Sunburnt & Sinking โ€“ A Stranded Deep Survival Diary: Day One

Sunburnt & Sinking: A Stranded Deep Survival Diary โ€“ 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 โ†’ determined โ†’ 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 โ€œwould you kindlyโ€ฆโ€ 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: Donโ€™t Let It Float Away

I hit the shore and immediately dragged the raft up onto the sand. Iโ€™ve played enough survival games to know that if you donโ€™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 โ€œkill the newcomerโ€ 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 โ€” 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 โ€œcomplete.โ€

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

This Week on Survivor Incognito โ€“ Sinking In and Saying Goodbye

Itโ€™s a big week ahead on Survivor Incognito โ€” weโ€™re kicking off a brand new permadeath run, and also saying farewell to one of our longest-surviving characters.

  • ๐ŸŒŠ Stranded Deep: Sunburnt & Sinking officially begins this week. Expect sharks, dehydration, raft regrets, and poor life choices from Day One.
  • ๐Ÿ Skyrim: The Eulogy will also be posted โ€” a proper farewell to my Argonian survivor who gave it everything (except warmth, shelter, and a working torch).

Itโ€™s one of those weeks where we start something new and say goodbye to something old โ€” which, letโ€™s face it, is the rhythm of survival gaming.

Stick around. Itโ€™s going to be eventful.

๐ŸŒŠ Announcement: Subnautica Will Be the Next Series!

While my Argonian my have fallen, itโ€™s time to look aheadโ€”and downward. Specifically, into the ocean.

Iโ€™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 Iโ€™ve reacquainted myself with the controls (because I apparently forgot how to swim, build, and breathe). Itโ€™ll fall under the same permadeath-flavoured survival approach as the others, with a few sea-salty twists.

In the meantime, Iโ€™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.


๐ŸŽ‰ Celebrating 1,000 Views!

Also, a massive thank you to everyone whoโ€™s visited the blogโ€”Survivor Incognito has officially passed the 1,000 views milestone!

To mark the occasion, Iโ€™m doing something a little differentโ€ฆ something a little more classic horror. While Iโ€™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. ๐ŸงŸโ€โ™‚๏ธ

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

Itโ€™s been a big week at Survivor Incognito: a new diary began, another series ended, and a milestone snuck up on us. Hereโ€™s the full breakdown:

  • Tuesday: Stranded Deep โ€“ Day One Diary (official permadeath run starts next week!)
  • Wednesday: The Cold Chronicles โ€“ Day Nine
  • Thursday: Sneak, Snipe, Repeat โ€“ Final Entry (eulogy coming next week)
  • Friday: SnowRunner โ€“ Day Two, where I somehow end up on top of a mountainโ€ฆ 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 โ€” a huge thank you: the blog passed 1,000 views this week! Iโ€™m currently plotting something fun as a proper thank-you to everyone whoโ€™s been reading, lurking, or laughing at my survival misfortunes.

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

๐ŸŽ‰ We Hit 1,000 Views! โ€“ A Survivorโ€™s First Milestone

Estimated time to read: Slightly less time than it takes to get eaten by a wolf in Voyageur mode.

Somehow, somewhere, in between falling through the ice in The Long Dark, and getting flattened by a doedicurus in ARKโ€”I hit 1,000 views on this blog.

One. Thousand. Views.

I donโ€™t know which one of you read the Subnautica Maps page more than once, but I appreciate you. Whether youโ€™re here for map guides, day one disasters, or just to feel better about your own survival skillsโ€”you made this happen.

So to celebrate:

Iโ€™m still alive (in at least one save file).

The permadeath chaos continues.

More games are coming (seriously, thereโ€™s a Subnautica diary on the horizon and I may be foolishly eyeing Blast Corps as a permadeath challengeโ€”because why not add demolition trucks to my stress levels?).


To everyone whoโ€™s clicked, read, liked, or even accidentally stumbled here while Googling โ€œhow to not die in Mystery Lakeโ€โ€”thank you. The chaos is portable, but so is the community weโ€™re building here.

Once again, thank you to everyone who has clicked on my little corner of chaos on the Internet.

Hereโ€™s to the next 1,000 viewsโ€”and maybe even surviving past Day Five next time.

Stay warm. Stay weird. Stay Incognito.
โ€“ Survivor Incognito

Sneak, Snipe, Repeat: Skyrim Survival Day Thirteen

A peaceful morning turns tragic as a detour into Darkshade cave leads to the end of the run. My Argonian meets his match in a brutal troll ambush, marking the end of this survival tale.

Missed the previous entry? Find it here: Skyrim Survival Day Twelve


The Long Road Home

I wake up in Kynesgrove, still alive after yesterdayโ€™s dragon incident โ€” which, letโ€™s be honest, felt like a miracle in itself. Looking at the map, I realise the trek back to Riverwood is going to be long. Possibly frostbitten. Definitely hungry. So, to lighten the load and my pack, I make a detour to Windhelm to sell off some loot and rethink life choices.

Gold in pocket and slightly less overencumbered, I continue south. I pass a black mage on the road and instinctively prepare for a spell-flinging ambush… but nothing happens. They just nod and keep walking. Huh. That’sโ€ฆ unsettling.


The Cave That Should Have Stayed Unexplored

Then I find it: Darkshade Cave. A delightful little murder hole nestled along the path. The bones outside should have been a clear warning, but Iโ€™m tired, curious, and suffering from a chronic case of “Whatโ€™s the worst that could happen?”

Spoiler: everything.

The first troll nearly turns me into lizard paste. Iโ€™m chugging health potions like Iโ€™m in some sort of Nurnroot energy drink commercial. Somehow, I survive. Barely.

I breathe out. Relief washes over me.

Thatโ€™s when the second troll appears.

Stronger. Meaner. Less camera-shy.

I dodge a few swings, land a few blowsโ€ฆ but itโ€™s a losing battle. I get hit with Gutworm, which sounds exactly as bad as youโ€™d imagine. I make a mental note to look up what it does, assuming I live long enough to Google it.

I donโ€™t.


The End of the Road


And just like thatโ€ฆ my Argonian is dead.

After everything:

The chaos of Helgen

The bitter cold of the mountains

Losing Lydia

Hiring a mercenary only to lose them too

Gaining Loki, my summoned saviour

Battling dragons, undead, frostbite, and starvationโ€ฆ


In the end, it wasnโ€™t fire or ice that killed me. It was two angry cave trolls with boundary issues.

Rest well, my scaly friend. You deserved better.


Final Thoughts

So ends my first attempt at surviving Skyrim.

Maybe it was foolish to enter that cave. Maybe I shouldโ€™ve gone straight to Riverwood. Or maybe โ€” just maybe โ€” trolls need to be nerfed.

Either way, itโ€™s game over for now. But donโ€™t worry. Iโ€™ve got more lives than a Khajiit with a lucky coin. A new run is coming.

Eventually.

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

The Cold Chronicles โ€“ Day 9: Bears, Bunnies, and Blizzard Dodging

Difficulty: Voyageur
Optional Features: Cougar enabled (still lurkingโ€ฆ somewhere)

Day 9 in Coastal Highway brings a near-bear encounter, a rabbit triumph, and a warm trailer evening. Still not at Mystery Lake โ€” but at least Iโ€™m well-fed, slightly warmer, and marginally better at sewing socks.

Missed Day 8? Read it here.

Still Not Mystery Lake

I woke to a stillness that felt suspicious. No howling wind, no wolves pacing outside โ€” just quiet. Thatโ€™s usually when the game decides to spring something on you.

Determined to make a second attempt at reaching Mystery Lake, I packed up and retraced yesterdayโ€™s route. The wolf from Day 8 was gone, which should have been a relief, but nature likes balance. In the wolfโ€™s place? A bear. Of course.

It was lumbering near the path, swaying its head like it owned the place โ€” which, to be fair, it did. I froze. When it didnโ€™t spot me, I slowly backed up the slope to my right. This wasnโ€™t cowardice, this was strategy. The slope spat me out at the cabins the bear had been guarding the day before. I swept through them quickly, but they held little worth taking: a few tins, some thread, and an old hoodie with more holes than fabric.

Rabbit > Trailer

Heading further down the trail, I spotted a trailer and made a mental note to check it out. Then I spotted rabbits. And just like that, the trailer was forgotten. I crouched, aimed, and โ€” miracle of miracles โ€” hit one. Bagging small game in this weather felt like winning the survival lottery.

By the time Iโ€™d harvested it, the trailer was a few minutes behind me. I considered going back but decided to keep pushing forward. Momentum in The Long Dark is fragile โ€” stop too long, and youโ€™ll talk yourself into a nap instead of a trek.

Shelter from the Storm

Another trailer appeared just as the weather turned. Inside, I found a jerry can. Heavy, useful, but not worth the burden today. I left it behind with a mental bookmark in case my fuel stores ran low later.

Outside, the wind had picked up. Snow swirled, biting into any exposed skin. My pace slowed to a crawl, every step feeling like I was dragging my boots through wet cement. The landscape faded into muted greys โ€” that in-between stage before a blizzard hits where you have just enough time to regret your choices.

I stumbled into the Train Unloading area in Coastal Highway just as the light began to fail. There was no way I was pressing on to Mystery Lake in these conditions unless I wanted to end up as tomorrowโ€™s beachcombing loot.

Good news: there was another trailer here. Better news: it had an intact stove. Even better news: no wolves inside.

Hot Meal and Light Reading

I set up shop outside the trailer. The rabbit carcass became a proper meal โ€” cooked meat, boiling water, even a little stockpile for the morning. As the fire crackled, I pulled out my sewing book and read by the flickering light. Sewing Level 2: achieved. Iโ€™m still not turning out runway fashion, but I might be able to patch my socks without making them worse.

With the wind howling outside, the trailer felt almost cosy. I had a belly full of rabbit, a few litres of water cooling beside me, and just enough optimism to think tomorrow might finally be the day I reach Mystery Lake.

Maybe. Unless the bear decides to relocate. Or the weather decides to remind me whoโ€™s in charge. Soโ€ฆ probably not.

Continue the journey:
Day 8 |
Day 10

๐Ÿ๏ธ Day One Diary: Stranded Deep Tutorial โ€“ Sunburnt & Sinking (Warm-Up Edition)

A practice run before the chaos begins: I tackle the Stranded Deep tutorial on Nintendo Switch, battle a crab, get lost on a tiny island, and somehow manage to build shelter. The real journey starts next timeโ€”with a brand new seed and no hand-holding.


๐Ÿ›ฉ๏ธ โ€œThe plane crash was just the beginning. My real enemy? Inventory management.โ€

I load up Stranded Deep, hoping to ease myself back in with the tutorial. Instead, Iโ€™m treated to a cutscene straight out of Final Destinationโ€”a plane going down, debris flying, and my character waking up underwater inside the wreck. No time for panic. I dive out, kick my way through the wreckage, and find my trusty inflatable raft.

Then comes my first real survival challenge: how to unequip the oar. After some determined button-mashing and a healthy amount of muttering, I figure it out. I drag the raft ashoreโ€”because Iโ€™ve seen enough YouTube fails to know that leaving your raft in the water is how you end up stranded before the game even starts.

The tutorial gently nudges me along, but even then, the menus areโ€ฆ a bit of a puzzle. I gather supplies, make a campfire (conveniently close to the raft), and promptly get ambushed by a crab. Itโ€™s small, angry, and determined to remind me Iโ€™m not in charge here.

Navigation proves tricky. Despite the island being roughly the size of a football pitch, I still manage to get lost several times. I also hoard everything I see, which turns my inventory into a mess of sticks, rocks, and plant bits.

As darkness falls, I realize I need to craft shelter. Fibrous leaves are required, but Iโ€™ve used most of them, and a torch sounds greatโ€”except I have no idea where to get cloth. I spend several minutes wandering aimlessly in the dark, wondering if this is how it ends. Eventually, I find what I need, cobble together a basic shelter, and finallyโ€”finallyโ€”save the game.


๐Ÿ”š End of Day Summary:

Survived tutorial โœ”๏ธ

Beat up by a crab โœ”๏ธ

Got lost on a tiny island โœ”๏ธ โ€“ Yes, that actually happened

Built shelter and saved โœ”๏ธ

Confidence level for real run: โ€ฆdebatable


๐Ÿงญ Whatโ€™s Next?

Next time, the real run begins. New seed, no hand-holding, and full permadeath rules. I have no idea whatโ€™s waiting for me, but if itโ€™s another crab, we are going to have words.

If you enjoyed this one, please check out my other day one diaries here

๐Ÿ—บ๏ธ New Page Live: Subnautica Maps Are Here!

Lost in the Kelp Forest again? Swam into the Dunes thinking it was the Grassy Plateaus? Yeahโ€ฆ me too.

Thatโ€™s why Iโ€™ve just launched a brand-new Subnautica Maps page on the blog! It features:

๐Ÿงญ A direct link to the incredibly detailed interactive Subnautica map

๐Ÿ–ผ๏ธ Gorgeous static region maps from RocketSoup.net

๐Ÿงช Some helpful blurbs and probably too much sarcasm

Whether you’re a new diver or a returning survivor who still forgets which way the Aurora crashed, this page is your new best friend. Or at least your most reliable one, since bladderfish donโ€™t offer much conversation.

๐Ÿ‘‰ Click here to check out the new Subnautica Maps page.

Stay buoyant out there.

โ€”
Survivor Incognito
Still unsure which way is north

Day One Diaries Return Tuesday โ€“ This Time, Itโ€™s Stranded Deep

Just a quick heads-up: a new Day One Diary drops this Tuesday, and weโ€™re heading somewhere sunny… and deadly. Thatโ€™s right โ€” itโ€™s time for Stranded Deep.

The Day One warm-up lands this week. The official permadeath run starts next week.

Get ready for sunburns, sharks, and me trying to build a raft that doesnโ€™t immediately flip over.

Want to get caught up? Check out the hub page for Sunburnt & Sinking: A Stranded Deep Survival Diary.

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