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.
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.
“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.
“Sometimes survival means chasing blueprints you’ll never find and pretending the ocean isn’t full of things that want to hypnotise you.”
Platform: Steam Deck Objective: Wait for the Sunbeam transmission and maybe, just maybe, build something that floats.
Exploration (a.k.a. Avoiding Impatience)
With nothing to do but wait for the Sunbeam’s next message, I decide to make the most of my surface time. I remember having another lifepod distress signal stored, so I tag it on my HUD and head out exploring. At first, the ocean feels empty — just me, the waves, and a slowly draining battery supply — but that doesn’t last long.
After a bit of aimless swimming, I finally stumble upon the final fragment for the Laser Cutter. I can practically hear the sound of sealed Aurora doors opening already. Victory, thy name is “I can finally cut stuff.”
In the midst of my excitement, I make the questionable decision to scan a Stalker. It could’ve gone wrong in a hurry, but apparently it was too busy minding its own business to care. A rare win for curiosity over self-preservation.
The Hunt for the Mobile Vehicle Bay
With the Laser Cutter blueprints ready, I set my sights on something even more crucial: the Mobile Vehicle Bay. I want my Seamoth — freedom in miniature submarine form. I head toward Lifepod 17 again, the same one that’s been testing my patience since last time.
Luck strikes early — I find two out of three pieces for the Bay in fairly quick succession. Naturally, that’s where the good fortune ends. The third? Nowhere to be seen. I comb the seabed, check every wreck, and even chase shadows thinking they might be fragments. Spoiler: they weren’t.
In true Subnautica fashion, my HUD decides to stop showing the lifepod marker mid-journey. A quick reset fixes it, but it doesn’t help my sense of direction — or my growing frustration. Ten to fifteen minutes later, I’m still empty-handed.
Strange Fish and Stranger Plants
To add to the ambience, I discover a few plants with anger issues and meet a Mesmer — a deceptively pretty fish that freezes you mid-swim while whispering sweet nonsense. The first time it happened, I couldn’t move, couldn’t think, and then suddenly — WHAM. Out of the trance, face-to-face with a glowing fish that definitely wanted me gone.
Thankfully, the Propulsion Cannon was in my hands. A single blast later, and the Mesmer was forcibly introduced to the local wall. Justice served.
Calling It a Night (Reluctantly)
As darkness falls, I decide to call it a day. Nighttime on this planet is truly pitch black, and I’m not wasting my last batteries trying to play deep-sea Marco Polo with blueprints. Still, it wasn’t a wasted trip — I unlocked a few new crafting recipes and gathered plenty of scan data for the databank. Just not the one blueprint I actually wanted.
Tomorrow, the ocean and I will have words. Preferably near the wrecks that have Mobile Vehicle Bay fragments.
“Apparently Charles had other plans today. Which is fine — I had a date with destiny… and Gertrude.”
⚙️ Survival Status: 3 Strikes Total Only Charles can take them away.
Each egg restores a lost strike — but I can’t exceed three.
When the last one’s gone, the run ends.
Watch: Fighting Charles twice and storming the northern mine (Steam Deck Gameplay).
The Setup — Gertrude’s Gift & Gale’s Key
I half-expected to hear that ominous whistle the second I loaded in, but the island was unusually quiet. No ambush, no chase — just eerie calm. I took it as an omen (probably a bad one) and rolled out to find my next local resident: Gertrude. She asked me to retrieve her late husband’s weapon and name it BOB in his honour. Honestly, she could’ve asked me to name it after her cat and I’d still have agreed — I need firepower more than morals at this point.
Not far down the line, I met Gale, who kindly handed over the final key I needed to access the last egg mine. Suddenly, everything clicked into place: I had all three egg locations and the coordinates for my potential final weapon. The problem? Reaching them alive. Step one: get BOB.
Round One — Collecting BOB (and Unwanted Attention)
I arrived at the scrapyard where cultists had taken BOB and barely had time to blink before that familiar whistle echoed across the valley. I slammed the train into forward and grabbed the Bug Spray. No visual — so I backed up, regrouped, and tried again.
That’s when I discovered two things. One: my train is a surprisingly effective cultist-flattening machine. Two: overshooting the area guarantees a personal visit from Charles himself.
The ensuing fight was messy. The Bug Spray pushed him back; the machine gun chipped away; the Boomer — well, let’s say my aim was more “creative fireworks” than “effective combat.” Eventually Charles retreated, but I somehow triggered a second encounter almost instantly. Double chaos for the price of one. After the rematch, he finally slunk away to lick his metallic wounds.
With the area silent again, I cleaned up the last surviving cultist (the train helped) and looted every scrap in sight. And there it was — BOB, shiny and furious. Welcome to the team, you beautiful piece of overkill.
Island Decisions — Next Stop: The Egg Mines
I debated my next step. Theodore’s mission was still on the board, Sasha’s definitely wasn’t, and the thought of climbing cliffs for a single scrap felt… inefficient. The choice was clear: time to start collecting eggs.
Egg #1 — Northern Mine Mayhem
The northernmost mine seemed like the least terrible option. A lone cultist patrolled outside — I introduced them to BOB. Inside, I discovered something new: I could actually lean left and right. Whether it’s a mine-only feature or some unintentional stealth buff, I’ll test it later.
I crept through the tunnels, listening to a cultist whistle a cheerful little tune that made the situation feel way too casual. I tried sneaking past — failed spectacularly — and took a bullet for my efforts. Panic mode engaged. I sprinted, found the glowing egg, yanked a few random levers, and bolted for daylight.
One egg secured. One strike restored. Back to three lives remaining.
Log Observations & Survival Notes
BOB is a beast: Best used for short, devastating bursts. Don’t overheat it.
Bug Spray still reigns supreme: It’s the best tool for making Charles think twice.
Scrap remains sacred: You will always need more than you have.
Cultists aren’t bulletproof: Especially not when they meet the front of a train.
Leaning in mines helps: It might not save you, but it makes dying funnier.
Pro Tips (Steam Deck Edition)
Use gyro aiming if you can — it helps land those tricky shots with the Boomer.
Don’t linger near cultist camps — they hear the train before you see them.
BOB + Bug Spray combo = panic fire supremacy.
Take fights on straight track when possible — easier weapon tracking, safer retreats.
After Charles retreats, loot nearby paths fast — his cooldown window is short.
Need a guide? Explore every stop, scrap pile, and spider sighting with the Aranearum Island Map Guide — your unofficial atlas to surviving the rails.
Survivor Incognito 