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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Cold-Blooded – Log 1: Survival Starts After Helgen
Game: Skyrim Special Edition Mode: Survival Mode Difficulty: Adept (possibly dropping to Apprentice) Survivor: Treads-Through-Cold (Argonian)
I could pick any race. I always pick Argonian. Some habits don’t need explaining.
I’m calling this run Cold-Blooded, which feels slightly unfair for an Argonian. But if the game insists on freezing me, I’m leaning into the theme.
Difficulty is set to Adept. That may change. I’m here to survive, not impress the weather.
Helgen (Skipped on Video, Not Skipped in Reality)
I didn’t record the wagon ride, the dragon, or the escape from Helgen. Survival Mode doesn’t matter until you’re out of the cave and the cold starts applying pressure.
I followed Hadvar through Helgen, grabbed what made sense, and moved on.
Once Survival Mode became available, I switched it on. At that point, the run was live.
Hadvar’s Advice and Immediate Doubts
Hadvar suggested we split up on the way to Riverwood.
We then took the same path.
He also suggested I join the Imperials. They did try to execute me earlier, so I’m undecided.
Mage Stone First, Because I Have Priorities
I detoured for the Mage Stone. If I’m going to struggle, I want my magic skills levelling efficiently while it happens.
From there, I headed straight for Embershard Mine.
Embershard Mine: Cold Prep in a Dark Hole
There was someone waiting outside. I dealt with that first.
Inside, I somehow avoided alerting the bandits after triggering their trap. I’m not calling it skill.
I cleared the mine carefully. Not stealth-archer careful. Mage careful.
The key find was fur armour. As an Argonian, warmth matters more than looks.
Loot was otherwise forgettable, but I did gain a level.
Riverwood: Familiar Faces, Familiar Problems
I reached Riverwood not long after Hadvar.
I spoke to the trader and learned about a stolen Golden Claw.
The thief ran off to Bleak Falls Barrow.
I don’t like the name. I like the location even less.
Apparently I’m Family Now
After speaking with Hadvar’s uncle, I was asked to warn the Jarl in Whiterun.
I was also told I could take food.
Not the bow. That stayed put.
Nightfall and a Sensible Call
I sold a dagger, watched the light fade, and chose not to push my luck.
Night meant colder temperatures and no margin for mistakes.
I returned to Hadvar’s family home and rested there.
Level-up went into Health and Destruction.
Video Log
No commentary gameplay:
Log 1 Survival Notes
Survival starts when the cold is allowed to matter.
Super Mario 64 Randomizer – Log 10: Wrong Caps, Right Direction
Progress: 50 Stars Reached Platform: Steam Deck Settings: Vanilla Mario & Music
“When the obvious paths are blocked, you stop pushing forward and start climbing stairs.”
At this point, progress feels artificially narrow. Bob-Omb Battlefield and Shifting Sand Land both clearly want the Wing Cap, and I still don’t know where that switch is hiding.
Forcing either course without it feels wasteful, so I change tactics and head upstairs.
Upstairs Rewards: Toad Economics
A couple of Toads are waiting upstairs and do what they always do: hand out stars for existing.
Two free stars later, I’m sitting at 50 total. Not answers, but options.
Two paintings are available. I jump into Wet-Dry World.
Wet-Dry World (Briefly): Vanish Cap Finally Appears
Instead of the full course, I land in the Vanish Cap stage.
Only the opening section is accessible, but everything important is packed into the first third of the level.
Coins collected
Star grabbed
Switch pressed
Jump kicks do most of the work here. It’s not elegant, but it works.
The Vanish Cap is now unlocked. Still no Wing Cap, but this finally feels like progress.
Snowman’s Land: Momentum Takes Over
Next painting: Snowman’s Land.
I move through this stage like I’ve memorised it. I haven’t. This seed is new. The flow just clicks.
I secure 5 out of the 7 stars before slowing down.
What’s left:
Red Coin Star
100-Coin Star
While hunting red coins, it hits me: I have no idea where the last one is.
I’m not burning 10–15 minutes combing the map. That’s a next-log problem.
YouTube – Log 10 Video
Wrong caps, right decisions, and continued Wing Cap avoidance.
Log 10 Summary
Stars Total
50
Cap Unlocked
Vanish Cap
Snowman’s Land
5 / 7 Stars
Wing Cap Status
Still missing
Next Objective
Finish Snowman’s Land, find the Wing Cap
Progress came from detours, not brute force. The castle keeps opening. The Wing Cap keeps hiding.
Survivor Incognito 