Tag: Survival Game Diary

ARK: Aberration – 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 Portal—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 I’m too hot. How? I’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 I’m level one, with zero taming ability. So I sigh, and return to foraging.

Tools, Berries, and the Great Stone Hunt

Before long, I’ve got a healthy stash of berries, thatch, and wood. I cobble together some primitive clothing—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. I’m parched, and the nearest source is… at the bottom of a cliff. What’s a survivor to do? I jump. If I die, hey—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. I’m instantly hallucinating, defecating like it’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 torch—instant overheating. My options are: see where I’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 can’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 tuned—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

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Customloper Diaries Day Two: Blizzards, Boots, and Baseball Cap Confusion

Customloper Diaries – Day 2: Blizzards, Boots, and Baseball Cap Confusion

Weather: Blizzard with a side of regret

Loot Highlight: Mariner’s Pea Coat, Maple Syrup, Three Matches

Mood: Optimistic, then crushed by cooking requirements

Missed the start of this adventure? Read Day 1 here.

Blizzard-Hopping in Milton

I start the day in Grey Mother’s house, do some quick inventory management, and drop 2.5 litres of water—hydration is important, but weight limits are brutal. I also find a third cooking pot beside the fireplace, which I immediately move to the kitchen like the house-proud survivalist I am.

Outside? Blizzard. Naturally.

First stop: the post office. It gives me nothing but disappointment, but the car loot makes up for it—three matches from four vehicles is an impressive haul in a whiteout.

I hop from building to building, clothes getting wetter, warmth draining faster than my optimism. Still, I find a pair of work boots—a welcome upgrade from my starter footwear.

Weather Clears, Map Expands

Eventually, the blizzard dies down. I whip out some charcoal and start sketching like a freezing Bob Ross, mapping out more of Milton.

The improved visibility leads to some solid loot:

  • Rabbit meat in a freezer
  • A glorious Mariner’s Pea Coat (cue dramatic coat-swirling montage)

Loot, Syrup & Sadness

In another house, I pick up a can opener and a cozy pair of wool long johns. Back at Grey Mother’s, I drop off my spoils—deer and rabbit meat, sticks, and reclaimed wood. My outdoor meat stash is growing nicely.

With some time left in the day, I loot another house and find maple syrup. I get stupidly excited. Lily’s Pancakes are within reach! Or so I think…

Turns out I need Cooking Level 4 and acorn grounds. Who knew pancakes were an advanced skill? The disappointment is real.

Also found: another chunk of deer meat in the freezer. I’ll take it.

Peak Chaos: The Baseball Cap Incident

I end the day attempting to harvest a baseball cap for cloth. Instead, I drop it. Then I drop it again. Then I drop it somewhere else. Apparently, I’ve been out in the cold too long.

Back at base, I drop the last of my meat stash outside, harvest some clothes, fill up on food and drink, and wrap up Day 2. Hopefully tomorrow I’ll make it to that memento cache.

Continue the Journey

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Customloper Diaries Day One: A Woollen Windy Welcome to Milton

Customloper Diaries – Day 1: Socks, Soup, and Stubbornness

Spawn Point: Spruce Falls Bridge, Mountain Town

Weather: Windy, with a 100% chance of optimism

Loot Highlight: Hunting knife, Cowichan sweater, two cups of coffee

Visit the Mountain Town map:
Check it out here.

First Steps and First Socks

I spawn near Spruce Falls Bridge, spot a sign for Milton, and like any wanderer with no better plan, I follow it. Along the way, I grab rose hips and reishi mushrooms because nature said so.

The bridge cars turn into an early-game care package: wool socks (luxury), a parka (yes please), matches (liquid gold), and a hunting knife I immediately form an unhealthy attachment to.

Bridge car loot in Mountain Town

Shelter from the Storm (Sort of)

A nearby trailer offers a fire barrel, but I only duck in long enough to warm up and snag a wool toque—stylish and slightly smelly.

Down at the church I harvest cattails for calories, spot a deer carcass, and attempt to start a fire. The wind laughs. First attempt: fail. Second: also fail. Third: success… which the wind immediately blows out mid-harvest. Rude.

Deer carcass near the church
Can you spot it?

Redemption at the Altar (and in the Glovebox)

Inside the church, RNG finally smiles. One match, one try, one roaring fire. I cook the meat, boil water, and brew reishi tea. A nearby pickup coughs up a hatchet—huge early-game win.

Back in Milton, a glovebox note reveals a memento cache… at the church I just left. Classic.

Memento note found in Milton

Coffee, Cowichan, and Canadian Comfort

The bank delivers coffee grounds, two brewed cups, and a Cowichan sweater hidden in the safe like national treasure. Grey Mother’s house becomes base: two cooking pots, some deer meat, a ski jacket, hockey jersey, and wool mittens. Team motto: Not Dead Yet.

Winding Down with Tea and Triumph

I end the day with boiled water, cooked meat, and a cup of herbal tea to patch up condition. A windy start, but a strong finish. Customloper is officially underway.

Continue the Journey

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Customloper: The Long Dark Challenge That Outlasted the Challenge

For the past 6–7 months, I’ve been running a custom difficulty mode in The Long Dark. The goal was simple: I wanted to keep the spirit of Voyageur—but with a dose of Stalker and a blast of Interloper.. After testing and tweaking, here’s where I landed:

  • Voyageur-level of loot – because scrounging should feel rewarding
  • Wildlife set between Voyageur and Stalker – you’re not safe, but you’re not helpless
  • Interloper weather – cold enough to regret every decision

It wasn’t meant to be a thing, but after two runs, it kind of is:

  • My first run ended in Forlorn Muskeg, trying to reach Mountain Town after coming back from the Airfield. Spoiler alert: The ice got me again. I think I lasted maybe a week in-game
  • The other? I’m sitting at around 60 days, and still alive in Mystery Lake… but after dropping four bears, I realised I might have broken the game’s spirit before it broke mine.

So now I’m bringing my Customloper game to the blog properly.

Coming Soon:

  • A full breakdown of every setting I use
  • The actual Customloper code so you can try it yourself
  • A brand new Day One Diary – Because I honestly can’t remember anything about my original first day
  • Plus survival tips for weather that makes Interloper look like light snow

This isn’t Interloper.
It’s Interloper with options—and that might be even more dangerous.

Wait—Isn’t This Blog About Easier Survival?

It is. And that hasn’t changed.
Customloper isn’t about going full Interloper. It’s about dialing in a challenge that keeps things tense but playable. Think of it as controlled chaos—for players who want pressure without the permadeath purgatory.

Think you can survive it? The full code drops soon. Stay tuned

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Skyrim Survival Mode – Day 4 Teaser: Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Frost

Teaser for Day 4 of my Skyrim Survival Mode run. Cold weather, fireballs, and one very overworked Argonian.

On Day 4, I leave Whiterun behind in search of adventure, loot, and maybe a bit of common sense (no luck there). But what I do find: hostile mages, freezing winds, and the dawning realization that maybe necromancy is the best form of pest control.

Full entry lands Saturday.
Bring a torch. Trust me.

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Skyrim Day 3 Incoming + Blog Updates!

Skyrim Survival – Day 3 drops this Wednesday. After reaching Whiterun, I get caught up in the city’s favorite pastime: dragon slaying. Spoiler—my attempt at stealth archery is about as subtle as a mammoth in a library.

In the meantime, the blog’s had a few upgrades:

  • The Skyrim Hub is now live! It’s the central place for the full survival run and all related content.
  • The Long Dark Hub It’s the central place for the full survival run and all related content.
  • The Graveyard is open—every permadeath now gets logged, labelled, and (lightly) mocked.
  • The FAQ page answers burning questions like “Why the Switch?” and “Was that death avoidable?” (Usually: yes.)

New content’s coming. Expect chaos. Bring your torch.

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Here’s What’s Ahead This Week – Survivor Incognito Update

Coming Up This Week:

1. Skyrim Survival Day Three:

○ Our Argonian survivor continues their frigid, torchless march through Skyrim.

○ Follow the chaos and check out the full series on the Sneak, Snipe, Repeat: Skyrim Survival page.

2. The Long Dark Day Four:

○ More snow, more mistakes, and fewer calories

○ Full playthrough available on the The Cold Chronicles: A Voyageur’s Tale of The Long Dark page.

In Case You Missed It:

  • We’ve covered some basic Rules of Survival already:

○ If the game let’s you cheat death (The Long Dark, looking at you), we don’t take the offer.

○ Difficulty stays low, but decisions still have consequences.

  • Expect more games to enter rotation soon – but the current runs must end first. That’s the deal.

In The Works:

● Beginner’s Guide: How To Survive Your First Week in The Long Dark

A practical walk through focusing on Mystery Lake. For players who want survival not suffering.

● No Man’s Sky – Survival Series Pending

The space odyssey is on standby. It won’t launch until one of the current playthroughs wraps up. That gives me time to build out a few early entries before going live.

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Day One Diaries – Green Hell is Live!

Think you’ve had a rough first day in the jungle? I punched trees, failed at crafting, ate a banana, and died of mystery poison. My Green Hell Day One Diary is now live on the blog.

Read it here: [Green Hell – Day 1: Poisoned by Nature, Humbled by Bananas]

Includes

  • Jungle logic that makes no sense
  • A hard-won rock axe
  • Banana-fueled optimism
  • And a fatal case of “I don’t know what poisoned me”.

Check it out—and if you enjoy that descent into chaos, there are plenty more Day One Diaries waiting for you on the blog here: [Day One Diaries]

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New Rules, Who Dis? (Permadeath Begins Now)

Setting the official rules for all future playthroughs on Survivor Incognito—permadeath is here, and chaos just got consequences.

Starting today, all future playthroughs on this blog—The Long Dark, Skyrim: Survival Mode, and anything else I drag my tired, freezing self into—will follow official permadeath rules.

That means:

If I die, that run is over.

No reloads. No saves. No mercy.

I start fresh from Day 1, with a new character or region.

What about previous entries?

My original Day 1 diary for The Long Dark was from my first experience with the game—long before these rules existed. So yes, I fell through the ice and died like a confused deer. That was real. That was me. That was chaos, pre-regulations.

What now?

From here on out:

I’ll clearly label each run.

I’ll document every in-game day, death or glory.

And I’ll stick to the rules. Even if a moose doesn’t.

Full breakdown of the rules are now live and can be found here [The Rules of Survival (According to Me)]

Let’s see how long I last.

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One Life To Explore: A No Man’s Permadeath Project (In The Works)

Planning a permadeath run in No Man’s Sky—but with a chill twist. One life, easier difficulty, and open invites for readers to name the planets. Coming soon to Survivor Incognito.

One Life. One Jetpack. No Do-Overs

Survivor Incognito is about embracing chaos without chasing pain—and what better way to do that than launching into No Man’s Sky on permadeath mode?

But not just any permadeath. I’ll be playing on the lowest difficulty settings available in that mode. Because survival doesn’t need to be hardcore to be meaningful—or entertaining.

Here’s The Plan:

One save file. When I die, that’s it.

Posts will follow a “Day X” diary format.

Each entry will feature survival updates, tech progress, planetary oddities, and near-death mishaps.

The series will be called One Life to Explore.

Want to name a planet?

Every post, I’ll feature at least one world. You can drop a name in the comments. If I land there, it gets your name. Ridiculousness encouraged. Galactic seriousness not required.

First post coming soon. Until then—make your peace with space crabs and bad decisions.

In the meantime, enjoy the header image for it:

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