Category: Nintendo Switch Games

Cold-Blooded: A Skyrim Survival Diary – Log 3: Gold Problems and an Unwanted Destiny

Cold-Blooded – Log 3: Gold Problems and an Unwanted Destiny

Game: Skyrim Special Edition
Mode: Survival Mode
Difficulty: Adept
Survivor: Treads-Through-Cold (Argonian)

Gold doesn’t solve every problem. But right now, it would solve most of mine.

Money is becoming a recurring issue. Spells cost gold. Food costs gold. Staying alive costs gold.

With that in mind, I checked the local inn in Riverwood for work. They had a bounty available and pointed me toward a few other opportunities. None of them sounded safe. All of them sounded necessary.

I added everything to the list.

Cold-Blooded – Log 3 (No Commentary)

Full gameplay footage from Riverwood to Whiterun, including the Western Watchtower dragon fight.

The Road to Whiterun

On the way to Whiterun, I spotted a fight in progress. A giant. Several people. A lot of shouting.

I hadn’t decided who to help by the time the giant was already dead.

That earned me a mild scolding for not joining in sooner. Turns out the group were the Companions. They take jobs. Dangerous ones. For gold.

I made a mental note. I may need them.

As they left, I noticed something else. Crops. A lot of crops. Vegetables everywhere. Unattended. Unclaimed. No warnings. No angry NPC dialogue.

I harvested all of it.

I then walked past the farmer who owned those crops.

He’s in for a surprise.

Whiterun Business

Once inside Whiterun, I went straight to the inn. More work was available. One job stood out.

I was asked to retrieve something called Nettlebane.

I don’t know what it is. I don’t know if it’s a weapon. But it sounds valuable enough to investigate.

From there, I spoke to the Jarl.

He asked if I could help his court wizard, Farengar. I handed over the Dragonstone. Apparently, I’d already done the hard part.

As a reward, the Jarl offered me the chance to buy a house in Whiterun.

Buy being the key word.

The Western Watchtower

A dragon had been sighted at the Western Watchtower.

I was asked if I could help.

I agreed, reluctantly.

The dragon stayed just out of spell range most of the fight. When I could hit it, I did. When I couldn’t, I waited and tried not to die.

I need better spells. That means gold. Farengar already suggested Winterhold.

No.

  1. I’m an Argonian.
  2. The clue is in the name: Winterhold.

An Unexpected Title

The dragon fell.

I took what I could from it. Then I absorbed its soul.

A Whiterun guard called me Dragonborn.

I don’t know what that means.

But I’m confident they’ve got the wrong Argonian.

Continue the journey:
Cold-Blooded – Log 2: Bleak Falls and Poor Attitudes |
Cold-Blooded – Log 4: Gold, Guards, and Bad Ideas
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Super Mario 64 Randomizer – Log 12: Every Door Is a Trick

Super Mario 64 Randomizer – Log 12: Every Door Is a Trick

Progress: 60 Stars Reached
Platform: Steam Deck
Settings: Vanilla Mario & Music

“The castle is technically helping. It’s just doing it in the worst possible way.”

I set off with a clear goal: the Snowman’s Land door.

On the way, I try the Tiny-Huge Island painting. Still locked. Still mocking me.

Back to Snowman’s Land. I open the door, jump in, and immediately realise something’s wrong.

Behind the painting is Dire Dire Docks.

At this point, I’ve stopped being surprised.

Dire Dire Docks: Progress, Eventually

I start with the chests. I get distracted by coins almost instantly, then remember why I’m here.

Most of the chests are grouped together, which makes this far easier than expected. One is awkward, but manageable.

Next up: the Manta Ray.

I miss rings in ways that feel intentional. Bad angles. Poor timing. Repeated failure.

Eventually, I abandon the attempt and swim into the other area of the docks.

Bowser’s submarine isn’t there. He’s clearly moved on.

That at least makes grabbing stars painless.

Stars, Water, and Poor Decisions

With the sub gone, I clean up:

  • A floating water star
  • The Jet Stream star

I give the Manta Ray another go. This time it works immediately, because of course it does.

That pushes me to 60 stars. Halfway through the run.

Only two stars remain here:

  • Red Coin Star
  • 100-Coin Star

I decide to clear them while I’m here.

The water has other ideas and ejects me straight out of the level and into the castle pond.

I take the hint.

The Basement: Nothing Is Where It Should Be

I head downstairs.

First job: MIPS. No trouble at all.

Next up is the entrance that should be familiar by now.

Instead of what I expect, I get Jolly Roger Bay.

The randomizer is clearly enjoying itself.

One chest is placed somewhere deeply inconvenient. I find two in the cave, not four.

The missing one stays hidden, but there’s a star nearby, so it’s not a total loss.

I move on to Plunder in the Sunken Ship.

I almost die twice trying to coax the eel out without getting electrocuted. Eventually, it behaves.

Log 12 Status

  • Total Stars: 60
  • Dire Dire Docks: 5 / 7 stars complete
  • Jolly Roger Bay: 3 stars collected
  • Wing Cap: Still missing

The castle keeps opening up. Progress is real. Directions are optional.

YouTube – Log 12 Video

Sixty stars in. Still grounded.

Continue the Journey

Previous Log | Next Log

Super Mario 64 Randomizer Hub

Game: Super Mario 64
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10,000 Views — Thank You

Somehow, the chaos is adding up.

Today, Survivor Incognito passed 10,000 total views.
For a niche survival blog built on permadeath runs, structured guides, and a refusal to chase trends,
that genuinely means a lot.

This entire project — every diary entry, guide, map, rule, and redesign — has been built and written by one person.
No team. No outsourcing. Just steady work and structured chaos.

What started as chaotic diary entries on Nintendo Switch has grown into something more deliberate:
a connected system of hubs, roadmaps, maps, and rules — now running across Switch and Steam Deck.

The foundation is stronger than ever.
More worlds. More rules. More structured chaos.

Thank you for reading — even if you’ve only stopped by once.
I’m keeping this going.

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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.

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Unprepared: An Interloper Survival Diary in The Long Dark Log #5 – Day 10: Quiet Before the Teeth

Unprepared Log 10: Quiet Before the Teeth

Difficulty: Interloper
Region: Mystery Lake
Survivor: Will

Thankfully the recording survived. The wolves did too. Probably.

Thankfully the recording for this and the next log didn’t get corrupted, so I can actually prove I made it through the day.
With a heavy hammer sitting safely in Trapper’s Homestead, that’s one major goal off the list.

Next goal: find a firestriker or a magnifying glass.
I’m tired of living match-to-match like some kind of frozen Victorian chimney sweep.

Charcoal, Caches, and the Bow Clock Ticking

A quick use of charcoal showed I was close to a memento cache.
I had no clue where it actually was, so I did what I always do when I’m unsure: wander deeper into the region and hope it becomes Future Me’s problem.

The wandering at least had value. I found a bunch of birch saplings and hauled them back toward Trapper’s for curing.
The bow phase is coming whether I’m ready or not, and I’d rather not arrive there with the survival equivalent of empty pockets and false confidence.

Hunter’s Blind: A Win With a Catch

I checked the nearby hunter’s blind and finally got a win: a firestriker.
The condition was under 50%, which is not what you want to see on Interloper, but it still counts as “fire insurance.”

Still no magnifying glass, though. Of course.
The game will happily give me the tool I can break, but not the one that turns sunlight into free survival.

Accidental Navigation and the Lookout Plan

Then I did something stupid: I headed off without a path in mind.
No plan, no route, just vibes and cold air.

But once I spotted the Forestry Lookout, my brain finally clicked into place.
I’ve been there on other Mystery Lake visits, so at least this was a stupid decision with a familiar destination.

On the way, I spotted ptarmigans.
My rock-throwing aim remains consistently impressive in the worst way: I missed by miles, spooked them, and watched them fly off like they’d just attended my personal comedy show.

Forestry Lookout: Warmth, Mapping, and a Skillet

The lookout gave me a cooking skillet, which immediately made it feel like I’d walked into a luxury apartment.
It was also warm inside, but I could still use charcoal.

That’s the sweet spot: shelter, warmth, and the ability to map.
I scouted, updated the area, and let myself pretend I was in control for a few minutes.

The Crashed Plane: A Great Idea That Hurt Immediately

From the lookout, I spotted a crashed plane.
And I immediately had that survival-gremlin thought: “There’s definitely something useful in there.”

Only problem: I had absolutely no clue how I was meant to reach it.
I tried a few different approaches, each one worse than the last.

I ended up in pain and tearing my clothes, which is exactly the kind of price Interloper charges for curiosity.
With night coming in, I accepted reality and retreated back to the lookout before I turned a bad climb into a body recovery mission.

Night Prep and the Suspicious Lack of Teeth

Back at the lookout, I prepped like a responsible adult survivor: cooked what I could, repaired what I could, and tried to patch up the damage caused by my brief aviation obsession.

And then it hit me.
I don’t think I saw a single predator today.

Which means they’re either:

  • all stuck behind a rock somewhere, or
  • having a meeting to decide who gets to be the first one to ruin my week.

I’m betting on the meeting.
Interloper loves a coordinated effort.

Video Log

Continue the journey:
Unprepared Log 9 |
Unprepared Log 11

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Stranded: A Minecraft Survival Diary – Log 1: Sheep, Skeletons, and a 3×3 Start

Stranded – Log 1: Sheep, Skeletons, and a 3×3 Start

Game: Minecraft
Platform: Steam Deck
Mode: Survival
Difficulty: Hard

I spawn in a wooded area, right next to sheep. That immediately solves one very important problem.

A bed.

All I need is three pieces of wool of the same colour. Minecraft is very picky about that.

I punch a tree, grab enough wood to get started, and craft a table so I can make a wooden axe and pickaxe. When I turn back, the sheep have vanished.

Of course they have.

It takes longer than I’d like, but eventually I track down three sheep of the same colour. Three sheep later, I have enough wool for a bed.

That alone changes everything. Being able to skip nights means I don’t have to deal with monsters until I decide I’m ready.

Video Log

Full no-commentary gameplay for this log is available below.

Big Ideas, Bad Timing

With the bed sorted, my thoughts immediately jump ahead.

I want a base of operations. Somewhere I can sleep, store things, and eventually start a farm. From there, I can mine properly instead of poking holes in the ground and hoping for the best.

I wander into a nearby cave. Not deep — maybe ten or twenty blocks.

I see a skeleton.

The skeleton sees me.

An arrow hits me almost immediately, followed by another. Hard difficulty is not interested in easing me in.

I’m not equipped for this, and I’m not throwing the run away on day one.

I run.

Ignoring the Lesson

A little later, I try again.

This time, it’s because I spot coal. Torches would be useful, and optimism briefly wins out over common sense.

The skeleton is still there. It now has a creeper for company.

At this point, even I take the hint.

I cut my losses and leave the cave alone.

Some problems are better solved later.

Surface Coal and a Night’s Rest

It’s not all bad.

Across the water, I spot coal exposed on the surface. A decent amount of it, too.

No skeletons. No creepers. No arrows flying out of the dark.

It’s getting late, so I carve out a small alcove, place my bed, and sleep.

Day one ends without disaster, which feels like an achievement in itself.

Day Two: Follow the Water

I wake up with no real plan.

Rather than force one, I decide to see where the water leads.

I start swimming, then remember boats exist and immediately regret not thinking of that sooner.

I make a boat and quickly realise it’s going to take some practice to steer properly.

Still, it does the job.

After a bit of travel, I find a flat area right next to the water. Trees nearby. Sand close enough to grab.

This feels like somewhere I could actually stay.

A House, Barely

I gather wood, grass, and some sand. I want windows eventually, even if they don’t happen today.

I also start nudging the water around slightly, laying the groundwork for a future wheat farm.

For now, though, the priority is simple.

I build a small 3×3 structure out of wooden planks. No windows. No decoration.

But it has a door.

That alone means I can come and go without breaking blocks every time, which already feels like progress.

It’s not much, but it’s mine.

Ending the Day

During my wandering, I’ve picked up some meat and a bit of copper ore.

I craft a furnace, cook the meat, and leave the copper smelting while I sleep.

I’ve no idea what day three will bring.

But I have a bed, a door, food sorted, and a place I can stand still without worrying.

On Hard difficulty, that’s more than enough for now.

Continue the Journey

Next entry:
Log 2 — Bridges, Wheat, and Future Problems

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Cold-Blooded: A Skyrim Survival Diary – Log 2: Bleak Falls and Poor Attitudes

Cold-Blooded – Log 2: Bleak Falls and Poor Attitudes

Game: Skyrim Special Edition
Mode: Survival Mode
Difficulty: Adept
Survivor: Treads-Through-Cold (Argonian)

Bleak Falls Barrow doesn’t rush you. The cold does.

Bleak Falls Barrow was the agenda for the day. I equipped the fur armour I’d picked up earlier and prepared for the climb.

I also made heavy use of Clairvoyance. Not because it’s elegant, but because I know I’ll get lost without it.

The cold took longer than expected to become a problem, which gave me time to deal with bandits along the road. Somewhere during this, I realised I could cast both equipped spells at once.

The urge to channel my inner Emperor Palpatine was strong.

I compromised.

Sparks in one hand. Flames in the other.

Entering the Barrow

I reached Bleak Falls Barrow and overheard a conversation involving Arvel the Swift. That answered the question of who had the claw.

Inside, I moved carefully. One bandit required preparation, so I cast Oakflesh.

They immediately pulled a lever and solved the problem themselves.

I examined the room, recognised a puzzle, solved it without incident, and continued.

Arvel the Swift, Briefly

I found Arvel stuck in a web, guarded by a giant spider. The spider nearly ended the run, but I survived long enough to win.

Arvel asked to be cut down.

I didn’t like his tone.

I killed him, took the claw, and read his journal. It confirmed this place had more going on than a simple fetch job.

Before leaving, I reanimated his corpse.

Not for strategy. For amusement.

He fought some draugr. They were not impressed.

Traps and Helpful Enemies

Further in, I encountered pressure plates that triggered spike traps.

I avoided them.

Draugr and my temporary undead companion did not.

This happened more than once.

Words of Power and Bad Timing

At the end of the barrow, I learned part of Unrelenting Force.

The Restless Draugr sleeping nearby demonstrated it immediately.

I attempted to use a Scroll of Harmony. In theory, this should have worked.

It didn’t.

Riverwood and Necessary Spending

I returned to the Riverwood Trader, handed over the claw, and proceeded to spend most of my remaining wealth.

He had Novice Robes of Destruction.

I sold a significant amount of gear, did some uncomfortable mental maths, and bought them anyway.

Worth it.

Nightfall and a Sensible End

I returned to Hadvar’s uncle’s place and called it a night.

Tomorrow, I head for Whiterun.

Progress Update

  • Levels gained: +3 (between logs)
  • Attributes: +2 Health, +1 Magicka
  • Perks:
    • Novice Restoration
    • Novice Alteration
    • Dual Casting (Destruction)

Video Log

No commentary gameplay:

Log 2 Survival Notes

  • Clairvoyance saves time and mistakes.
  • Let enemies trigger traps when possible.
  • Dual casting changes early combat dramatically.
  • Some scrolls lie.
Continue the journey:
Cold-Blooded – Log 1: Survival Starts After Helgen |
Cold-Blooded – Log 3: Gold Problems and an Unwanted Destiny
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Super Mario 64 Randomizer – Log 11: Red Coins, Bad Maths, and Tactical Death

Progress: Snowman’s Land Cleared
Platform: Steam Deck
Settings: Vanilla Mario & Music

“Sometimes the problem isn’t finding the star. It’s reaching it once you do.”

With two stars left in Snowman’s Land, my first question is simple: where are the red coins?

I’d like to confidently say none of them are inside the igloo. I cannot say that with confidence.

At the same time, I decide to roll the Red Coin Star and the 100-Coin Star into one attempt. This is an old habit from vanilla Super Mario 64. It usually saves time.

Coin Counting in a Frozen Economy

Finding the red coins isn’t the hard part. The real issue becomes obvious very quickly: where do 100 coins come from in this course?

The answer is the igloo.

I head inside and clear out every coin I can find. Outside, I mop up enemies wherever possible. Eventually, the numbers add up and the 100-Coin Star appears.

That’s when problem number three shows up.

The red coin star is there. I can see it. I just can’t reach it.

Everything Except Shouting at the Screen

I try:

  • Standard jumps
  • Awkward camera angles
  • The cannon

Nothing works.

Eventually, it clicks. This star wants a Koopa Shell.

There’s just one issue: I already used the shell earlier in the run.

Rather than exit the course, I take a deliberate death. It’s faster, and at this point, efficiency matters more than pride.

The Shell Gamble

One more trip into Snowman’s Land.

I head straight for the box I hope contains the Koopa Shell. There’s no guarantee. The seed could absolutely ruin me here.

Thankfully, the shell is exactly where it should be.

I slow everything down. No risks. No clever movement. Just controlled progress.

The shell does its job. The red coin star is collected.

Snowman’s Land is finished.

Next Move: Chasing Familiar Ground

With the course cleared, I make a mental note for the next castle visit.

I want to head toward where Snowman’s Land normally sits in vanilla Mario 64. At this point, I’m nearly halfway through the star count, and momentum matters.

This seed hasn’t been kind, but it has been fair. I want to keep that balance on my side.

YouTube – Log 11 Video

One shell, one reset, and one course fully crossed off the list.

Log 11 Summary

Course Snowman’s Land
Stars Cleared 7 / 7
100-Coin Star Collected
Red Coin Star Collected (with shell)
Tactical Deaths 1 (on purpose)
Next Objective Follow vanilla paths, keep momentum

Sometimes progress means knowing when to reset instead of forcing a bad situation.

Continue the Journey

Previous Log | Next Log

Super Mario 64 Randomizer Hub

Game: Super Mario 64
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Survivor’s Log: What’s in the Pipeline

Survivor’s Log: What’s in the Pipeline

This isn’t an announcement post and it isn’t a schedule. It’s a quick check-in on what’s been drafted, scoped, and quietly prepared in the background.

Over the past few weeks I’ve been tightening rules, reducing sprawl, and making sure each series has a reason to exist beyond “I felt like playing it”.

As a result, there are three series sitting in the pipeline.

Orbis

Orbis is a new survival diary set in Hytale.

The game is currently in early access and exists as an ever-updating world, so the goal is deliberately simple: survive for as long as possible.

  • Solo only
  • One life
  • No fixed end goal
  • Survival measured by time, not progress

There’s no checklist and no finish line. When death happens, the diary ends.

One Against the Horde

One Against the Horde is a finite series built around Zombie Army Trilogy.

Each entry covers a single map played solo, on Marksman difficulty, with no collectibles and no padding.

  • One map per entry
  • Two failures ends the run
  • No grinding, no clean-up runs

If the horde wins twice, that’s the end of the diary.

Sunburnt & Sinking (Return)

Sunburnt & Sinking will be returning in Stranded Deep.

This time the run uses a simple strike system.

  • Three strikes total
  • Each death costs one strike
  • Lose all three and the run ends

The goal remains unchanged: defeat the three bosses and escape. Deaths are part of the story, not something to be edited out.

Where This Fits

February is already mapped out with scheduled posts and videos, which gives me the space to keep building quietly rather than rushing anything out.

These three series aren’t replacing what’s currently running. They’re sitting alongside it, ready to move when there’s room.

For now, this is about direction rather than output. The work is done early so the writing can happen when there’s something worth writing.

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Survivor’s Log – Stranded: A Minecraft Survival Diary – Series Announcement

Stranded: A Minecraft Survival Diary — New Series

Game: Minecraft (Java Edition)
Difficulty: Hard
Platform: Steam Deck
Format: No Commentary Gameplay + Survival Logs

Some survival stories start with a plan. This one starts with daylight and panic.

A new series is landing on the blog: Stranded — A Minecraft Survival Diary.

This is vanilla Minecraft played the honest way.
No mods. No gimmicks. No speedrunning tricks.

Just surviving the world as it comes and pushing toward one clear goal —
defeat the Ender Dragon.

What to Expect

  • No commentary gameplay for immersive, background-friendly viewing
  • Written survival logs telling the full story behind each session
  • No physics exploits or cheesy mechanics
  • Real consequences — if I die, the series ends

The Goal

Survive long enough to reach the End.

Beat the Ender Dragon.

Everything in between is just damage control.

Follow the Series

The Stranded hub page is live and will collect every entry as the run progresses:

👉
Stranded: A Minecraft Survival Diary — Series Hub


No mega builds. No montages. Just seeing how long survival lasts when the world stops being friendly.

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