Here’s What You Missed – Week of July 15th

Another week, another batch of survival stories wrapped in chaos and questionable decisions. Here’s what went down on Survivor Incognito this week:

  • Tuesday: Dark Waters: A Dredge Survival โ€“ Final Entry
  • Wednesday: The Cold Chronicles (Customloper) โ€“ Day Four
  • Thursday: Sneak, Snipe, Repeat โ€“ Day Twelve
  • Friday: SnowRunner Survival: The Permagear Diaries โ€“ Day One

Thatโ€™s one series wrapped, one launched, and two still going strong.

Also, a quick thank you โ€” last week the blog saw nearly 200 views. Whether you read one post or all of them, I appreciate you surviving alongside me (or at least watching me not survive).

On another note, the next few weeks are going to be busy for me. But I’ll do my best to keep the chaos here going

More mayhem next week.

ARK: Aberration โ€“ Day One Diary: Punching Trees, Hallucinating Plants, and a Cliff Dive of Doom

My first day in ARK: Aberration on Nintendo Switch. From punching trees to cliff diving for water, join me for a chaotic survival tale featuring hallucinations, heat, and questionable choices.

Not sure where I am? Please check out the  ARK: Survival Evolved Maps


Welcome to Aberration

I decide to spawn at the Portalโ€”the game assures me this is the easiest spot to start, so naturally, I trust it. I materialize in my underwear (as you do) and am immediately told Iโ€™m too hot. How? Iโ€™m practically naked!

Undeterred, I begin my search for trees to punch and rocks to grab. It sounds simple, but this is ARK. The landscape is full of creatures, including a Tek Stegosaurus!

I want it. I want it badly. But Iโ€™m level one, with zero taming ability. So I sigh, and return to foraging.


Tools, Berries, and the Great Stone Hunt

Before long, Iโ€™ve got a healthy stash of berries, thatch, and wood. I cobble together some primitive clothingโ€”so long, underwear! Now for stones. The game clearly enjoys messing with me. Stones are everywhere, yet my button presses achieve nothing. After several failed attempts, I finally manage to pick some up. Tools: crafted.

Next problem: water. Iโ€™m parched, and the nearest source is… at the bottom of a cliff. Whatโ€™s a survivor to do? I jump. If I die, heyโ€”at least the Graveyard page gets a funny new entry. Miraculously, I survive.


The Hallucination Plant

Feeling triumphant, I approach a strange plant. Surely nothing bad could happen. The plant proves me wrong. Iโ€™m instantly hallucinating, defecating like itโ€™s a competitive sport, and generally regretting my life choices. After about 30 seconds, it stops. Do I consider touching the plant again? Absolutely. Do I? Thankfully, no.


Night Falls, Chaos Rises

Darkness sets in. I light a torchโ€”instant overheating. My options are: see where Iโ€™m going and melt, or stumble blindly in comfort.

And then, I become overencumbered. I offload a ton, even dip below my carry limit. Still canโ€™t move. Can crouch, can look around, but walk or jump? Nope. At this point, I call it a day.


Final Thoughts

Not how I imagined my first day in Aberration ending, but I had a blast. Stay tunedโ€”surely it can only get weirder from here.


If you enjoyed this one, please check out my other Day One Diaries | Survival Game Playthroughs & First-Day Survival Challenges

๐Ÿฆ– Day One Diaries: ARK Edition โ€“ Now Filling the Weekend Gaps

Day One Diaries returns with an ARK twist! Each short entry covers the first chaotic 24 hours on every map in ARK: Survival Evolved for the Nintendo Switch. Chaos, dinos, and bad decisions await.


So, People Have Been Clicking the ARK Map Pageโ€ฆ

โ€ฆand thatโ€™s either a promising sign or a harbinger of incoming disaster.

Either way, welcome to a brand-new side series here on Survivor Incognito:

> ๐ŸŽฎ Day One Diaries: ARK Edition
A bite-sized, chaos-fueled survival journal where I explore the first 24 hours on every ARK map available on the Nintendo Switch.

This series is coming soon and will drop on one of the blogโ€™s quieter daysโ€”Mondays, Saturdays, and Sundaysโ€”to fill in the gaps with some portable prehistoric panic.


๐Ÿ—บ๏ธ What to Expect

Each post will document:

โ€ข Where I spawned

โ€ข What I crafted (poorly)

โ€ข What inevitably killed me

And whether I learned anything (spoiler: probably not)


These arenโ€™t full playthroughsโ€”theyโ€™re glorified diary entries of my first day of disaster, all tied together with maps, Switch gameplay quirks, and whatever half-baked strategy I manage to invent before something eats me.


โœ… Already Posted

Iโ€™ve already covered the following maps in earlier posts:

The Island

Scorched Earth


So I wonโ€™t be redoing those. Instead, Iโ€™ll link back to those entries when their time comes in the lineup.


๐ŸŒ‹ Whatโ€™s Next?

From here, itโ€™s on to the rest of the maps available on the Nintendo Switch:

โ€ข Aberration

โ€ข Extinction

โ€ข Genesis Part 1

โ€ข Genesis Part 2

โ€ข Ragnarok (DLC)

Each time I publish a new Day One Diary, Iโ€™ll also update the ARK Map Hub with:

โ€ข The region map

โ€ข Survival notes

โ€ข Links to the interactive resource map

โ€ข Possibly a eulogy


๐Ÿงช A Preview of What Youโ€™re In For…

To set the mood, hereโ€™s a flawlessly accurate preview of what I expect my time in Aberration to look likeโ€”courtesy of Neebs Gaming:

> ๐ŸŽฅ Simon vs. Snake โ€“ Neebs Gaming in Aberration
Simonโ€™s alone. Eating peanuts. Thereโ€™s a snake. Panic ensues.

Itโ€™s everything ARK represents: snack time, followed by betrayal and screaming.


๐ŸŽฌ Chaos You Can Count On

If something truly unhinged happens during one of these Day One sessionsโ€”and letโ€™s be honest, it willโ€”itโ€™ll earn its own spotlight as a Survivorโ€™s Shorts post.

Because some moments of portable disaster deserve a dedicated write-upโ€ฆ especially the ones where I genuinely thought I was safe and then immediately wasnโ€™t.


๐Ÿ“… First Entry Drops Soon

Check back next Saturday for Day One in The Islandโ€”the first stop on this tour of Switch-based suffering. Followed by Scorched Earth the next week, and then finally, Aberration.

Expect bioluminescent fungus, regret, and gravity issues. See you there.

A New Challenger Approaches โ€“ Welcome to Green Hell

Itโ€™s time to trade backyards for the Amazon.

Iโ€™m heading into Green Hell, the survival game where nature doesnโ€™t just want you deadโ€”it wants you paranoid, dehydrated, and wondering if that rash is the least of your problems.

This new run is coming soon to the blog, taking its place in the rotation with all the usual Survivor Incognito flair: overly ambitious decisions, chaotic jungle flailing, and a main character who probably shouldโ€™ve stayed home.

So if youโ€™ve ever wanted to see how fast someone can go from โ€œIโ€™ve got thisโ€ to โ€œI think the trees are whispering,โ€ youโ€™re in for a treat.

Stay tuned. The jungle waits.

If you want to see how my first day in the jungle went, please check out Day 1 Diary โ€“ Green Hell โ€“ Poisoned by Nature, Humbled by Bananas

Survivor’s Shorts: The Rabbit Got Up and Left Like I Wasnโ€™t Even Worth It

In Pleasant Valley, I stunned a rabbit in The Long Dark. I walked over, ready to claim victoryโ€”only for it to stand up, look at me, and run away. Iโ€™ve never felt so insulted by a ball of fluff.


Ah, Pleasant Valley.

Land of blizzards, wolves, and soul-crushing optimism.

I was low on food, lower on morale, and spotted a few rabbits hopping around like they hadnโ€™t a care in the world. I grabbed a rock and let instinct take over.

Thwack.
Direct hit. Rabbit down. I stunned it.

Heart racing, I walked over like a proud predator. This was itโ€”my big win.
Dinner secured. Survival extended. The tundra had finally thrown me a bone.

But when I reached it?

The rabbit got up. Looked at me. And left.

No panic. No zigzag. Just a calm, confident hop back to its fluffy little lifeโ€”like I hadnโ€™t just concussed it with a rock.


I tried to chase it, failed. I just stood there, rock still in hand, questioning my worth.
Turns out in The Long Dark, you donโ€™t get the kill unless you earn it fast.
And that rabbit clearly decidedโ€ฆ I wasnโ€™t worth the effort.


Final Thoughts

The Long Dark is full of brutal wildlife encounters.
Turns out, sometimes the smallest animals donโ€™t need claws or teeth โ€” they just need perfect timing to humiliate you.


If you enjoyed this one, please check out my other Survivorโ€™s Shorts | Survival Game Clips, Fails & Funny Playthrough Highlights

Day One Diary Customloper Drops โ€“ Tomorrow

The Day One Diary of Customloper is comingโ€”and no, I didnโ€™t freeze to death immediately.
Spawned in with Interloper-level weather and a backpack full of questionable decisions.
There were snacks. There were was lots of snow. There was looting in the dark like a confused burglar. Find out what happens tomorrow at 1pm GMT.

For information on what Customloper is, read here: The Long Dark Customloper Settings: Easier Interloper Survival Mode

Catch up with my other Day One Diaries here: Day One Diaries

The Doedicurus Incident: How I Lost a Fight I Didn’t Know I Was Starting

Day 1 of ARK: Scorched Earth. I spawned, made some pants, and was murdered by what I thought was a friendly armoured pet rock. A true story of betrayal, bad aim, and Doedicurus rage.

Welcome to the Desert. Here’s a Spear. Try Not To Die.

I woke up in the Scorched Earth desert with nothing but my fists and the overwhelming sense that everything around me wanted me dead.

Naturally, I punched a tree, made a pickaxe, and crafted myself a stunning outfit made entirely of itchy rags. Survival 101.

Thatโ€™s when I saw it: a Doedicurus.
Round, slow-moving, and with the kind of face that said, โ€œI mind my business.โ€ It was adorable. I felt safe.

This would be my desert buddy. My spiky little friend.
I had plans. Big plans. I was going to tame it. Name it. Maybe ride it into battle.

Then I Threw a Spear at It.

Nowโ€ฆ in my defense, I meant to throw the spear next to the Doedicurus.
You know, to test it. Impress it. Establish dominance. Whatever people do in survival games.

What I didnโ€™t mean to do was poke it directly in the face.

Cue a noise I didnโ€™t know Doedicuruses could make.
Cue it rolling toward me like an angry bowling ball with revenge issues.

The Fight That Wasn’t.

I panicked.
I had one more spear. I missed.
I pulled out my fists. They wereโ€ฆ less effective.

The Doedicurus did not miss. It swung its tail like it was trying to launch me into the next biome.
It succeeded.

Respawn, Reflect, Regret.

As I stared at the โ€œYou Diedโ€ screen, one thought ran through my head:
What the hell just happened?

I came here to survive.
I left wearing nothing but shame and a crushed dream of dinosaur friendship.


Final Thoughts

Let it be known: Doedicuruses are not your friends.
They are boulders with feelings. And those feelings are rage.

Next time, Iโ€™m taming a Jerboa. At least they donโ€™t roll over you for sport.

Got a favourite chaotic moment?

Let me know in the comments or tag me on socialโ€”I’m always looking for new disasters to celebrate.
And if you enjoy these shorts, consider sharing the page with a fellow survivor.
Because nothing says โ€œfriendshipโ€ like a moose silently judging you from behind a tree.

If you enjoyed that one, please check out my other stories here: Survivorโ€™s Shorts

Also, please check out the full tale of my first day in ARK: Scorched Earth here: Day 1 Diary โ€“ ARK: Scorched Earth: Heat, Hubris & A Doedicurus

Survivorโ€™s Shorts Are Live โ€“ Because Chaos Deserves Its Own Page

Survivorโ€™s Shorts is now live! A new page on the blog featuring my funniest, strangest, and most disastrous survival momentsโ€”bite-sized stories, full-sized regret.


Sometimes a moment in a survival game doesnโ€™t need a full playthrough postโ€”it just needs a spotlight, a raised eyebrow, and maybe a bandage.

Thatโ€™s where Survivorโ€™s Shorts comes in.

Itโ€™s a new page on the blog dedicated to the little disasters. The sudden bear charges. The pancake heartbreaks. The moose lurking behind trees. All real stories from my permadeath runs, trimmed down and served with a side of sarcasm.

If youโ€™ve ever screamed when you meant to crouch or felt betrayed by a breakfast item, youโ€™ll feel right at home.

What You’ll Find There

The Pancake Betrayal โ€“ Found the recipe. Found the syrup. Got betrayed by Cooking Level 4.

There is more coming soon. But here is what to expect for ones that are being drafted:

The Wolf That Interrupted My Mapping Session โ€“ Cartography meets carnivore.

The Moose Behind the Tree โ€“ A 5% spawn rate that showed up at 100% volume.

The Doedicurus That Broke My Spirit โ€“ One spear. No hits. Lots of tail.

The One-Shot Wonder โ€“ A bear, a rifle, and a moment of absolute panicโ€ฆ that somehow worked.


And plenty more moments coming soon.

Check it Out Here:

Survivorโ€™s Shorts

Got a favourite chaotic moment?

Let me know in the comments or tag me on socialโ€”I’m always looking for new disasters to celebrate.
And if you enjoy these shorts, consider sharing the page with a fellow survivor.
Because nothing says โ€œfriendshipโ€ like a moose silently judging you from behind a tree.

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