage.

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Welcome to the Desert. Here’s a Spear. Try Not To Die.

I woke up in the Scorched Earth desert with nothing but my fists and the overwhelming sense that everything around me wanted me dead.

Naturally, I punched a tree, made a pickaxe, and crafted myself a stunning outfit made entirely of itchy rags. Survival 101.

That’s when I saw it: a Doedicurus.
Round, slow-moving, and with the kind of face that said, “I mind my business.” It was adorable. I felt safe.

This would be my desert buddy. My spiky little friend.
I had plans. Big plans. I was going to tame it. Name it. Maybe ride it into battle.

—

Then I Threw a Spear at It.

Now… in my defense, I meant to throw the spear next to the Doedicurus.
You know, to test it. Impress it. Establish dominance. Whatever people do in survival games.

What I didn’t mean to do was poke it directly in the face.

Cue a noise I didn’t know Doedicuruses could make.
Cue it rolling toward me like an angry bowling ball with revenge issues.

—

The Fight That Wasn’t.

I panicked.
I had one more spear. I missed.
I pulled out my fists. They were… less effective.

The Doedicurus did not miss. It swung its tail like it was trying to launch me into the next biome.
It succeeded.

—

Respawn, Reflect, Regret.

As I stared at the “You Died” screen, one thought ran through my head:
What the hell just happened?

I came here to survive.
I left wearing nothing but shame and a crushed dream of dinosaur friendship.


—

Final Thoughts

Let it be known: Doedicuruses are not your friends.
They are boulders with feelings. And those feelings are rage.

Next time, I’m taming a Jerboa. At least they don’t roll over you for sport.

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Got a favourite chaotic moment?

Let me know in the comments or tag me on social—I’m always looking for new disasters to celebrate.
And if you enjoy these shorts, consider sharing the page with a fellow survivor.
Because nothing says “friendship” like a moose silently judging you from behind a tree.

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If you enjoyed that one, please check out my other stories here: Survivor’s Shorts

Also, please check out the full tale of my first day in ARK: Scorched Earth here: Day 1 Diary – ARK: Scorched Earth: Heat, Hubris & A Doedicurus

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Day 1 Diary – No Man’s Sky – A Freezing Planet, Angry Plants & A Forgotten Ship

Because apparently, space is just as chaotic as survival on Earth.
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I wake up to the cold void of Zuwan 58/E6

It’s -54.8°C and my thermal protection is already falling apart. I’m standing on an unfamiliar world, surrounded by snow, rocks, and the kind of silence that suggests no one’s coming to help. The scanner is offline, and the only way to fix it is by gathering ferrite dust.

Cue 30 seconds of frantic mining laser use. It feels like hours. Rocks explode. The scanner gets patched up. Victory—briefly.


—

Sodium, sabotage, and a slap from nature

With the scanner online, I locate some sodium-rich plants glowing yellow in the distance. I sprint over like they’re the last snacks at the end of the world. Just as I reach one, a hostile plant lashes out and takes a bite out of me. Rude.

I grab the sodium anyway, recharge my thermal protection, and make a mental note: not everything green is friendly.

Then a new signal appears—500 units away.


—

The Radiant Pillar and the repair list from hell

The signal leads to a crashed starship: the Radiant Pillar BC1. The ship’s still mostly intact, but running a diagnostic reveals both the launch thrusters and pulse engine are out of commission. Typical.

Luckily, I already have enough ferrite dust to patch together some metal plating and get started. Then the distress beacon hands me a planetary chart that points toward a hermetic seal—only 900 units away. I head off to get it.

Halfway there, the planet unleashes a blizzard. The temperature drops to -97.3°C. I barely make it to the building in time, where I warm up, collect the hermetic seal, and take a much-needed moment to question my life choices.


—

Navigation error: user

With the seal in hand, I’m ready to head back… if only I remembered where I left the ship.

The scanner’s broken again. This time it needs carbon. So I laser some nearby plants—none of which try to bite me, thankfully—and repair the scanner. The ship’s marker reappears and I make my way back, scanning every rock and shrub along the way like a distracted tourist with a scanner addiction.


—

The great resource hunt and escape

Back at the ship, I finish the pulse engine repair. The thrusters need pure ferrite, which means crafting a portable refiner. That requires dihydrogen and oxygen—time for another impromptu gathering mission.

Once the refiner is placed, I process the ferrite dust into pure ferrite, patch up the launch thrusters, and climb into the cockpit.

Moments later, I leave Zuwan 58/E6 behind. I don’t know where I’m going, but I’m not freezing anymore. Probably.


—

Day 1 complete

Status: Launched
Planet: Hostile
Ship: Mostly duct tape
Next Goal: Figure out how not to die in space


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If you enjoyed this one, why not check out my other Day One Diaries

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Here’s What’s Coming This Week – From Dodos to Doedicurus and Deep Space

This week at Survivor Incognito: dino disasters, cosmic chaos, a return to Customloper, and two new Survivor’s Shorts. Here’s the full lineup of what’s dropping and when.

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Monday – A Double Hit to Start the Week

Day One Diary: No Man’s Sky
Cold planet, no scanner, and a plant that bit me. Welcome to Zuwan 58/E6.

Survivor’s Short: The Doedicurus Incident
One spear. One armadillo. Zero survivors. The best (worst?) five seconds of ARK you’ll ever read.

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Wednesday – Into the Cold

Day One Diary: The Long Dark – Customloper
Coastal Highway just got colder. My custom difficulty is set to “help is a myth” — and this diary is where it begins. This is a taster of what is to come next week

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Thursday – Skyrim Survives Another Day

Skyrim Survival – Day Five
My Argonian’s back, colder than ever, and probably regretting their life choices again. Expect sneaking, sniping, and the occasional panic shout.

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Friday – Frostbite & Fur

The Long Dark – New Entry in A Voyageur’s Tale
The Cold Chronicles continue with more frostbite, slightly less dignity, and whatever’s left in my food stash.

Survivor’s Short: The Moose Encounter
He saw me. I saw him. Only one of us had antlers — and it wasn’t me.

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Plus: This Site Just Got A Bit Update

All entries for The Long Dark, Skyrim, and Day One Diaries have been turned into full posts (not pages!) so they’re easier to find, share, and follow.

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Thanks for Reading – And Surviving

Bookmark the blog, subscribe if you haven’t, and remember: in survival gaming, it’s not about thriving — it’s about laughing while everything falls apart.

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Sneak, Snipe, Repeat: Skyrim Survival Day Four

Missed Day 3 – Read it here

Started the day the way all great stealth archers do—by pretending to care about politics. Found the Redguard woman in Whiterun that the Alik’r mercs were sniffing around for. She gave me the classic “they’re lying, I’m innocent” speech. Naturally, I decided to investigate further, because I’m not just a deadly ghost in the shadows—I’m also weirdly nosy.

So I paid a visit to the dungeon. Not because I enjoy the ambiance (mossy rocks, chain rattles, general despair), but because that’s where the Alik’r prisoner was holed up. On my way through the cells, I stumbled across a conveniently placed letter that kicked off While the Cat’s Away—because apparently jail is where people keep their treasure maps now. This new breadcrumb trail pointed me to Rorikstead, so that’s now on the ever-growing “places I’ll forget to visit” list.

I bribed a guard to release the Alik’r guy. Ten gold down, but the man refused to leave. Said he liked it there. Who likes jail? I left him to enjoy the damp stone aesthetic and moved on.

Decided to get serious about transport and talked to the guy at the stables. Instead of a horse, I got a map to horse locations. Look, I may specialize in ranged combat from the shadows, but even I think this quest design is a bit rich. I considered stealing a horse parked outside—because what’s stealth archery without a bit of stealth theft?—but resisted. Barely.

Set off for Ivarstead, because apparently walking from town to town is now my main questline. Took a scenic route through White River Watch, because I saw bandits and my inner archer whispered, “free loot.” Cleared the place, looted some arrows, and—big moment—found a replacement torch. Goodbye darkness; hello slightly less darkness.

Further down the road, a local asked for help clearing out some spooky ancestral crypt. I said yes, mostly because ghosts are easier to shoot than bandits. Lydia followed me in. She didn’t follow me out. Somewhere in the middle of a draugr-infested hallway, she stopped tanking and started dying. I mourned just long enough to loot her stuff and whisper, “you took too many aggro points.” I may join the Companions soon, if only to get a fresh meat shield with less emotional baggage.

Finished the tomb, claimed some loot, and resumed the long haul to Ivarstead. Got lost twice. Almost turned back three times. It wasn’t clear if I was heading east, west, or straight into existential crisis. Eventually, the town showed up and I dragged myself into the nearest inn.

Dropped into a bed with no torch dropped this time. Progress.

RIP Lydia. You were loud, clunky, and bad at staying behind me. But you absorbed a lot of arrows meant for me, so thanks for that.

Read the full journey here: Sneak, Snipe, Repeat: Skyrim Survival

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Sneak, Snipe, Repeat: Skyrim Survival Day Three

Missed Day Two. Find it here: Sneak, Snipe, Repeat: Skyrim Survival – Day Two

Day 3 started with an ambush. A random High Elf jumped me on the road for reasons unknown—maybe they didn’t like my face, or maybe Argonians owe them money. Either way, I fought back with confusion and mild panic, which worked surprisingly well.

I eventually made it to Honningbrew Meadery, still torchless, and only then realized I must have accidentally sold mine to the Riverwood trader. A true survivalist moment.

Whiterun itself was a whirlwind of activity. I did a lot of trading and cooking (still no torch, sadly) and picked up a handful of miscellaneous quests just by talking to everyone who would listen. After reporting the dragon attack to the Jarl, he asked me to speak to his court wizard, Farengar, about retrieving an item from Bleak Falls Barrow. Luckily, I had already picked it up after dealing with the draugr overlord the day before.

When I returned the item, another dragon sighting interrupted the conversation—because of course it did. The Jarl asked me to help defend the watchtower. On the way, I stopped at a farm and took as many cabbages as I could carry. Nutrition first, dragon-slaying second.

The dragon fight was… spirited. I may have only shot one or two arrows during the entire battle (accuracy still pending investigation), but I stood my ground and somehow survived. When the dragon fell, I absorbed its soul and unlocked the first word of Unrelenting Force. The Greybeards, apparently impressed by my sheer proximity to heroism, summoned me with a thunderous shout across the land.

After the chaos at the watchtower, I returned to Whiterun as a newly minted dragonslayer—well, sort of. I may have only fired one or two arrows during the entire battle (accuracy debatable), but I was present, which apparently is enough to get called Dragonborn these days. I’ll take it.

Back in the city, the moment I stepped through the gates, I ran into two Redguards asking if I’d seen a mysterious woman. Naturally, I nodded vaguely and moved on—I’d just absorbed a dragon soul, after all. Priorities.

Then it was back up to Dragonsreach, where I was rewarded by the Jarl for my “bravery” with the title of Thane and a housecarl named Lydia. I’d barely gotten the words “Unrelenting Force” out of my mouth before I was already poking around the keep, looting any gold, potions, and cheese wheels that weren’t nailed down. Let’s just say I was making the most of my new noble status.

Exhausted, mildly traumatized, and still without a torch, I wrapped up Day 3 by heading to the local inn for some much-needed rest—and to contemplate how one becomes the hero of Skyrim while barely lifting a finger in combat.

Read the full jouney here: Sneak, Snipe, Repeat: Skyrim Survival

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