The Survivor Incognito Framework

How This Works

• Every run declares its end condition upfront.
• Global principles apply across all series.
• Series-specific structures refine the stakes.
• No mid-collapse rewrites. If something changes, it is documented.

The Philosophy

Permadeath was the starting point. It was never the destination.

Survival matters because consequence exists — but consequence must be intentional. A run does not end randomly. It ends when the declared condition is met.

Sometimes that condition is death.
Sometimes it is a final confrontation.
Sometimes it is a fixed number of chances against an overwhelming threat.

The stakes are defined before the first step is taken.

The goal is not punishment. It is narrative weight.

This is the principle behind every voyage:

Surviving, Not Suffering.

Core Principles

1. Declared End Conditions. Every series defines what ends the run before it begins.
2. Consequence Creates Meaning. Failure must matter — but it must also make sense.
3. No Exploits. If it breaks immersion or intended design, it is excluded.
4. Diegetic Decisions. Choices must reflect in-world knowledge that has been earned.
5. One Timeline. No hidden resets. No alternate save branches.
6. Challenge Over Misery. Difficulty serves tension, not self-inflicted punishment.
7. Accessibility Is Valid. Comfort and visibility settings are never “cheating.”
8. Honest Endings. When a run concludes, it is documented and archived without revision.

Structured Variants

These frameworks modify how consequence functions depending on the game’s design.

The Apex Predator Rule

Used when a single relentless entity defines the threat.

• Only deaths caused directly by the apex predator count toward termination.
• The allowed number of predator deaths is declared before the run begins.
• When the strike limit is reached, the predator wins.

Full framework:

The Apex Predator Rule

The Multi-Life Structure

Used when tension benefits from limited chances rather than immediate collapse.

• A fixed number of lives is declared before the run begins.
• Each qualifying failure removes one life.
• When lives reach zero, the run ends.

The Showdown Condition

Used when a final encounter defines the narrative arc.

• The run culminates in a declared confrontation.
• Only that encounter determines victory or defeat.
• All prior setbacks are part of the journey — not termination.

FAQ

Is this still permadeath?

Sometimes. When it serves the structure.

Does this make it easier?

Not necessarily. It makes the stakes deliberate.

What matters most?

That the ending is earned.