Tag: Steam Deck

Cold-Blooded: A Skyrim Survival Diary – Log 3: Gold Problems and an Unwanted Destiny

Cold-Blooded – Log 3: Gold Problems and an Unwanted Destiny

Game: Skyrim Special Edition
Mode: Survival Mode
Difficulty: Adept
Survivor: Treads-Through-Cold (Argonian)

Gold doesn’t solve every problem. But right now, it would solve most of mine.

Money is becoming a recurring issue. Spells cost gold. Food costs gold. Staying alive costs gold.

With that in mind, I checked the local inn in Riverwood for work. They had a bounty available and pointed me toward a few other opportunities. None of them sounded safe. All of them sounded necessary.

I added everything to the list.

Cold-Blooded – Log 3 (No Commentary)

Full gameplay footage from Riverwood to Whiterun, including the Western Watchtower dragon fight.

The Road to Whiterun

On the way to Whiterun, I spotted a fight in progress. A giant. Several people. A lot of shouting.

I hadn’t decided who to help by the time the giant was already dead.

That earned me a mild scolding for not joining in sooner. Turns out the group were the Companions. They take jobs. Dangerous ones. For gold.

I made a mental note. I may need them.

As they left, I noticed something else. Crops. A lot of crops. Vegetables everywhere. Unattended. Unclaimed. No warnings. No angry NPC dialogue.

I harvested all of it.

I then walked past the farmer who owned those crops.

He’s in for a surprise.

Whiterun Business

Once inside Whiterun, I went straight to the inn. More work was available. One job stood out.

I was asked to retrieve something called Nettlebane.

I don’t know what it is. I don’t know if it’s a weapon. But it sounds valuable enough to investigate.

From there, I spoke to the Jarl.

He asked if I could help his court wizard, Farengar. I handed over the Dragonstone. Apparently, I’d already done the hard part.

As a reward, the Jarl offered me the chance to buy a house in Whiterun.

Buy being the key word.

The Western Watchtower

A dragon had been sighted at the Western Watchtower.

I was asked if I could help.

I agreed, reluctantly.

The dragon stayed just out of spell range most of the fight. When I could hit it, I did. When I couldn’t, I waited and tried not to die.

I need better spells. That means gold. Farengar already suggested Winterhold.

No.

  1. I’m an Argonian.
  2. The clue is in the name: Winterhold.

An Unexpected Title

The dragon fell.

I took what I could from it. Then I absorbed its soul.

A Whiterun guard called me Dragonborn.

I don’t know what that means.

But I’m confident they’ve got the wrong Argonian.

Continue the journey:
Cold-Blooded – Log 2: Bleak Falls and Poor Attitudes |
Cold-Blooded – Log 4: Gold, Guards, and Bad Ideas
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Super Mario 64 Randomizer – Log 12: Every Door Is a Trick

Super Mario 64 Randomizer – Log 12: Every Door Is a Trick

Progress: 60 Stars Reached
Platform: Steam Deck
Settings: Vanilla Mario & Music

“The castle is technically helping. It’s just doing it in the worst possible way.”

I set off with a clear goal: the Snowman’s Land door.

On the way, I try the Tiny-Huge Island painting. Still locked. Still mocking me.

Back to Snowman’s Land. I open the door, jump in, and immediately realise something’s wrong.

Behind the painting is Dire Dire Docks.

At this point, I’ve stopped being surprised.

Dire Dire Docks: Progress, Eventually

I start with the chests. I get distracted by coins almost instantly, then remember why I’m here.

Most of the chests are grouped together, which makes this far easier than expected. One is awkward, but manageable.

Next up: the Manta Ray.

I miss rings in ways that feel intentional. Bad angles. Poor timing. Repeated failure.

Eventually, I abandon the attempt and swim into the other area of the docks.

Bowser’s submarine isn’t there. He’s clearly moved on.

That at least makes grabbing stars painless.

Stars, Water, and Poor Decisions

With the sub gone, I clean up:

  • A floating water star
  • The Jet Stream star

I give the Manta Ray another go. This time it works immediately, because of course it does.

That pushes me to 60 stars. Halfway through the run.

Only two stars remain here:

  • Red Coin Star
  • 100-Coin Star

I decide to clear them while I’m here.

The water has other ideas and ejects me straight out of the level and into the castle pond.

I take the hint.

The Basement: Nothing Is Where It Should Be

I head downstairs.

First job: MIPS. No trouble at all.

Next up is the entrance that should be familiar by now.

Instead of what I expect, I get Jolly Roger Bay.

The randomizer is clearly enjoying itself.

One chest is placed somewhere deeply inconvenient. I find two in the cave, not four.

The missing one stays hidden, but there’s a star nearby, so it’s not a total loss.

I move on to Plunder in the Sunken Ship.

I almost die twice trying to coax the eel out without getting electrocuted. Eventually, it behaves.

Log 12 Status

  • Total Stars: 60
  • Dire Dire Docks: 5 / 7 stars complete
  • Jolly Roger Bay: 3 stars collected
  • Wing Cap: Still missing

The castle keeps opening up. Progress is real. Directions are optional.

YouTube – Log 12 Video

Sixty stars in. Still grounded.

Continue the Journey

Previous Log | Next Log

Super Mario 64 Randomizer Hub

Game: Super Mario 64
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Survivor’s Log: Subnautica Site Update

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.

Subnautica Hub:

Subnautica Hub


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.

Subnautica Crafting Reference:

Subnautica Crafting Reference Guide


Both pages exist for the same reason: less friction, less tab-hopping, and more time actually surviving underwater.

More Subnautica updates soon — now that the foundations are finally in place.

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Unprepared: An Interloper Survival Diary in The Long Dark Log #5 – Day 10: Quiet Before the Teeth

Unprepared Log 10: Quiet Before the Teeth

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.

Video Log

Continue the journey:
Unprepared Log 9 |
Unprepared Log 11

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Super Mario 64 Randomizer – Log 11: Red Coins, Bad Maths, and Tactical Death

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.

Continue the Journey

Previous Log | Next Log

Super Mario 64 Randomizer Hub

Game: Super Mario 64
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Survivor’s Log: Two in the Pipeline

Survivor’s Log: Two in the Pipeline

This is another short pipeline note rather than an announcement. Just a record of what’s coming next and why.

There are two games lined up, both relatively contained, and both chosen because they fit the kind of survival experiences I want to document right now.

Slender: The Arrival

The first is Slender: The Arrival.

I originally played it when it first released. Since then, it’s received a 10th Anniversary update that effectively rebuilds the experience and introduces new content, including an additional location.

Because of that reset, this isn’t a nostalgia run. It’s closer to approaching a familiar idea in a form that’s changed enough to warrant a fresh look.

This will sit under Survivor’s Dread, recorded as a single-attempt run, with the logs reflecting how the attempt unfolds rather than aiming for a specific outcome.

Iron Lung

The second is Iron Lung.

Interest around it has increased recently because of the upcoming film adaptation, which is what initially put it on my radar.

What actually held my attention was hearing how personal the project was, and how much of the atmosphere and intent came directly from the game itself.

I’ve been aware of the creator behind the adaptation for a while, but I’ve never followed their content directly. What stood out wasn’t who was making the film, but the decision to make a film at all.

Choosing to adapt a small, largely unknown game suggested there was something specific in the source material that made it worth that level of commitment.

That curiosity is what led me here — to the game itself, rather than the adaptation built around it.

This will be treated as a one-off survival horror run. A single attempt, recorded without embellishment, documenting the experience as it unfolds.

Nothing Locked In

There are no dates attached to either of these yet. They’ll be recorded and published when there’s space, rather than being slotted in to chase relevance.

As always, the point isn’t to follow momentum elsewhere. It’s to document things that feel worth documenting at the time.

Surviving, Not Suffering

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Survivor’s Log: What’s in the Pipeline

Survivor’s Log: What’s in the Pipeline

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.

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The Long Dark – Stalker Instinct Log #4: Sticks, Stone Throws, and a Stupid Food Choice

Mode: Stalker
Region: Mystery Lake
Mood: Cautiously confident, briefly poisoned

I decided to explore more of Mystery Lake. I knew there was a pond nearby, so I headed out to see what opportunities it might offer.

The snare I’d set earlier came up empty. No rabbit. That thing needs relocating.

Pond Plans and Wolf Reality Checks

On the way, I spotted a wolf in the distance. It didn’t see me. I didn’t test my luck.

Even with a bow, I don’t rate my chances yet. My aim needs work, and Stalker wolves don’t forgive hesitation.

At the pond, I found the hunter’s blind. Useful later. Right now, it was overlooking absolutely nothing. No animals. Not even a teasing rabbit.

With daylight to spare, I pushed on toward a nearby cabin.

The Cabin and the Crows

The cabin had slim pickings. Nothing worth staying for.

Outside, I heard crows. That sound still means one thing.

A deer carcass. Ravaged, but edible. I harvested what I could — barely half a kilo of meat — and started a fire. It wasn’t much, but it was calories.

Fire-starting is still slow. I’m counting the days until that skill improves.

Rabbit Hunting: Sticks Strike Back

Rabbits were nearby, so I tried my luck.

I tested an arrow on one. Missed. Fair enough. I stopped there — no sense wasting arrows until I have fire-hardened ones for practice.

Back to stones.

After a few throws, I stunned a rabbit. Walked up confidently. Pressed the button.

I picked up a stick.

The rabbit had landed next to it and bolted while I stood there holding firewood like an idiot.

Second attempt: success. No stick betrayal.

I even got the second rabbit I’d spotted earlier. Clean, no mistakes this time.

Tea, Arrows, and False Confidence

Back at the fire, I prepped reishi mushrooms and made tea. Sensible. Calm. Survival-approved.

Then the game decided to mock me by handing me another arrow and another bow.

Message received. I’ll practice — later.

Before the fire died, I used charcoal to map the area. Useful result: a marked zone where rabbits spawn frequently. Future snare location sorted.

The Fat Mistake

Back at the cabin, I made a bad call.

I ate animal fat.

I knew better. It was heavy. It was in my inventory. I wanted the calories.

Instant food poisoning.

Thankfully, I still had reishi tea. I drank it and collapsed into bed to recover.

That would have cost me one of my three chances.

No wolf. No blizzard. Just a lazy decision.

Log 4 Takeaway

  • Snares need good placement, not optimism
  • Bow ownership does not equal bow skill
  • Rabbits will absolutely humiliate you
  • Sticks are the true apex predator
  • Food poisoning is still one of the fastest ways to burn a chance

Stalker doesn’t need dramatic moments to punish you. It just waits.

YouTube Video

Continue the journey:
Stalker Instinct – Log 3 |
Stalker Instinct – Log 5

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The Outlast Trials – Log 9: Kill the Politician (The Kress Twins)


Prime Asset: The Kress Twins
Trial: Kill the Politician
Difficulty: Standard
Grade: A


Back to The Outlast Trials hub

Thanks to Prime Asset Roulette, I was assigned the Kress Twins.
Which means I now have two problems instead of one.

My only available option for this log was Kill the Politician,
so that’s what we’re doing.

I’m keeping this on Standard too,
because the last few trials have been a bit of a disaster and I’m not in the mood to press my luck.

Things started off simple enough.
I accidentally found a fuse, got a prompt to pick it up,
and realised I’d just stumbled into the task required to get inside the shopping mall.

I grabbed the second fuse and was allowed in.

Cue more fuse hunting.
I could already see the pattern forming.

I also got my first proper look at the Twins.
Pretty sure they didn’t see me, but I’m not loving the fact they seem to have
360 degree vision.

Which means stealth isn’t optional.
I need to stay hidden…
or, to put it another way:
I need to stay Incognito.

Three fuses later, I was allowed into the department store.
This time, my objective was to spend $40.

There were multiple boxes scattered around the store, each with a different price.
I didn’t even notice that at first.

So I was about $10 in before realising I could have made smarter choices.
Classic.

The Twins were also inside the store with me,
and it was oddly interesting hearing them speak to each other.
From what I could gather, they don’t like Easterman,
and they want out of whatever hell they’ve been put into.

I also couldn’t help noticing something in their dialogue.
It isn’t just “villain banter”.
There’s something uncomfortable about it — the kind of vibe where you start wondering what exactly their relationship is meant to be.

Whatever it is, it adds a whole extra layer of unease.
And frankly, I’d have preferred not to notice it.

It does make me wonder how the Prime Assets are treated outside the Trials.
I’m guessing the answer is “badly”.

Once I hit $40, I was finally allowed to join the political rally.

And then I was told to go fix the water pressure.

At this point, I’m convinced Murkoff is preparing me for employment once I graduate.
I’m not being brainwashed.
I’m being trained as a handyman.

You’d think the valves would be close together, because that would make sense.
They were not.

Four different spots across the mall.

So now I’m running around doing:

  • map reading
  • basic maths for each valve
  • trial survival, on top of plumbing

Again: handyman.

Once that was handled, it was finally time to deal with the actual goal:
spraying the politician with acid.

Naturally, I had to prime the acid first.
And naturally, this required playing a carnival-style game.

I thought electrocuting the Snitch was bad.
I was wrong.

And I’m fairly sure the Twins have been chatting with Coyle,
because they also felt the need to ambush me during this part.

I had to loop the mall a few times, hide a few times,
and basically accept that my life now consists of sprinting away and making bad decisions at speed.

Eventually, I completed the objective.
Politician: solved.

Then it was time to leave.
And the Twins also decided it was time to leave —
because they were waiting at the shuttle area like they were running security.

I hid, waited them out, and once they finally moved off,
I slipped past and escaped.

In the end, I walked away with an A.

That’s an improvement —
and I’m choosing to believe it’s because I’m learning.
Not because the mall temporarily took pity on me.

Video

Surviving, not suffering.

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Unprepared: An Interloper Survival Diary in The Long Dark Log #4 – Day 3 & Day 4: Running on Fumes

Unprepared Log 4 – Days 3 & 4: Running on Fumes

Difficulty: Interloper
Survivor: Astrid

Food was a problem. Then the weather decided to make it worse.

With food still being the major concern, I would love to say I set out on a determined hunt.

I didn’t.

A blizzard was raging outside, so instead I did what Coastal Highway encourages best: hiding indoors and finding absolutely nothing.

I scavenged what buildings I could reach safely. Cupboards were empty. Drawers mocked me. Coastal Highway, it seems, had decided this run was optional.

Eventually the blizzard began to die down. Not gone — just tired enough to let me make bad decisions again.

Day 3: False Hope

I pushed out and searched a few more houses.

Nothing.

No food. No matches. No miracle tin of peaches hiding behind a chair.

By the end of the day, I accepted reality. I made water, ate what little I had left, and tried to stretch it further than it deserved.

It wasn’t enough, but it bought me another sunrise.

0

Day 4: The Realisation

I woke up in the red.

This felt like the last day of the run. And honestly, I was okay with that. I’d done better than expected, and if this was it, I wasn’t going out crawling.

I packed up and moved, daisy chaining torches as I went.

Then I heard it.

The unmistakable sound of a match being struck.

That’s when it clicked.

I wasn’t lighting torches from each other. I’d been burning through my matches instead.

I checked my inventory.

One torch left.

Jackrabbit Island Panic

I headed straight for Jackrabbit Island, hoping for a bailout.

No matches.

I wasn’t exactly searching calmly, so that one’s on me, but the result was the same.

I still had a flare. Technically, I could start another fire. Realistically, that meant committing to keeping it alive, and I wasn’t thrilled by that idea.

If Coastal Highway had matches, it was doing an excellent job of hiding them.

Beachcombing Salvation

If I was going down, I might as well see what the blizzard had left behind.

I went beachcombing.

And then I saw it.

A deer carcass.

I used my last lit torch to start a fire and got to work. Harvesting. Cooking. Feeding the flames like my life depended on it — because it did.

Then, at the worst possible moment, my TV turned itself off.

No warning. No grace period.

What followed was a mad dash to grab the Steam Deck, wake the screen, and pause the game before the battery ran out and the fire burned itself to death.

Nothing like real-world panic layered on top of Interloper panic.

Once things were stable again, I finished cooking.

For the first time in days, I had real food.

Misanthrope’s Gamble

I weighed my options one last time.

Misanthrope’s Homestead felt just barely reachable.

I took the gamble.

Along the way, I found rabbits and managed to grab two of them before pushing inside.

No matches.

But I did have two flares.

Two more fires. After that, the maths gets ugly.

End of Day 4

I slept for a few hours.

When I woke up, the aurora was dancing outside.

That story deserves its own entry.

I don’t know if I’ll survive another day.

But getting this far has done something dangerous.

It’s made me want to try harder next time.

1

Video Log

Continue the journey:
Unprepared Log 4 – Day 2 |
Unprepared Log 4 – Final Day

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