Tag: Steam Deck

The Outlast Trials – Trial Log #1: Kill the Snitch

This is the video companion to my first real Trial in The Outlast Trials.
A full, uncut solo run of Kill the Snitch, set in the police station.

No highlights.
No edits.
Just forty-four minutes of slow movement, bad assumptions, and learning the hard way.

Viewer discretion advised. The Outlast Trials is intended for mature audiences and contains graphic violence, disturbing imagery, and psychological horror. This content may not be suitable for all viewers.

All Trials in this series are played solo.

The Trial

  • Trial: Kill the Snitch
  • Location: Police Station
  • Mode: Solo
  • Difficulty: Lowest available
  • Runtime: 44 minutes (full run)

Even on the lowest difficulty, the tension never really lets up.
Standing still feels dangerous, objectives act like bait, and the moment you assume you’re safe, the game corrects you.

The Video

This is a slow first run, and that’s intentional.
I wanted to understand the rules of the Trial before pushing difficulty or modifiers.

First Takeaways

  • Clearing an area doesn’t mean it stays clear
  • Objectives attract attention
  • Being stationary is often the most dangerous choice

When things went wrong, it was usually because I misjudged sound, timing, or commitment — not because the game pulled a trick.
That consistency is what made the Trial so unsettling.

Where This Fits

This video is part of Survivor’s Dread — survival horror focused on tension, pressure, and endurance rather than mastery.

I don’t know how many more Trials will follow.
If there’s another, it’ll be logged the same way.
If not, this stands as a record of the experience.

Surviving, not suffering — even when the chaos is real.

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The Outlast Trials – A New Kind of Survival

I wasn’t planning on adding The Outlast Trials to the blog.
But sometimes a game doesn’t ask — it just gets under your skin and stays there.

After finishing the tutorial and stepping into my first real Trial, it became clear this was something different.
Not loud.
Not fast.
Just deeply uncomfortable in a way that lingers.

One Trial. No Safety Net.

I recorded my first full Trial — Kill the Snitch, set in the police station.
Solo.
Lowest difficulty.
No cuts.

It still took 44 minutes.
And it was still unsettling.

Standing still felt dangerous.
Objectives felt like bait.
And the moment I assumed I was safe, the game corrected me.

Why This Fits Here

This blog has always been about surviving pressure rather than mastering systems.
The Outlast Trials fits that idea perfectly.

  • No PvP meta
  • No optimisation race
  • No pretending you’re in control

Just learning, adapting, and getting through it.

What This Is (And Isn’t)

This isn’t a full commitment to a new series.
There’s no schedule, no roadmap, and no promise of completion.

Think of it as occasional Trial logs — documenting progression, mistakes, and moments where the game genuinely gets inside your head.

If nothing else, it’s a reminder that survival horror can still feel tense without being exhausting.

Coming Up

The first Trial log will be going live shortly, featuring the full 44-minute run.
Viewer discretion advised.

Sometimes surviving means knowing when to slow down.
The Outlast Trials makes sure you do.

This entry is part of Survivor’s Dread, where survival horror is about tension and endurance rather than mastery.

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Super Mario 64 Randomizer – Log 6: Time Stops for No Mario

Progress: 38 Stars Collected | 82 Remaining | 21 Lives
Platform: Steam Deck
Settings: Vanilla Mario & Music

“When I looked into the light expecting peace and found Tick Tock Clock instead, I realised this run has no mercy.”

With Whomp’s Fortress cleared, I headed back to the basement to see what chaos was waiting this time. First win of the day: MIPS went down without a fight. One clean grab. One clean star.

Next stop: the Secret Aquarium. Straightforward as always. Then I spotted a platform that needed the Wing Cap. I don’t have it. I took the loss and moved on.

The big basement door — the one that may or may not lead to Hazy Maze Cave — is still locked. No key. No access. Back upstairs it was.

YouTube – Log 6 Video

Tick Tock Clock: Early, Unwanted, but Done

I looked into the light expecting the Wing Cap trial. I got Tick Tock Clock instead.

Shockingly, it wasn’t a disaster. Star placements were forgiving. No awkward jumps on tiny gears. No close calls over the void. The only real struggle was:

  • Grinding out the 100 Coin Star
  • Backtracking to collect the Red Coin Star

Annoying, sure, but manageable. And now the whole level is finished and off the board.

Rainbow Ride: Another Early Win

Like Tick Tock Clock, Rainbow Ride popped up early in this seed. Getting both out of the way now is a massive relief. Two of the most awkward courses cleaned up long before they can cause havoc.

Log 6 Summary

Lives 21
Stars Collected 38
Stars Remaining 82
Nightmares Cleared Early Tick Tock Clock, Rainbow Ride

Two tough courses gone. One rabbit caught. One fake Wing Cap entrance. A solid session.

Continue the Journey

Previous Log | Next Log

Super Mario 64 Randomizer Hub

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Super Mario 64 Randomizer – Log 5: Rainbow Ride Conquered

Progress: 29 Stars Collected | 89 Remaining | 18 Lives
Platform: Steam Deck
Settings: Vanilla Mario & Music — the chaos provides its own soundtrack.

“Somewhere between leaping across spinning triangles and landing on an airship, I accepted that gravity in this randomizer is more of a guideline.”

With two stars left in Rainbow Ride, I decided to finish what I started and clear the hardest course so far. I remembered spotting one on the airship last time, so that was the first target.

The final star was a guess, so I followed instinct and headed for the triangle platforms. For once, instinct didn’t betray me. Two clean grabs later, Rainbow Ride is officially complete.

The Basement Surprise: Whomp’s Fortress

Expecting Dire Dire Docks, I stepped into its usual spot and instead landed in Whomp’s Fortress. The twist? The water level in this version doesn’t lower, so the passage to Bowser in the Fire Sea stayed sealed.

Which leaves one option: I need to find Dire Dire Docks somewhere else. Because of course the randomizer wasn’t going to make boss access simple.

Whomp’s Fortress: Smooth Climbing

Despite the odd placement, Whomp’s Fortress went down without much resistance. No weird geometry, no star placements that require a physics degree — just straightforward platforming for once.

By the time I exited, I sat at 29 stars and 18 lives, still needing to hunt down Dire Dire Docks and, eventually, Bowser.

Today’s Video

Continue the journey:
Log 4 | Log 6

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Super Mario 64 Randomizer – Log 3: Rainbow Ride in the Basement

Platform: Steam Deck
Settings: Vanilla Mario & Music — chaos supplied separately.
“Somewhere between the mountain slide and the basement sky, I realised this randomizer doesn’t believe in architecture either.”

With only the 100 Coin Star left in Tall, Tall Mountain, I decided it was time to finally clear my first course. The plan was simple: grab coins, stay alive, avoid plummeting off the cliff. Naturally, the first attempt ended in a slide-related tragedy. The second try, however, was a success — first course officially cleared.

Feeling confident, I ventured down to the basement to see what new horrors awaited. A friendly Toad handed over a star without asking for anything in return — a rare act of generosity in this twisted castle.

Then came the real surprise: the hole that should have led to the Vanish Cap switch instead opened into Rainbow Ride. Because apparently, gravity is optional now. Despite a few near misses (and several camera-induced heart attacks), I managed to grab three stars before deciding I’d pushed my luck enough for one day.

Watch Log 3 Gameplay

Progress Log

  • Total Stars: 18
  • Stars Remaining: 102
  • Lives: 13
Continue the chaos:
Log 2 |
Log 4
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Returning to Tyria – A Moment I Didn’t Expect to Hit This Hard


I found out a few days ago that Guild Wars Reforged is coming out soon.
Updated UI. Steam Deck support pending. All campaigns bundled.
And the line that hooked me: existing players keep all their progress.

That was all it took.

I needed to know if my original account still existed.
If my characters were still there.
If anything I did almost twenty years ago survived.

So I turned the Steam Deck into a tiny PC again.
Installed Lutris.
Pulled down the old Guild Wars client.
Ran the full -image download.
Waited.
Then held my breath at the login screen.

And it worked.

Every character I made loaded instantly.
Nightmare Venom.
Spirits of Evil.
I Evil Arrow I.
All exactly where I left them.

Then I opened my friend list.

Every name hit me harder than I expected.
These were people I grouped with, explored with, wiped with, laughed with.
People I haven’t seen online in almost two decades.
Most of them probably don’t play anymore.
A few might not even remember Guild Wars at all.

But seeing that list again reminded me what this game meant to me.

So if anyone from that list ever finds this blog — even by pure accident — thank you for being part of my journey back then. You left more of a mark than you probably realise.

And if you do recognise me, please don’t mention my real name. Online names are more than enough here.
If you remember me and want to say hello, feel free to drop me an email at survivorincognito@gmail.com.

Guild Wars Reforged releases soon.
And for the first time in a long time, I feel like I’ve come home.

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🌊 Submerged: A Subnautica Survival Diary – Log 5.5: Racing the Sunbeam

5.5

“Rescue was coming. Naturally, that meant it was time to start a new project instead.”

Platform: Steam Deck
Difficulty: Survival
Recording: Lost due to file corruption — because the ocean clearly wasn’t done messing with me.

Author’s Note: Unfortunately, my recording for this session corrupted before I noticed. So this entry is reconstructed from memory — a cautionary tale for all survivors who trust autosave more than their capture software.

Message from the Heavens

It begins with the crackle of static — another message from the Sunbeam. They’ve located a landing site. They’re on their way. Forty minutes until pickup.

Forty minutes until salvation.

Naturally, I decide to ignore the pending rescue entirely and go chase the final piece of the Mobile Vehicle Bay instead. Priorities.

The Hunt for Titanium and Sanity

I swim toward the Sunbeam’s coordinates, eyes peeled for fragments. Just as I’m starting to lose hope — there it is. The final piece.

I bolt back toward my lifepod like my oxygen tank depends on it (which, to be fair, it always does). The excitement of progress pushes me faster than any propulsion cannon ever could. I check the crafting requirements — Titanium Ingot, Power Cell, a few odds and ends I already have scattered in lockers. Easy enough.

And since I clearly have time before rescue, I think, “Why not go bigger?” Enter: the Seamoth. The personal submersible of my dreams.

Building the Dream

The Mobile Vehicle Bay is first on the list. Titanium gathered, ingot forged, power cell crafted from the remains of old batteries. When it finally deploys and floats proudly on the surface, it feels like progress — real progress.

I climb aboard, ready to build my Seamoth, and immediately realise I’ve made a rookie mistake. No Titanium Ingot. Again. The ocean mocks me with its silence as I swim off once more, scavenging every bit of wreckage I can find.

Eventually, success. The Seamoth blueprint completes, and the little sub rises from the water like a gift from the deep. She’s beautiful — and mine. I climb in, listen to the AI purr, and feel an unfamiliar thing: hope.

There’s still time before the Sunbeam arrives. I point my Seamoth toward the landing site. Maybe, just maybe, I’ll make it in time to see the sky light up with something other than plasma fire.

Next: The Sky Burns

I set course for the island, my Seamoth slicing through the water like it was always meant to be there. The radio says twenty minutes until the Sunbeam arrives. The ocean says otherwise.

Continue the Journey:
Log 5: Waiting for the Sunbeam | Log 6

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Super Mario 64 Randomizer – Log 2: Chuckya’s Revenge

Platform: Steam Deck
Settings: Vanilla Mario & Music — chaos left entirely intact.

“Gravity and Chuckya joined forces today. I call it a hate crime.”

Fresh off the high of conquering Bowser and the Secret Slide, I decided to revisit Shifting Sand Land. One more star there couldn’t hurt, right? A quick trip across some quicksand later, I added another to the tally and figured it was time to see what lay below the castle.

That’s when I wandered into the Boo garden — home to ghostly giggles, hidden secrets, and one particularly smug Boo concealing a course entrance. I gave chase, stomped the spook, and jumped straight into the portal. The result? Tall, Tall Mountain. Great name. Terrible welcome.

Watch Log 2:

Thrown Off the Deep End

My very first spawn placed me in arm’s reach of a Chuckya. Before I could even process what I was looking at, the purple menace grabbed me and threw me off the mountain. Ten seconds in, one life down, ego shattered. I went back in for a rematch because apparently I enjoy suffering.

Round two went much better. I methodically climbed the slopes, dodged monkey theft, narrowly avoided falling logs, and picked up six of the seven available stars. Not bad for a course that literally tried to throw me away on entry.

The lone survivor is the 100 Coin Star, which I’ll tackle next time—assuming I can convince myself that collecting loose change while balancing on ledges is “fun.”

Log 2 Summary

  • Stars Collected: 13
  • Stars Remaining: 107
  • Lives: 8

After the sandstorms and the mountain’s murderous intent, I’m learning that no amount of preparation can outmatch the randomizer’s sense of humour. Still, progress is progress—and at least this time I didn’t get flung into the void twice in a row.

Lessons from Log 2

  • Chuckya exists solely to ruin your day.
  • Always expect ledges to betray you.
  • Boos are pranksters, not friends.
  • Six stars and a grudge is still a win.
Continue the journey:
Log 1 |
Log 2 (You Are Here) |
Log 3
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Transmission #1 – Chaos Detected (Super Mario 64 Randomizer)

Signal Source: Super Mario 64 Randomizer | Platform: Steam Deck
Status: Active Feed | Condition: Unstable | Duration: 10 Seconds of Pure Confusion

“Reality folded, gravity resigned, and Mario fell into the void. The transmission survived. Barely.”

The first proper signal after Transmission #0 has arrived — and it’s already malfunctioning.
Our sensors picked up an anomaly inside the Super Mario 64 Randomizer where stars, worlds, and basic physics decided to unionize against me.
The result? Ten seconds of pure, glorious nonsense, preserved for analysis.

Signal Debrief

  • Transmission Detected: [Signal #1]
  • Subject: Super Mario 64 Randomizer – Test Feed
  • Result: Star locations scrambled / logic evaporated / REC light flickering
  • Conclusion: Survival probability = mildly comedic disaster

Behind the Static

As with Transmission #0, this short keeps the same broadcast format: static, flicker, chaos.
This time, the “REC” overlay makes it feel like a recovered feed — a camera that should’ve stopped rolling but didn’t.
Think of it as portable chaos meets paranormal broadcast interference.

Continue the Journey

🔗 Back to The Survivor’s Camp

Signal Note: Full credit to Nintendo & original developers for Super Mario 64. Randomizer version tested via community build.
Static and signal formatting by Survivor Incognito — the chaos remains mine.

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Surviving the Milky Way: An Elite Dangerous Survival Diary – Day 5: Day 5 – Rustbucket Retired, Rustfang Rises

Day 5 – Rustbucket Retired, Rustfang Rises

Difficulty: Standard Piloting
Optional Features: Tradepad-assisted profiteering

“These are the voyages of Commander Incognito: to deliver questionable amounts of data, dabble in Tritium trading, and retire ships faster than common sense would recommend.”

Courier by Day, Trader by Accident

I began the day staring down a tempting 13-jump courier mission and immediately said “absolutely not.” Instead, I poked around the mission board until I found something saner: data delivery for the Casual Crew over at Stargate’s Pride in Col 285 Sector II-P B20-8. Two jumps, easy life. Or at least that was the plan.

Meanwhile, the station was plastered with “donate to the cause” missions. Good causes, I’m sure. My cause, however, is not going broke. Instead, I tried my hand at trading. Thanks to the ED Tradepad app (my new best friend), I saw Tritium could net me a tidy profit. In-universe justification? A friendly dockworker at Tenn Terminal whispered: “You’ll make a few credits shifting this stuff.” Sold.

Three Jumps, Not Two

The trip was supposed to be straightforward. Supposed to be. With the cargo on board, my plotted course decided it wanted to add a bonus jump. I blame the Tritium, because blaming fuel makes me sound like I know what I’m doing. Still, it was a useful chance to fumble around the galaxy map and pretend I understood what all those filters do.

I delivered the data without trouble, pocketed my Tritium profit, and looked around Stargate’s Pride for what else it could offer. The answer: temptation.

Goodbye Rustbucket, Hello Rustfang

The shipyard beckoned. The ISS Rustbucket had been my loyal workhorse, but it was time for an upgrade. After much internal debate (and wallet screaming), I settled on a Cobra Mk IV. Tougher, meaner, and actually able to hold its own if someone looked at it funny. After some kitting out, I proudly christened it:
ISS Rustfang (RFN-5).

Naturally, I also gave it a vehicle bay and a shiny new Scorpion, because if you’re going to upgrade, you may as well go full “space SUV with off-road capabilities.”

First Spin in the Rustfang

To break it in, I accepted a modest courier job to Farris’ Remembrance in the Col 285 Sector DC-R b19-7 system. Easy enough — though I somehow managed to plot my course to an entirely different system on the galaxy map. Don’t ask. Let’s just say the navigation computer and I are still getting to know one another.

Despite the detour, the Rustfang flew beautifully. Nimble for its size, sturdy, and most importantly: mine. Mission complete, credits banked, and one very satisfied Commander.

Day 5 Wrap-Up

Rustbucket has been retired, Rustfang is born, and I even made a little profit along the way. Courier work? Handled. Trading? Profitable. Galaxy map? Still confusing. Tomorrow might be the day I finally see if bounty hunting agrees with me… emphasis on might.

Continue the journey:
Day 4 | Day 5 (You Are Here) | Day 6 (Coming Soon)
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