I was planning to post a brand-new Day One Diary for ARK today… but life, as it tends to do, had other plans. Between work, chores, and trying not to get stomped myself, there just wasn’t time to spawn, craft, and get eaten properly.
So instead, here’s a look back at one of my previous ARK Day One disasters — complete with early optimism and inevitable doom, along with some others:
👉 [Day One Diaries | Survival Game Playthroughs & First-Day Survival Challenges]
New entries are still coming soon. SnowRunner kicks off on Friday, and more chaos is always just around the corner.
Eulogy: The Backyard Wins This Round!
She never asked for this.
She never wanted to be shrunk down and tossed into a backyard where everything — ants, mites, bees, spiders, the wind — wanted her dead.
She just wanted to craft a lean-to, maybe roast some gnat meat, and figure out why the grass was taller than a skyscraper.
But she was brave.
She fixed lasers. She investigated an oak tree that promptly exploded.
She learned to fear the sounds of tiny feet in the grass.
She fought valiantly with spears, fists, and panic as her most reliable tools.
In the end, it was the bugs that got her. As they always do.
Not the spiders, no — that would’ve at least made sense.
No, her end came via something smaller. Meaner. Possibly several somethings.
The logs are unclear. The screaming was not.
She will be remembered for her resilience, her questionable armor choices, and her ability to stay alive just long enough for things to get interesting.
Rest in pieces, Backyard Explorer.
You were small, but your chaos was mighty.
Read their tale here: The Backyard Trials: Grounded Permadeath
Sneak, Snipe, Repeat: Skyrim Survival Day Eleven
Loki the MVP, and Ustengrav Gets Sneaky
Day 11 of my Skyrim Survival Mode playthrough on Nintendo Switch. I cure my vampire disease, nearly lose the run to disconnected controls, and finally become the stealth archer I keep pretending to be.
Missed the previous day? Find it here: Skyrim Survival Day Ten
Cured, Not Cursed
After some internal debate, I decided to cure the disease before I fully turned vampire. I’m not ruling out the vampire lifestyle forever, but for now I prefer my Argonian warm-blooded and not photophobic. Maybe next time.
Ustengrav Ambush: Hooves First, Questions Later
Outside Ustengrav, I’m ambushed by three bandits and a necromancer. Could’ve been the end of the run—especially when my Joy-Cons disconnected mid-fight. Nothing like fumbling for a controller while enemies swing for your skull.
Luckily, Loki stepped in. I dismounted and used hit-and-run tactics while my horse quite literally stomped the threat out of them. Between the panic, arrows, and hooves, we made it through.
Depths of Ustengrav: Stealth Archer, Finally
Inside, I finally commit to the stealth archer lifestyle I keep pretending I’ve mastered. Draugr fall one by one to well-placed arrows, never knowing what hit them. This is the dream.
For a brief moment, I wonder if there’s a way to bring Loki into dungeons. Probably not. Still, the mental image of a stealth horse sneaking past Draugr is one I’ll cherish.
The Horn Is… Missing?
Reach the end of Ustengrav, expecting to claim the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller. Instead, I find a note. Great. Someone’s stolen it and wants a private meeting at the Sleeping Giant Inn in Riverwood. Because that’s not suspicious at all.
Back to Morthal
With the dungeon cleared and no horn in sight, I head back to the inn in Morthal to thaw out and call it a day. I’ll deal with mystery notes and secret meetings tomorrow. For now, I’ve earned some warm food and sleep.
📌 For New Survivors: Start Here
Welcome to Survivor Incognito! This is where survival games meet chaos, comedy, and a healthy disregard for difficulty settings.
If you’re new here and wondering what this blog is all about, here’s a quick guide to help you dive in:
🎮 Why I Play on Easier Difficulties
Think playing on easy makes survival games easy? I’m living proof it doesn’t. 👉 Surviving, Not Suffering: Why I Choose Easier Difficulties
❄️ The Long Dark Must-Reads
🗺 The Long Dark Complete Region & Transition Zone Survival Guide
📆 Survive Your First Week in The Long Dark
🧪 Permadeath, But Make It Funny
🕷 The Backyard Trials: Grounded Permadeath
🏹 Sneak, Snipe, Repeat: Skyrim Survival
🚢 Dark Waters: A Dredge Survival
🚚 Coming Soon
SnowRunner Survival: The Permagear Diaries Main Hub
Sunburnt & Sinking: A Stranded Deep Survival Diary
💬 Bonus Reading
👉 About Me
👉 The Long Dark Customloper Settings: Easier Interloper Survival Mode
👉 FAQ
Thanks for joining the mayhem. Surviving is optional. Storytelling the downfall? Mandatory
Welcome New Survivors
Just a quick post today to say a big welcome to everyone who’s recently stumbled into the chaos of Survivor Incognito. Whether you came for the haunted fish, the frozen lakes, or the exploding oak tree, I’m glad you’re here.
If you’re new, here are a few good places to start:
- 🗺️ Check out the Long Dark Region Guide if you’re planning a cold-weather disaster of your own.
- 🐟 Dark Waters is nearing its eerie conclusion — perfect if you like your survival stories with a side of cosmic dread.
- ❄️ The Customloper Diaries are still going strong — Interloper-lite, full-on panic.
This week marks the end of the Grounded permadeath run — the backyard won, basically. But starting next week, we’re trading bugs for busted axles with the debut of SnowRunner: The Permagear Diaries. Expect mud, ice, and a lot of “well that truck’s gone now” moments.
Thanks for reading — and remember: surviving is optional. Storytelling the downfall is the point.
Oh — and if you think playing on easier difficulties makes survival games easy? It doesn’t. I’m living proof that you can still freeze, starve, drown, fall off cliffs, and get stomped by wildlife with the difficulty slider turned all the way down. Turns out survival isn’t just about the settings — it’s about the decisions. And mine are… let’s say “narratively interesting.”
Here’s What You Missed This Week – Survivor Incognito Recap
A look back at the survival chaos from this week on Survivor Incognito: from haunted seas and freezing wilderness to dino disasters and exploding oaks.
It’s been a week full of questionable decisions, close calls, and new beginnings here at Survivor Incognito. In case you missed any of the madness, here’s your survival cheat sheet!
🌊 Tuesday – Dark Waters: A Dredge Survival – Day Five
The search for one stubborn fish continued, along with a steady descent into darkness and dread.
🐇 Wednesday – Customloper Diaries Day Three
Charcoal maps, rabbit stew, and a sudden storm — because survival in The Long Dark is never boring.
🗺️ Wednesday – Behind the Blog: ARK Map Page Expansion
A behind-the-scenes update! I’m working on expanding the ARK Survival Evolved map page to cover all Switch maps. All the regions, all the doom.
🏹 Thursday – Sneak, Snipe, Repeat: Skyrim Survival – Day Ten
Vampires, arrows, and highly questionable footwear choices. My Argonian had quite the day.
🐜 Friday – The Backyard Trials: Grounded Permadeath – Day Three
The lasers were fixed, the oak tree exploded (as it does), and the backyard remains terrifying.
🦖 Saturday – ARK: Aberration – Day One Diary
Punching trees, hallucinating plants, and being reminded why Aberration is not the friendliest place to spawn.
What’s Next?
More chaos, more permadeath, and maybe even a few victories (no promises). Stay tuned!
Sneak, Snipe, Repeat: Skyrim Survival Day Ten
Vampires, Arrows, and Question Footwear
Day 10 of my Skyrim Survival playthrough on Nintendo Switch. I finally track down the Master Vampire, get cursed, loot a backpack, and question one vampire’s strange obsession with boots.
Missed the previous entry? Find it here: Skyrim Survival Day Nine
Cave of Arrows and Errors
I picked up where I left off—tracking down the Master Vampire who’d been making Morthal miserable. The cave wasn’t far, but it was full of surprises. The first being how embarrassingly bad I am with a bow.
Two frostbite spiders greeted me, and I introduced them to about fifteen arrows—most of which missed. Somehow they didn’t notice. Either I’m too stealthy or they were too busy being creepy in the dark.
Thralls, Vampires, and the Great Boot Hoard
Things picked up after that. I managed to sneak around and take out two thralls without them raising the alarm. They dropped quietly, like they knew it was their time.
Then I stumbled across a vampire sleeping off the night shift. One solid sneak attack and it was nap time forever. They didn’t have much, but their bookshelf was packed with boots. Not books. Boots. One of them boosted my sneaking, so I took the hint and left the rest.
Alva, Infection, and Indecision
Further in, Alva reappeared—clearly still in a mood after her last defeat. A thrall decided to help me by attacking her, which made things easier. But before I could finish the job, she tagged me with Sanguinare Vampiris. So now I’m infected. Not thrilled, but not rushing to cure it either. Still weighing the pros and cons of turning undead.
Mission Complete, Bonus Backpack Secured
Eventually I found and eliminated the Master Vampire. No dramatic boss fight—just a clean, quiet finish. I headed back to Morthal, where the Jarl thanked me and promised the Thane title if I helped the locals.
While doing some casual burglary—I mean, investigating—I came across a backpack enchantment that boosts bow damage by 10%. I took it as divine intervention for my earlier archery shame.
Rest, Recovery, and Ustengrav Awaits
With the vampire threat handled (for now), I rested at the inn and prepped for tomorrow’s journey to Ustengrav. Hopefully no more spiders. Or at least fewer boots.
Behind the Blog: ARK Map Page Expansion – All Maps, All Mayhem (In Progress)
Quick update! I’m in the process of expanding the ARK Survival Evolved map page to cover all Switch maps — because one deadly dino-infested region just isn’t enough.
🦖 A Little Update from the Blog Frontlines
I’m currently working on expanding the ARK Survival Evolved map page — the goal is to cover all of the maps available on Switch. From the dunes of Scorched Earth to the terrifying depths of Aberration, I want the page to reflect the full dino-infested chaos that’s coming in my permadeath series.
If you’re planning your own survival adventure (or just want to see where I’m likely to meet my end), you can check out the work in progress here: [link to my ARK map page].
⚡ Why This Update?
With my upcoming ARK permadeath series in the works, it felt right to make sure the blog’s map page reflects every hazardous region I’ll be facing. Because why limit myself to one place to get stomped on by dinos?
📌 What’s Next?
I’ll keep updating the page as I go, I will also do another post when it’s finished, and I’ll be sharing more about my planned map order for the series soon. If you’ve got a favorite (or most feared) ARK map, I’m always happy to hear it!
Also expect a new Day One Diary in ARK hopefully sooner than later. I’m paying a visit to Aberration and if I’m honest, genuinely had a lot fun there
Behind the Blog: ARK Plans, Minecraft Madness, and What’s Coming Next
A peek behind the scenes at Survivor Incognito! I’m planning an epic ARK map-hopping permadeath series, scheming up Minecraft chaos with 15 survival rules, and plotting the next waves of mayhem.
I figured it was time for a little behind the blog moment — because while my in-game characters are busy getting eaten, frozen, or flattened, I’m quietly plotting even more ways to make their (and my) lives harder. Here’s what’s brewing in the background of Survivor Incognito.
🦖 ARK: One Map Just Isn’t Enough
If you thought Day One Diaries for ARK: Survival Evolved was the end of my dino-related disasters… oh no. The plan is to turn ARK into a full permadeath series where I attempt to survive across all the Switch maps. That means scorched deserts, radiation zones, angry dinos, and probably at least one embarrassing death involving a dodo.
Right now, I’m working on:
- Fine-tuning the settings so it’s challenging, but not “spawn, breathe, die” levels of misery.
- Figuring out a sensible (or chaotic) map progression — because who doesn’t want to see me go from Midlands 4 to Aberration and beyond?
This new series will (hopefully) kick off after the ARK Day One Diaries finish, so stay tuned!
⛏️ Minecraft: 15 Rules of Mayhem
Yes, I’m also eyeing Minecraft. But not just any survival run — I’m planning a permadeath challenge with a twist:
- 👉 I’ll start with a list of 15 survival rules.
- 👉 Each day, I have to follow one rule.
- 👉 If I fail? The next day I’ll have to follow two rules at once.
- 👉 Keep failing? Enjoy juggling three, four, five rules… you get the idea.
It’s part survival, part self-sabotage, part comedy. I’m still finalizing the rules (because let’s be honest, there are so many ways to make this worse for myself). Expect everything from “no weapons today” to “you must sleep every night or else.”
🔜 What’s Coming Next
In the meantime, the usual suspects continue:
- SnowRunner: The Permagear Diaries are ready to get muddy.
- Dredge: Madness? What madness? I’m totally fine.
- The Cold Chronicles: Still cold. Still surviving. Somehow.
- Sneak, Snipe, Repeat: Stealth archer life, mostly.
- Grounded: Where the backyard is the scariest place I’ve ever been.
Thanks for following along! If you’re enjoying the ride (or the wrecks), make sure to subscribe or follow on Tumblr, Facebook, or Bluesky. Chaos loves company.
Here’s What You Missed This Week – Survivor Incognito Recap
It’s been another action-packed week of survival, chaos, and questionable decisions over at Survivor Incognito. If you’ve been busy wrestling giant crabs, flipping trucks, or dodging ghost fish, here’s your chance to catch up!
🌨️ Monday – Why I Made SnowRunner Permadeath
I broke down the logic (or madness?) behind turning SnowRunner into a permadeath challenge. Because nothing says “relaxing drive” like knowing one bad flip could end it all. [Read More Here]
🌊 Tuesday – Dark Waters: A Dredge Survival – Day Four
The sea giveth, the sea taketh away… and sometimes it just giveth more terror. Day Four of my Dredge permadeath series saw the madness meter creeping ever higher. [Dark Waters: A Dredge Survival – Day Four]
🐺 Wednesday – The Cold Chronicles – Day Seven
Another day, another frostbite risk. My Voyageur survivor braved the cold and the chaos as we inch further into this brutal Long Dark journey. [The Cold Chronicles Day Seven: A Voyageur’s Tale of The Long Dark]
🏹 Thursday – Sneak, Snipe, Repeat – Day Nine
The Argonian archer continued slinking through Skyrim, proving that stealth is great—right up until it isn’t. Day Nine brought more dragons, more necromancy, and more “how did that go so wrong?” moments. [Sneak, Snipe, Repeat: Skyrim Survival Day Nine]
🐜 Friday – Grounded: Day Two
The backyard is still terrifying. Day Two brought more bugs, more base-building, and more moments of me asking why I ever thought permadeath was a good idea here. [The Backyard Trials: Grounded Permadeath – Day Two]
🦖 Saturday – Day One Diaries of ARK: Survival Evolved Announced
Big news! I announced the upcoming Day One Diaries for ARK: Survival Evolved. Expect dinos, disasters, and probably a lot of running for my life. [Get the details here]
Survivor Incognito 