🛠 Behind the Blog: Why I Made SnowRunner Permadeath (and How It’s Somehow Working)

You’d think SnowRunner would be the calm one.

No wolves. No starvation. No sanity meter. Just trucks, mud, and the occasional fallen powerline. And yet, when I started playing, I realized something important:

I had the perfect canvas for portable permadeath chaos.
I just needed a few extra rules (and a slightly reckless imagination).

🎮 Why Permadeath?

Honestly? For the drama. The stakes. The thrill of knowing that if I lose a truck, it’s gone. It turns every route into a calculated risk, every muddy hill into a potential obituary.

Normal SnowRunner is about problem solving. Permadeath SnowRunner is about character. I named my trucks. I argued with myself about whether I could save one stuck in a ditch. And somehow, that made it all feel more alive.

📋 How I Fine-Tuned the Rules

Permadeath in a driving game isn’t exactly a toggle, so I had to make it work manually. A few highlights from the rulebook:

No selling dead trucks for profit. You’re not a junkyard, you’re a survivor.
Every truck gets one life—unless it’s truly recoverable later (aka, it’s not a ghost story).
Upgrades? Optional. Some may say I’m making things harder. Others say I’m making them funnier.

🚛 Meet the Cast

So far the crew includes:

Scout – plucky, chaotic energy.
Mac (GMC) – the dependable workhorse.
Frank (Fleetstar) – big, bold, and stuck somewhere inconvenient.

Yes, I name my trucks. No, I won’t apologize.

🧭 What’s Next?

More entries for The Permagear Diaries, of course. I’m stacking up posts behind the scenes before I start the full series rollout—but this chaotic convoy is very much in motion.

In the meantime, I’d love to hear:

If you had to permadeath one of your favourite games… which would it be, and how much therapy would you need after?

23rd Jun 2025 1

🧭 Weekly Recap – Survive, Sleep, Repeat

Catch up on the latest survival stories from Survivor Incognito, including permadeath tips, The Long Dark’s Customloper progress, Skyrim Survival struggles, and our chaotic first steps in Grounded. Your weekly roundup of cozy chaos and portable panic is here!

Monday:

💀 How I Handle Permadeath (And Still Sleep at Night)
I laid out my personal rules for permadeath, how I cope when a character dies a stupid death (usually of my own doing), and why it somehow keeps me coming back for more. Survival tip: Sleep helps. So does sarcasm.

Read it here: How I Handle Permadeath (and Still Sleep at Night)

Tuesday

📜 Dark Waters: A Dredge Survival – Day Three
We went further out to sea, saw things we probably shouldn’t have, and learned that fish aren’t the only things lurking in the dark. Spoiler: sanity is overrated.

Read it here: Dark Waters: A Dredge Survival – Day Three

Wednesday

🏔 Customloper – Day Two
Mountain Town continues to be less “cosy alpine retreat” and more “conveniently located death trap.” At least we are still in one piece. Mostly.

Read it here: Customloper Diaries Day Two: Blizzards, Boots, and Baseball Cap Confusion

Thursday

🗡 Skyrim Survival – Day Eight
Frostbite, bandits, and the general annoyance of being overencumbered after picking up one too many cabbages. Classic Skyrim survival energy.

Read it here: Sneak, Snipe, Repeat Day Eight

Friday:

🏡 Grounded – Day One
Honey, I Shrunk the Panic. First day in the backyard brought bugs, dehydration, and a steep learning curve. That aphid had it coming.

Read it here: The Backyard Trials: Grounded Day One – Honey, I Lost Myself in the Backyard

Coming next week:

🧊 More Long Dark, more Dark Waters, more Skyrim, and a deeper dive into the backyard horrors of Grounded. If we’re lucky, there may even be fireflies. If not, probably just death by thirst.

I’ll also hopefully have the Day One Diary for Don’t Starve up. And will explain the the rules for Snowrunner Survival. But these are both hopefully as I’m currently under the weather at the time of this going up. Thank goodness for being able to schedule posts though.

22nd Jun 2025 0

🚛 Introducing: SnowRunner Survival – The Permagear Diaries

Where the roads are bad, the trucks are heavier than your hopes, and every mistake could be your last.

Welcome to SnowRunner Survival: The Permagear Diaries, the newest addition to the Survivor Incognito blog. If you’ve ever thought to yourself, “You know what my survival games are missing? Eight wheels, four tons of steel, and zero margin for error”—then you’re in the right place.

🛠 What is Permagear?

Permagear is SnowRunner… but with consequences.

Normal Mode difficulty
No recovering trucks to the garage
No teleporting to safety
And if all my trucks are stuck, flipped, fuel-starved, or unrecoverable… the run ends.

That’s it. No resets. No second chances. Just mud, cargo, and an ever-shrinking fleet of regret.

It’s trucking logistics turned into a survival game.
It’s permadeath… with bad suspension.

📖 What to Expect

Each entry in The Permagear Diaries will follow my journey across the frozen, flooded, and just-plain-unforgiving maps of SnowRunner.

Expect:

Terrible decisions dressed up as tactical ones
Trailers that tip five feet from the drop zone
Scout vehicles doing things they were never meant to do
And missions that somehow take three trucks and an apology

Oh—and I’m playing on the Nintendo Switch, so it’s not just the terrain that’s unstable.

📅 Coming Soon…

The first entry in the series is on the way and will cover:

Bridge repair
Raised suspension upgrades
An early contract delivery
And dragging a broken truck with a slightly less broken truck

You know. Classic start-of-shift stuff.

🔥 In Other News…

The Don’t Starve Day One Diary has hit a small snag (not a spider one, thankfully), but it’ll be live ASAP.
Turns out surviving the dark is easy—scheduling around it, less so.

Whether you’re a fellow hauler, a survival game masochist, or just here to watch the wheels fall off—welcome to Permagear.
It’s going to be slow. It’s going to be muddy. And it’s going to end gloriously badly.

21st Jun 2025 0

How I Handle Permadeath (and Still Sleep at Night)

Also: A Sunburnt & Sinking Tease You Didn’t Know You Needed

Permadeath. The challenge. The chaos. The deeply personal betrayal when a lovingly named character walks off a cliff because you misjudged a ledge.

This post is part ruleset, part philosophy, and part gentle teaser — because yes, one of my current runs has already ended. And no, you won’t find out how for at least two months.

I play ahead — sometimes way ahead — because it gives me time to write, screenshot, cry, and recover before you all read about it. So yes, I already know how some of my stories end. That doesn’t mean I’m any more emotionally prepared.

My Permadeath Rules (Across the Blog)

🛑 One life. Always.
If the game lets me die permanently, I do. No save-scumming. No reloads. If I glitch through the map, we roll with it.

🧤 Difficulty is flexible.
I don’t always play on the hardest difficulty — because surviving should be intense but still fun. I tailor it per series: Customloper for The Long Dark, Apprentice for Skyrim, standard settings in Stranded Deep.

🪦 Once they die, they go to The Graveyard.
Every character gets an obituary. Sometimes dramatic, sometimes… deeply stupid. Either way, the blog remembers them.

🎣 Runs are usually played a month or two ahead.
So if something goes wrong? You’ll find out… eventually.

🌴 Coming Soon(ish): Sunburnt & Sinking

Yes, Stranded Deep is on the way. Yes, the series is called Sunburnt & Sinking.

Stay tuned. It’s equal parts sunstroke and sharks.

🧭 Want to Know More?

If you’re wondering why I don’t always crank the difficulty to maximum chaos, there’s a reason for that — and it’s not just because I like my limbs frostbite-free.

Check out my full page:
👉 Why I Play On Easier Difficulties

And if you’re curious about the rules behind each of my survival runs, from Customloper to Backyard Trials:
👉 Rules of Survival – According To Me

Because every survival story has its own set of ground rules — even the weird ones involving crows and deer that somehow win the fight.

16th Jun 2025 1

Here’s What’s Coming This Week – June 16 to 22

From fishing mishaps to Skyrim sniping and a custom cold-weather panic run, here’s what’s planned this week on Survivor Incognito.

The Week Ahead

The schedule is packed — except for Monday, which is still being negotiated with the universe. But the rest of the week? Solid chaos incoming:

❓ Monday – ???
Let’s call it… a mystery. Maybe a new Survivor’s Short? Maybe I finally win a wolf fight? Maybe I stare at a snow shelter and question my life choices. Stay tuned.

🌊 Tuesday – Dark Waters: A Dredge Survival – Day Three
Debt cleared, upgrades unlocked, and still no idea what’s lurking beneath the boat. Let’s fish. Let’s panic.

❄ Wednesday – Customloper Diaries Day 2: Blizzards, Boots, and Baseball Cap Confusion
Day 2 of my Customloper survival in The Long Dark. Mild weather? Never heard of her.

🗡 Thursday – Sneak, Snipe, Repeat: Skyrim Survival – Day Eight
Skyrim continues. The Argonian’s sneak streak lives on, unless someone spots him — in which case, panic magic it is.

🪓 Friday – The Backyard Trials: Grounded Day One – Honey, I Lost Myself in the Backyard
It’s tiny, it’s deadly, and I’ve already lost my bearings. Welcome to Grounded permadeath.

More Survival Incoming

There’s more to come, including mystery Mondays, drowned diaries, and maybe a few unexpected wolves. Stick around — the chaos is scheduled.

15th Jun 2025 0

Here’s What You Missed This Week – Survival Recap

From rabbits with better reflexes than me to undead sniper ambushes, here’s the full recap of what went live this week on Survivor Incognito.

The Week in Review

Another week, another round of chaos, permadeath, and poor life choices in the name of survival. Let’s take a look at what went live:

🐇 Monday: Survivor’s Shorts – The Rabbit Which Got Up and Left
Yes, I stunned a rabbit. No, I didn’t catch it. Yes, it got up, looked me dead in the eyes, and walked away like it had somewhere better to be.

Survivor’s Shorts: The Rabbit Got Up and Left Like I Wasn’t Even Worth It

🌊 Tuesday: Dark Waters: A Dredge Survival – Day Two
The paranoia sets in. Fish with extra eyes, fog with extra vibes, and a to-do list that mostly reads “don’t die.” Just another day on the water.

Dark Waters: A Dredge Survival – Day Two

❄ Wednesday: The Cold Chronicles – Day Six
It’s cold. It’s bleak. There are wolves. So naturally, I went exploring. Because that’s never gone wrong before.

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

🗡 Thursday: Skyrim Survival – Day Seven
Sneak, snipe, and regret. The Argonian continues the journey through frost, bandits, and the occasional vampire attack.

Sneak, Snipe, Repeat: Skyrim Survival Day Seven

🧟 Friday: Day One Diary – Zombie Army Trilogy
The zombies were waiting. The rifle jammed (emotionally, not mechanically). Welcome to permadeath mode, where the first day might also be the last.

Survivor Incognito: Zombie Army Trilogy – Day One Diary

Stay Frosty (and maybe carry a torch)

More survival tales are just around the corner. Thanks for reading, and remember — if something looks too quiet, it’s probably a wolf.

14th Jun 2025 0

Now Posting to Threads

Because the madness needs more reach.

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Just a quick note to say that Survivor Incognito blog posts are now being shared on Threads!

If you’re over there and want to follow along, you can catch:

New blog entry announcements

Teasers and pins

Occasional fog-induced mutterings

🧵 [https://www.threads.net/@survivorincognito]

Nothing’s changing here on the blog—you’ll still get the full stories, permadeath chaos, and survival ramblings like always. Threads is just another place for the madness to spread.

10th Jun 2025 0

Here’s What You Missed This Week – June 1st Week Recap

Catch up on this week’s survival chaos: bears, zombies, Customloper runs, permadeath hubs, and one very questionable Interloper experience.

This Week in Review

Another week of survival, panic, and the occasional questionable decision. Here’s what went live across the blog:

🐻 Monday: Bear Meets Panic Rifle

Sometimes you bring a rifle to a bear encounter. Sometimes the rifle just brings panic. This week kicked off with a new Survivor’s Shorts entry where I learned that even with a firearm, bears remain terrifying.

The One-Shot Wonder: Bear Meets Panic Rifle

🌊 Tuesday: Dark Waters: A Dredge Survival – Day One

The boat launched, the paranoia began. My permadeath Dredge run officially set sail with the start of Dark Waters. The ocean may look calm, but we both know it isn’t.

Dark Waters: A Dredge Survival – Day 1

❄️ Wednesday: Customloper – Day One

The Customloper experiment is underway. A bit Interloper, a bit Voyageur, a lot of me desperately hoping I don’t freeze to death before leaving Mountain Town. So far, so… technically alive.

Customloper Diaries Day 1: A Woollen Windy Welcome to Milton

Side note, The Cold Chronicles and Customloper Diaries will be alternating weeks for the foreseeable. Until one of them ends of course. So next week will be the next entry The Cold Chronicles

🗡 Thursday: Skyrim Survival – Sneak, Snipe, Repeat – Day Six

The Argonian saga continues. Day Six saw more stealth, more arrows, and the usual healthy amount of questionable life choices while wandering Skyrim’s frozen wilderness.

Sneak, Snipe, Repeat: Skyrim Suvival Day Six

🪓 Friday: Grounded Permadeath Hub Goes Live

The hub page for The Backyard Trials: Grounded Permadeath is officially up and running! Rules, info, and upcoming entries are all ready for you.
I also teased what’s coming next Friday: a special Day One Diary for Zombie Army Trilogy—fittingly set for Friday the 13th.

The Backyard Trials: Grounded Permadeath

Zombie Army Trilogy – Day One Diary Coming This Friday the 13th

💀 Saturday: The Desolation Point Debacle

Today’s Survivor’s Shorts took us into Desolation Point on Interloper. It didn’t go well. (Shocking, I know.)

Survivor’s Shorts: Interloper — The Desolation Point Debacle

What’s Coming Next

The backlog grows stronger. Next week, expect more from Dark Waters, Customloper, Skyrim Survival, and our first look at Zombie Army Trilogy. More danger, more chaos, more very avoidable mistakes.

7th Jun 2025 0

Weekly Recap: The Long Dark, Skyrim, No Man’s Sky, Nice Day For Fishing & More – Survivor Incognito

A full roundup of everything that’s gone live on Survivor Incognito this week: new Survivor’s Shorts, Survivor’s Dread launch, The Survivor’s Camp hub, new Day One Diaries for No Man’s Sky and Nice Day For Fishing, Customloper, Skyrim, The Long Dark, and blog updates.

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The Campfire’s Been Busy — Let’s Catch Up

One of the busiest weeks yet! If you blinked, you probably missed something — so here’s your full survival roundup:

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🏕 The Survivor’s Camp is Now Open

A brand new central hub page has launched:
The Survivor’s Camp pulls together everything on the blog — survival guides, series hubs, shorts, and playthroughs — all in one place.

[Visit The Survivor’s Camp]

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 Survivor’s Dread Has Officially Gone Live

The newest addition to the blog is here:
Survivor’s Dread covers all things survival horror, kicking off with Dark Waters: A Dredge Survival. The first entry comes next week as the darkness descends.

[Visit Survivor’s Dread]
[Visit Dark Waters: A Dredge Survival]

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🚀 Day One Diary – No Man’s Sky

The multiverse opens up.
Our No Man’s Sky Day One Diary has begun, charting survival, exploration, and (inevitably) questionable decisions across the stars.

[Visit Day One Diary – No Man’s Sky]

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🎣 Day One Diary – Nice Day For Fishing

Baelin’s adventure has begun.
Fishing, questing, mugged sorcerers, and Dark Lords — just your average day in Nice Day For Fishing.

[Visit Nice Day For Fishing – Day One Diary: Baelin’s Adventure Begins]

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❄️ Customloper – The Long Dark: Day One Diaries Continue

The Customloper run officially kicks off next week. But until then, here’s a Day One Diary entry to help you understand what to expect.
Interloper weather. Voyageur loot. Plenty of snow. Plenty of danger.

[Visit Customloper – The Long Dark: Day One Diary]

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🐺 The Long Dark – Ongoing Survival

The main Long Dark survival continues as well, with more entries uploaded this week as the trek across Coastal Highway continues.

[Visit The Cold Chronicles: A Voyageur’s Tale of The Long Dark]

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🐉 Skyrim Survival Mode – The Pilgrimage Continues

My Argonian is still alive somehow.
High Hrothgar, frostbite, bandits, cultists, and chickens continue to make the journey through Skyrim Survival Mode both ridiculous and dangerous.

[Visit Sneak, Snipe, Repeat: Skyrim Survival]

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🎥 Survivor’s Shorts

New moments added to the ever-growing Survivor’s Shorts collection — highlighting some of the best (and worst) survival moments from across the blog.

[Visit Survivor’s Shorts]

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🛠 Blog Updates – Pages Converted to Posts

Behind the scenes, several former pages have now been converted into regular blog posts. This should make navigation cleaner and help posts show up more naturally in blog feeds, archives, and categories.

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That’s everything from this week!
Stay warm. Stay fed. Don’t poke the wildlife. (Or open any cursed chests.)

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31st May 2025 0

Next Tuesday… We Go Fishing (and Probably Regret It)

The first official Survivor’s Dread series begins next week on Survivor Incognito. I’m diving blind into Dredge, armed with nothing but poor judgment and permadeath rules.

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What Is Survivor’s Dread?

A new weekly series where I explore different corners of survival games—where horror, tension, and terrible decisions collide. Which was originally going to be called Friday Fright, but I preferred the sound of Survivor’s Dread, and also means I can change the day it is released.

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So What Game Are We Starting With?

Dredge.

A fishing game, allegedly.

It’s foggy. It’s weird. I’ve only played the demo. What could possibly go wrong?

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The Twist: Permadeath

I’ve made a custom permadeath ruleset called Dark Waters: A Dredge Survival. If the boat dies, the run dies. I go into the fog, and I don’t go back.

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When Does It Begin?

Next Tuesday at 1PM GMT, the nightmare begins with Day One of Dark Waters.

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Where Can You Find It?

Here: Dark Waters: A Dredge Survival

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Why Should You Read It?

Chaos is guaranteed.
Survival is unlikely.
You get to feel good about your own decisions

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Dark Waters: A Dredge Survival begins Tuesday at 1PM GMT.

I’ll be heading into the fog with nothing but a fishing rod, a poorly thought-out permadeath rule set, and the vague hope that the sea won’t immediately chew me up and spit me out.

Want to play along—or just judge my decisions from a safe distance?
You can grab the full rule sheet here:

Dark Waters: Dredge Permadeath Survival Rules PDF Download

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Bring a lantern. Don’t look down.

29th May 2025 0