Survivor’s Log: Subnautica Site Update

I’ve finally gotten round to a couple of long-overdue Subnautica jobs — the kind that make the site easier to use and stop everything from drifting into chaos.

First, there’s now a proper Subnautica Hub. One place to collect everything Subnautica-related — logs, guides, maps, and future posts — without needing to hunt through tags or old links.

Subnautica Hub:

Subnautica Hub


Second, I’ve built a Subnautica Crafting Reference page. This isn’t a lore dump or a wiki replacement — it’s a practical, at-a-glance list of what you need to craft things, grouped by crafting device and built to be useful while you’re actually playing.

Subnautica Crafting Reference:

Subnautica Crafting Reference Guide


Both pages exist for the same reason: less friction, less tab-hopping, and more time actually surviving underwater.

More Subnautica updates soon — now that the foundations are finally in place.

Quiet Wins: The Long Dark Map Hub

This isn’t a big announcement, and it’s not a victory lap. It’s just one of those small moments that make the work feel worth it.

While updating my The Long Dark map hub, I noticed it sitting comfortably on the first page of search results — consistently, across different browsers. Not first. Not flashy. Just… there.

What made me smile wasn’t the number. It was why it was there.

The page hasn’t been gamed or stuffed with keywords. It’s static maps, clear layouts, and information that actually works when you’re cold, lost, and trying to remember which rope goes where. I’ve been slowly improving the maps and adding proper coverage for harder difficulties like Interloper and Misery, one region at a time.

No rush. No rebuild. Just making something useful and letting it settle.

If nothing else, it’s a reminder that quiet progress still counts — even when nobody’s clapping.

Related:
The Long Dark – Complete Region & Transition Zone Map Guide

Submerged: A Subnautica Survival Diary – Day 1: The Peeper in the Pod

Submerged: A Subnautica Survival Diary – Day 1

Difficulty: Survival Mode (Steam Deck Edition)

Welcome to 4546B

I wake to alarms, a smoking console, and one extremely calm Peeper hovering in the middle of my lifepod like it pays rent. Fire out, situation stable, roommate secured. I catch it. I cook it. Breakfast of champions.

The PDA boots into Emergency Mode with the sort of cheerful corporate tone that suggests HR wrote it. Regardless, it’s my lifeline now, so I listen.

First Steps (and First Swims)

Before diving, I pin the essentials:

  • O₂ Tank — lungs are optional, but preferred.
  • Fins — I’d rather swim fast than panic slowly.

A few quick foraging runs later and I’ve got both crafted, plus a Repair Tool and a Scanner. The ocean is being cooperative… for the moment.

Right on cue, the radio chirps in with an update: rescue ETA 9… 9… 9… 9… 9 hours. So, roughly eleven and a half years. Excellent. I’ll, uh, keep busy.

Nightfall, Notes, and New Blueprints

Scanner built, I point it at everything that moves (and several things that don’t). The shallows hum with life — coral pulsing softly beneath me, strange silhouettes drifting just beyond visibility. It’s beautiful in a way that feels like a warning.

Darkness drops quickly, and scanning in pitch black is just guessing with extra beeps, so I pin a Torch for tomorrow.

At first light I spot Seaglide fragments. One scan later and the blueprint unlocks. New goal: build it before the day ends — because slow swimming is a lifestyle choice I refuse to adopt.

Then: a ping from Lifepod 3. Marker acquired. I’ll head there once the Seaglide is humming.

Crash Fish Chaos

While hunting materials, I discover two facts in rapid succession: Crash Fish hate visitors, and they express this by exploding in your face. Two back-to-back detonations later, my health bar looks like a bad stock chart. I limp to the lifepod, patch up, and get back to work. Controlled recklessness: unlocked.

The Hunt for Copper

Finding copper is like looking for hope in a horror movie — technically present, rarely where you expect. I comb the shallows, finally crack the right limestone outcrop, and sprint-swim home to craft Copper Wire.

Moments later, the Seaglide is mine. Sleek, fast, and probably not covered by warranty. I take it for a celebratory lap around the pod and call it a day. Tomorrow: Lifepod 3.

End of Day Reflections

The sun sinks below the horizon, painting the shallows gold and the deeper water black. My vitals are stable, the pod is repaired, and I’ve managed not to die — all major wins in my book. The ocean hums quietly around me, equal parts beautiful and unnerving. Somewhere out there, Lifepod 3 is waiting. Hopefully with snacks.

Watch the Chaos

🎥 Subnautica Survival – Day 1
See the full adventure — from surprise Peeper roommate to Seaglide success — on YouTube:

Continue the Journey

Day 1 (You Are Here) |
Day 2 – The Voyage to Lifepod 3 (Coming Soon)

Customloper Diaries – Day 6: Blizzard Send-Off, Ptarmigan Detour, and the Great Cooking Pot Tragedy

Customloper Diaries – Day 6: Blizzard Send-Off, Ptarmigan Detour, and the Great Cooking Pot Tragedy

Weather: Blizzard → calm → chilly dusk
Loot Highlights: Maple syrup, ptarmigan, teas
Mood: Mildly triumphant, then deeply betrayed by my own memory

◀ Customloper Diaries – Day 5: Moose Standoff, Bullet Disappointment, and Frostbite Gordon Ramsay  | 
What is Customloper?

Mountain Town Farewell Tour

The plan was simple: head for Mystery Lake. Naturally, The Long Dark decided my departure needed to be as unpleasant as possible. I stepped outside, full of optimism and travel plans… straight into a wall of snow. The blizzard hit so hard I half-expected the wind to demand my boarding pass.

Not keen on becoming a frozen cautionary tale before I even left Milton, I retreated back inside. While the storm roared outside, I repaired my climbing socks — because if I’m going to dangle from a rope over a death drop, my feet should at least be comfortable.

When the snowstorm finally lost interest in my destruction, I made a quick supply drop at my blizzard cache in Milton Park: food, flares, and a little hope for future me. If my track record says anything, future me will absolutely need them.

En route, I spotted a couple of ptarmigans. One made a clean getaway, but the second wasn’t so lucky — a quick stun and scoop secured dinner. My frame rate then staged its own protest against survival, solved with the ancient ritual of a one-hour nap and a full restart.

A Quick Rope-Climbing PSA

For anyone following along at home:
1. Over your carry weight? You’re not climbing.
2. Too tired? You won’t make it far before the rope wins.
3. Both? Prepare for a long fall and a high hospital bill (if hospitals still existed).

The climb up was almost suspiciously smooth. No wolves lurking at the bottom, no moose guarding the top. Just crisp air, creaking rope, and the growing certainty that something unpleasant was saving itself for later.

At the top, my guy was winded but not dying — a personal best. It was a short slog to the transition cave, where I took one last look at Mountain Town and stepped into the dark unknown.

Cave Navigation Pro Tip

Pick a wall — left or right — and stick to it the entire way. You’ll either find the exit or discover you’ve been walking in circles for hours. Either way, you’ll feel like a pro.

The cave was mercifully straightforward. I found a pre-built campfire setup and used it as an excuse for a much-needed coffee break. The simple act of brewing coffee pushed my Cooking skill to Level 2: Novice — still a long way from “Chef,” but I’ll take it.

With caffeine restored, I pressed on until daylight spilled through the cave mouth. Welcome to Mystery Lake.

Mystery Lake: The Training Wheels Region (With Wolves)

The Hunt for a Rifle… and a Cooking Pot

The sun was already sliding toward the horizon, so I aimed straight for Trapper’s Cabin. First thing I checked: the rifle rack. Empty. The loot gods remain cruel.

The safe offered a small consolation prize in the form of maple syrup — proof that at least one deity in this frozen world still cares about my morale.

Finally, I harvested the ptarmigan… and immediately remembered that every single one of my cooking pots was still back in Milton. All of them. My dreams of a hearty stew crumbled faster than my willpower in a wolf chase.

Instead, I brewed a round of reishi and rose hip teas, boiled water, and contemplated the life choices that had brought me to “hot leaf juice” as my primary meal. The only upside? I now have a reason to return to Milton, assuming I survive long enough.

Day 6 Summary

  • Location: Mountain Town → Mystery Lake
  • Finds: Maple syrup, ptarmigan
  • Wildlife Watch: Ptarmigan spotted and secured
  • Conditions: Blizzard start, calm finish
  • Status: Alive, caffeinated, cookware-less

Continue the Journey

◀ Customloper Diaries – Day 5: Moose Standoff, Bullet Disappointment, and Frostbite Gordon Ramsay
Customloper Diaries – Day 7 ▶

New Page Alert – Subnautica Survival Guide Now Live!

Attention survivors – your underwater playbook has arrived!

The brand-new Subnautica Survival Guide is now live on Survivor Incognito, packed with everything you need to go from panicked paddler to confident deep-sea explorer. Whether it’s your first day swimming out of the lifepod or you’re gearing up for an Aurora run, this guide covers it all – from must-have early tools to predator evasion tips and base-building advice.

We’ve even included:

  • A quick-reference predator list (because sometimes you just need to know if the big shadow is going to eat you).
  • Switch control table so you can stop pressing the wrong button when panic sets in.
  • A linked map hub for finding resources without wandering into Leviathan territory by “accident.”
  • A quick start card for Days 1–3 priorities.

If you’re starting fresh in Subnautica – or just want to survive without becoming lunch – this page is your new best friend.

🌊 Read the full Subnautica Survival Guide here

The Cold Chronicles Day Ten: A Voyageur’s Tale of The Long Dark


The Cold Chronicles – Day 10: Ravine Roulette, Floating Deer, and Finally Mystery Lake

Day 10 in The Long Dark sees me teetering over the Ravine’s abyss, harvesting meat from a deer that’s apparently learned levitation, and finally—finally—reaching Mystery Lake. Bonus: new socks, because morale matters.

Missed the previous day? The Cold Chronicles Day Nine


Leaving the Trailer, Chasing the Horizon

I stepped out of the trailer at the Train Unloading area, the morning air biting in that way The Long Dark seems to enjoy. The plan was simple: follow the train tracks east until the Ravine transition zone, then cross into Mystery Lake. Simple plans in this game never stay simple.

The tracks carried me into the Ravine—beautiful in the kind of way that makes you briefly forget it’s also a death trap. Narrow ledges, collapsed rails, and drops you don’t get back up from. One balancing section across a busted bit of track nearly gave me a heart attack, but I made it across without testing the fall damage mechanics. Small victories.


The Floating Deer Incident

Birds circling in the distance caught my attention—never ignore free protein. I hiked over, expecting a standard carcass. Instead, I found a deer hovering several inches above the snow like it had unlocked some kind of ungulate wizardry.

I harvested the meat quickly, mostly to avoid breaking whatever fragile laws of nature were keeping it afloat. Then, in my post-butcher haze, I realized the deer had been “pointing” toward the right path all along. Thanks, floating friend.


Birch Bark and Bullet Rewards

Further along, a lone backpack waited at the edge of another narrow crossing. Inside: one revolver cartridge. Not much, but when you live in a world where bullets are basically gold, you don’t complain.

I also found an absurd amount of birch bark—seven pieces in total. If this run ends, it will not be because I ran out of tea. Deer hunting? Optional. Birch bark tea? Mandatory.


Mystery Lake at Last

The Ravine eventually spat me out onto the familiar terrain of Mystery Lake. Relief hit harder than the wind. I spotted a trailer and decided it would be my base for the night. Outside, I lit a fire, cooking up the deer meat and a rabbit I’d nabbed earlier. The smell alone was enough to make me feel like I was thriving rather than just surviving.

Inside, I scored a pair of climbing socks—a glorious upgrade from my starting sports socks. Harvested some spare clothes for cloth, then realized I’d left a rabbit steak outside. That’s tomorrow’s wolf bait or breakfast, depending on how fast I am in the morning.

I dropped my deer and rabbit hides, along with the guts, to start curing. Mystery Lake had officially welcomed me—with warmth, food, and better footwear.


Continue the journey: Day 9 | Day 11 – Coming Soon


More from The Long Dark:

🛠 Something Big Is Brewing

A quick update post from me.

Behind the scenes, I’m working on something… complicated. It’s going to take time, screenshots, formatting, and far too many tables. Possibly a mild headache or two.

I’m not saying what it is. Not yet. But if you’ve followed the blog for a while, you’ll probably guess. It involves survival. It involves chaos. It may or may not involve dead livestock and unsafe generators.

Content might slow slightly while this gets stitched together, but regular playthroughs will continue soon.

Until then, stay sneaky. And maybe don’t blow any skill checks near me.

— Survivor Incognito

Sunburnt & Sinking – A Stranded Deep Survival Diary: Day One

Sunburnt & Sinking: A Stranded Deep Survival Diary – Day 1

Difficulty: Normal
Optional Features: Permadeath enabled (naturally)

“Crash-landed on an island, I fight crabs, climb trees, and light my first fire. Survival starts with chaos, coconuts, and questionable plants.”

Weather / Loot / Mood

  • Weather: Calm seas, light breeze, deceptively peaceful for a day of disaster
  • Loot: Raft, crude knife, refined knife, coconuts, crab meat, basic shelter
  • Mood: Shocked → determined → mildly suspicious of the local wildlife

Would You Kindly Not Crash the Plane?

One moment, I was minding my own business on a plane. The next, someone must have read a note that said “would you kindly…” and down we went. If you know, you know. Coincidence? I think not.

Seconds later, I was dragging myself into a life raft, paddling (drifting?) toward the nearest island like a discount version of Tom Hanks in *Cast Away*. The ocean was calm, the sun was shining, and I had no idea that half the local wildlife would soon want me dead.

First Rule of Raft Club: Don’t Let It Float Away

I hit the shore and immediately dragged the raft up onto the sand. I’ve played enough survival games to know that if you don’t secure your transport, the game will absolutely make it vanish the second you turn your back. Raft secured, I went into scavenger mode, grabbing sticks, rocks, and whatever else looked remotely useful.

Not everything on this island was friendly. A particularly aggressive bush took a swipe at me as I got too close. I backed off, wounded in both pride and possibly my spleen. Clearly, the flora here had opinions about trespassers.

Knife to Meet You, Crabs

With my gathered resources, I crafted my first knife. Then I upgraded it to a refined knife, because the first one felt about as dangerous as a butter spreader. Time to test it out on something edible.

The game suggested crouching to hunt crabs. This, in practice, only made it easier for them to lunge at me. One particularly large crab came at me with the kind of aggression usually reserved for boss fights. Between this and the thorny bush, I was starting to wonder if the island had a “kill the newcomer” policy.

Still, I won the skirmish, and with crab meat in hand, it was time to cook. The war, however, was far from over.

Fire Good. Cooking Skill Better.

I built a campfire near the raft and fed it with sticks. Fire is life in survival games, and here was no exception. Apparently, just standing near it while food cooked would boost my Cooking skill — which meant I was now becoming a chef by proximity.

While the crab sizzled, I spotted a palm tree loaded with coconuts. In true castaway fashion, I scaled it like it owed me money, hacked down my prize, and enjoyed my first proper drink. Hydration secured. Hunger in progress.

The crab revenge counter was still open, but for now, I was alive and marginally full.

Shelter from the Darkness

As the sun dipped toward the horizon, I remembered one important fact: in Stranded Deep, you need a shelter to save the game. I went hunting for materials, avoiding the aggressive bush and giving any large crabs a suspicious side-eye.

One stubborn yucca plant refused to yield anything useful, so I abandoned it for a more cooperative one. A few resource-gathering trips later, I had what I needed. The shelter went up just as darkness settled over the island. I saved, collapsed into sleep, and mentally ticked off the tutorial as “complete.”

Tomorrow, the real work would begin: more tools, better food, and figuring out exactly how many plants on this island were actively trying to kill me. Bring it on, Stranded Deep.

Continue the Journey

Day 1 (You Are Here) |
Day 2 |
Day 3 |
Final Day

🌊 Announcement: Subnautica Will Be the Next Series!

While my Argonian my have fallen, it’s time to look ahead—and downward. Specifically, into the ocean.

I’m excited to announce that Subnautica will be the next full series featured on Survivor Incognito! The series will officially begin in a few weeks, once I’ve reacquainted myself with the controls (because I apparently forgot how to swim, build, and breathe). It’ll fall under the same permadeath-flavoured survival approach as the others, with a few sea-salty twists.

In the meantime, I’ve already launched the Subnautica Maps Page to help new players, returning survivors, and confused PDA AIs alike. Bookmark it, share it, or yell at it when you get lost near the Aurora again.


🎉 Celebrating 1,000 Views!

Also, a massive thank you to everyone who’s visited the blog—Survivor Incognito has officially passed the 1,000 views milestone!

To mark the occasion, I’m doing something a little different… something a little more classic horror. While I’m still getting my bearings with the controls again, you can expect a familiar mansion, limited saves, and enough tension to make a zombie blush. 🧟‍♂️

More on that very soon.


More updates coming soon, including the official Subnautica start date and a look at what else is on the blog horizon.

Stay afloat,
Survivor Incognito

Here’s What You Missed This Week

It’s been a big week at Survivor Incognito: a new diary began, another series ended, and a milestone snuck up on us. Here’s the full breakdown:

  • Tuesday: Stranded Deep – Day One Diary (official permadeath run starts next week!)
  • Wednesday: The Cold Chronicles – Day Nine
  • Thursday: Sneak, Snipe, Repeat – Final Entry (eulogy coming next week)
  • Friday: SnowRunner – Day Two, where I somehow end up on top of a mountain… with no plan for getting down.

We also launched the Subnautica Maps page this week, with a Subnautica: Below Zero map hub in the works too.

And lastly — a huge thank you: the blog passed 1,000 views this week! I’m currently plotting something fun as a proper thank-you to everyone who’s been reading, lurking, or laughing at my survival misfortunes.

More survival chaos (and a few heartfelt eulogies) coming next week.

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