Tag: Survival Gaming

Cold-Blooded: A Skyrim Survival Diary – Log 8: A Long Ride South

Cold-Blooded Log 8: A Long Ride South

Difficulty: Survival Mode
Platform: Steam Deck
Build: Argonian Mage
Follower: Lydia

Most of today was spent in the saddle. Skyrim rarely lets a journey stay quiet for long.

I started the day at Jorrvaskr with the intention of joining the Companions. Having access to more followers seemed like a sensible step, especially with the roads becoming more dangerous the further I travel.

That plan lasted only a few minutes.

To prove my worth they wanted me to fight one of them, which normally wouldn’t be an issue. The complication was their insistence that I do it with weapons. Steel and I have never had the most productive relationship.

I briefly wondered if bound weapons might satisfy their requirement, but until I actually learn those spells there’s no point forcing the issue. The Companions can wait. Skyrim has plenty of other roads to follow in the meantime.

It was only after leaving Jorrvaskr that I realised something else: I had forgotten to hit record. By the time I noticed, the whole conversation with the Companions had already happened. There wasn’t much point trying to recreate it, so I simply corrected the mistake and continued the journey from there.

The Road Instead of the Hall

With that decision made I mounted up and left Whiterun behind. If I couldn’t prove myself in a training yard, I could at least make progress elsewhere.

My route would take me toward Bonestrewn Crest, where a source of power had been marked. From there the road eventually leads toward Ivarstead and the mountain path to the Greybeards.

The climb to High Hrothgar is unavoidable sooner or later. I’m still not convinced my gear is warm enough for it, but the Greybeards are not known for being patient.

So most of the day was spent riding. Lydia marched alongside when the terrain demanded it, but for the most part the horse carried us across the long stretches of road that connect the quieter corners of Skyrim.

Darkwater Crossing

The journey stayed peaceful until we reached Darkwater Crossing. At first glance it seemed like any other small mining settlement. Smoke from chimneys, a few workers moving about, nothing that immediately suggested trouble.

Trouble found me anyway.

Within moments of arriving, a man hurried over and handed me a battleaxe, asking me to hold onto it for him. Suspicious doesn’t begin to describe it. I passed the weapon straight to Lydia. If someone was about to cause problems, I preferred she had the steel.

Not long after that another man approached asking if I had seen anyone suspicious. I told him about the first man, which immediately escalated the situation. Arrows started flying and the quiet village turned into a battlefield.

There wasn’t time to unravel whatever story lay behind it, so I made a decision and sided with the archer. The man who handed me the axe didn’t survive long enough to explain himself.

The archer had nothing further to say afterward. Lydia, however, now owns a new battleaxe. In Skyrim that counts as a successful outcome.

The Road After Dark

By the time we left Darkwater Crossing the light was already starting to fade. That made the next decision simple. Ivarstead was the nearest place with a bed, and travelling the roads at night rarely ends well.

Unfortunately someone else seemed to have the same idea about meeting me on the road.

Another assassin appeared before we reached the village. That makes the second attempt on my life so far, which means this is no longer coincidence.

Someone out there has decided I’m worth paying to have removed. I still don’t know who, and right now I don’t have the luxury of investigating it.

For the moment, surviving the attempts will have to be enough.

Ivarstead

I reached Ivarstead without further trouble and secured a room at the inn. The horse still doesn’t have a name. I thought I had one earlier, but after trying it out it didn’t feel right. For now the horse remains unnamed, which may actually be safer given the sort of roads we’re travelling.

The innkeeper warned me about the nearby barrow, claiming it was haunted. Naturally that sounded like something worth investigating. I offered to take a look and he was more than happy to let someone else deal with the problem.

While speaking with the locals I also picked up another bounty and received the usual advice that anyone serious about magic should travel to Winterhold.

I may take that advice someday. For now, I suspect my Argonian blood would freeze solid before I reached the gates of the College.

Eventually I paid for a bed and turned in for the night. The innkeeper lingered in the room for a while, apparently part of the service. I chose not to question it too much.

Tomorrow I’ll investigate the haunted barrow and see what exactly is waiting inside.

Continue the Journey

Cold-Blooded Log 7 |
Cold-Blooded Log 8 |
Cold-Blooded Log 9

More from Cold-Blooded


Cold-Blooded: A Skyrim Survival Diary Hub

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Unprepared: An Interloper Survival Diary in The Long Dark Log #5 – Day 15: Wolves, Wind, and a Six-Hob Victory

Unprepared Log 15: Wolves, Wind, and a Six-Hob Victory

Difficulty: Interloper
Region: Mountain Town (Milton Basin & Farmhouse)
Platform: Steam Deck
Survivor: Will

I wake up alive. No bear. The bar is low, but it’s still a win.

First check: surroundings. Still breathing, still standing, and the farmhouse is still on my mind.
Cabin Fever risk is gone for the moment, which means I can actually loot houses without the game
threatening me with imaginary illness.

I leave Milton Basin and point myself toward the farmhouse.
No sightseeing. Just movement.

Post Office Luck, Sort Of

I detour to the post office and immediately find another magnifying lens.
It’s in worse condition than my first one, so it becomes the expendable option.

Indoor lens stays safe.
This one gets sacrificed to outdoor fires and bad weather.

I also find a fish.
That becomes a logistics problem.

Greymother’s Sprint and Wolf: Round Three

I do a quick sprint to Greymother’s house because the wolf is back.
Again.

I dump supplies inside:

  • Fish
  • Deer hide
  • Animal fat

Then I head back out to start a fire.
The wind is already acting suspicious.

I cook the fish and some rose hips, grab a torch, and immediately see the wind lining up to blow it out.

The wolf returns for round three.
We stand there staring at each other like this is a negotiation.

I throw the torch.
The wolf does not care.

I light a flare because I am not giving it any excuse.
Naturally, it decides to follow me anyway.

Eventually it breaks off and goes after either a rabbit or a deer on the farmland.
I don’t check which.
I accept the distraction and move on with my life.

Farmhouse Loot and Duplicate Tools

While looting, the game decides to be generous in a very specific way.

  • Another Heavy Hammer
  • A replacement Prybar

The hammer matters.
It means I don’t have to go all the way back to Mystery Lake just to fetch one.

I will still need to return eventually for my bow and arrows,
but that requires arrowheads and an improvised knife first.
Which means a forge.

Closest option: Forlorn Muskeg.

The Key, the Fire, and the Six-Hob Fantasy

The farmhouse key is around the back.
Of course it is.

I get the fire going just before my flare burns out.
Timing feels good for once.

Then I go all in on cooking.

  • Water
  • Porridge
  • Teas
  • Potatoes

Six hobs.
No waiting.
No juggling timers.
This is Interloper luxury.

I find a replacement flare in the bathroom.
Still annoyed I had to use the other one.
But balance is restored.

I consider repairing my hacksaw, then remember reality.
I need my simple toolkit and scrap metal first.
Interloper does not do impulse maintenance.

Tomorrow’s Plan: Forge or Die Trying

Tomorrow’s goals are simple on paper and dangerous in practice:

  • Drop anything I don’t need
  • Grab enough scrap metal
  • Forge an improvised knife
  • Forge arrowheads
  • Reach the forge in Forlorn Muskeg
  • Avoid thin ice
  • Avoid bears

Standard Interloper expectations.

Just another day where the game didn’t kill me.
Which, on Interloper, counts as progress.

Video Log

Continue the journey:
Unprepared Log 14 |
Unprepared Log 16

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Cold-Blooded: A Skyrim Survival Diary – Log 7: The Horse Has Opinions

Cold-Blooded Log 7: The Horse Has Opinions

Difficulty: Survival Mode
Platform: Steam Deck
Build: Argonian Mage
Follower: Lydia

The plan was simple: ride out, grab Nettlebane, come home. Skyrim immediately rewrote it.

This is the horse’s first real outing.
The objective is Nettlebane.
I know the route takes me past Helgen, and that’s about all I know.

To keep things efficient, I bring Clairvoyance.
If there’s a faster or safer path, I want to know about it.

Video Log: Cold-Blooded – Log 7 (No Commentary)

YouTube embed goes here

Clairvoyance Takes Control

About halfway into the ride, confusion sets in.
I’m going in the opposite direction of where I expect to be heading.

I ignore the instinct to turn back and trust Clairvoyance.
This turns out to be a mistake.

A map check confirms it:
I’m near Silent Moon Camp.
The bounty location.

I’m fairly sure it wasn’t my active quest,
but Clairvoyance clearly disagreed and made the decision for me.

Silent Moon Camp, Horse Included

Since I’m already here, I clear the camp.
Leaving would be a waste.

I park the horse a short distance away before the fight.
The horse ignores this suggestion entirely.

The moment combat starts, it charges bandits with enthusiasm.
Between Lydia, my summoned Atronach, and now an aggressive horse,
the fight feels heavily one-sided.

I briefly consider the tactical implications of owning a battle horse.
Then I loot the bodies.

Locks, Potions, and Questionable Planning

Inside, I hit my first real obstacle:
an Adept-level lock.

It costs me a painful number of lockpicks,
but I get it open.

The reward is a pile of potions.
I have no plan for them.
I don’t know if I’ll ever use them,
or if Lydia should carry them and sort it out herself.

That decision is officially a future problem.

Rewards and Reassessment

With the bounty cleared, I return to Whiterun.
Before I can even collect the reward,
I’m handed a sword.

I don’t question it.
Skyrim likes giving me weapons I didn’t ask for.

Back outside the city, the horse gives me options.
I could head for the Greybeards.
I could try for Nettlebane again.

Given Clairvoyance’s earlier betrayal,
I decide not to push my luck.

I stop, reassess, and decide the next move needs to be deliberate.
Skyrim already proved it’s more than happy to choose for me.

Log Summary

  • Horse used in combat, without consent
  • Clairvoyance redirected me to Silent Moon Camp
  • Silent Moon Camp bounty completed
  • Adept lock opened after heavy lockpick losses
  • Large potion stash acquired, purpose unclear
  • Nettlebane postponed again

Continue the Journey

Cold-Blooded Log 6 |
Cold-Blooded Log 7 |
Cold-Blooded Log 8

More from Cold-Blooded


Cold-Blooded: A Skyrim Survival Diary Hub

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Unprepared: An Interloper Survival Diary in The Long Dark Log #5 – Day 12: The Lens Was In The Box

Unprepared Log 12: The Lens Was In The Box

Difficulty: Interloper
Region: Mystery Lake
Survivor: Will

The answer was not at the top of a rope. It was in a box I walked past.

This was attempt number two at the cave above the Camp Office.
This time, I committed properly: I dropped anything I didn’t absolutely need.
Rope climbing on Interloper is simple math — if you’re overencumbered, you’re not climbing.

This was the last place left in Mystery Lake that I was sure could hold the magnifying lens.
If it wasn’t here, I genuinely had no next step.

The Rope, The Ledge, The Nothing

The climb itself was uneventful.
I stopped at the ledge to catch my breath, then pushed on to the cave.

Inside the cave, there was nothing.
No magnifying lens. No useful loot.
Just cold stone and the quiet confirmation that I’d wasted the effort.

Disheartened, I climbed back down and headed for the Camp Office,
already accepting that I’d be heading to a forge run without the lens.

The Box That Mocked Me

Before committing to the long walk toward Forlorn Muskeg,
I decided to do one last check of the Camp Office.

I walked in.
I opened a box.

The magnifying lens was sitting inside it.
Found almost immediately.
Apparently waiting for me to finish wasting time elsewhere.

A lot of effort, zero reward — until suddenly there was.
Problem solved, irritation earned.

I did a quick supply check, dropped anything I didn’t need,
and staged gear at the Camp Office for later.
The next priority was clear: I needed the hammer.

A Moose With Opinions

The moose had made a grand return outside the Camp Office.
Not charging, not leaving — just existing with purpose.

I’m fairly sure it decided to follow me for part of the way.
It didn’t attack, but it didn’t help morale either.

Trapper’s Homestead and Rabbit Politics

The walk to Trapper’s Homestead was otherwise uneventful.
No wolves, no weather tantrums.
A rare gift.

Once there, I immediately entered another round of combat with rabbits.
The rabbits mostly won.

I did manage to get one eventually,
which counts as a victory under Interloper standards.

I also attempted to locate a memento cache that was supposedly in the nearby cave.
Instead, I wasted time outside the cave.
This is becoming a theme.

Reset, Cure, Sleep

Back at the Homestead, I harvested the rabbit,
set the hide and gut curing,
cooked the meat,
and shut everything down for the night.

Tomorrow’s plan is unavoidable.
I need to head for Forlorn Muskeg and start working on arrowheads.

I don’t want to go.
But I need arrows.

Video Log

Continue the journey:
Unprepared Log 11 |
Unprepared Log 13

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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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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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Survivor’s Log — Cold-Blooded: The Hub Page Is Now Live

Cold-Blooded: The Hub Page Is Now Live

Game: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Mode: Survival Mode

This run needed a foundation before it needed a first entry.

The hub page for Cold-Blooded: A Skyrim Survival Diary is now live.

This series follows an Argonian mage in Skyrim’s Survival Mode, using the Apex Predator Rule: three deaths total, and the third ends the run.

The hub outlines the rules, the format, and why this run exists, without jumping straight into the diary itself.

What You’ll Find on the Hub

  • The full ruleset, including the three-strike system
  • Build focus and combat restrictions
  • Context from the previous Skyrim Survival run
  • Space for future logs as the run progresses
You can find the hub page

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Housekeeping: Choosing Peace Over Point-Scoring

Sometimes the best survival strategy isn’t another torch… it’s knowing when to leave a room.

This is just a quick housekeeping update.

I’ve stepped away from a Facebook group I was previously part of. No names, no call-outs, and no “here’s what REALLY happened” thread — because that’s not what this blog is for, and it’s not the sort of energy I want anywhere near this space.

The simple version is this:

  • I made a mistake.
  • I owned it.
  • I was willing to follow the rules to return.

I did ask for a small amount of leeway so the return process could actually reflect the profile I’m actively using. Not to argue, not to negotiate, not to start a debate — purely for practical reasons so the review would be a fair representation.

But it became clear a decision had already been made, and the conversation wasn’t going anywhere useful.

So I left.

No drama. No hard feelings. Just a calm decision to remove myself from a situation that wasn’t going to improve.

Important note: I’m not here for screenshots, rumours, or “this is what happened” commentary.

If that shows up in the comments, it will be removed. Repeat behaviour will result in a block.

What Matters More

I’m focusing my time and energy where it actually counts:

  • writing survival logs that are fun to read (and occasionally painful to live through),
  • building hubs and guides that actually help people,
  • growing Survivor Incognito into a community that stays welcoming, inclusive, and drama-free.

If you’re here for survival gaming content, structured playthrough diaries, maps, guides, and the philosophy of Surviving, Not Suffering — you’re in the right place.

Back to Business

Right. Enough life admin.

Now, back to the important things:

  • finding food,
  • making questionable decisions with confidence,
  • and getting personally victimised by weather systems.

More posts coming soon.

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Survivors Log: Year End

Status: Still standing
Theme: Survival over spectacle

The year ends the same way most of these runs do: not with a clean win, but with something still breathing.

Some worlds were conquered. Some were abandoned. A few are still waiting patiently, half-built, half-haunting, exactly where I left them.

That’s survival.

What Held

  • The rule sets worked. Fewer restarts. More stories.
  • Lower difficulty didn’t weaken the experience — it strengthened it.
  • Permadeath stayed meaningful without becoming punishment.
  • Writing stayed honest, even when progress slowed.

What Fell Apart (As Intended)

  • Runs that stopped being fun were ended.
  • Ideas that existed only on paper stayed there.
  • Perfection was ignored.

No apologies. Survival means knowing when to walk away.

The Ongoing Truth

This site isn’t about mastery.

It’s about learning a system, bending it slightly, and seeing how long you last.

This site began by pushing back against the idea that easier difficulties don’t count.

It’s evolved into something simpler: difficulty isn’t the point — survival is.

That hasn’t changed.

Looking Forward

  • Fewer series. Better focus.
  • More logs. Less noise.
  • The rules may change.
  • The chaos will stay.

Adaptation is part of survival. Refusal to adapt is how runs end early.

Log Conditions

Log recorded: Final days of the year.
Conditions: Cold outside. Quiet inside.

No deadline pressure. No content calendar panic. Just time enough to take stock before stepping back into whatever comes next.

No Roadmap

There’s no roadmap.

No checklist. No promise that every idea will make it to the end.

That uncertainty is deliberate. Survival doesn’t come with guarantees — just decisions made under pressure.

Rule Reminder

Reminder: These runs aren’t about winning.

They’re about lasting long enough to leave notes behind.

Marks on the map. Lessons learned the hard way. Evidence that someone was here, tried, and didn’t immediately disappear.

A Quiet Thanks

If you’ve stumbled onto this little corner of the internet — intentionally or by accident — thanks for sticking around.

No algorithms to beat. No hype cycle to chase. Just survival logs, written as they happen.

If you’re still reading at this point, you’re already part of the experiment.

End of year status: Alive. Scarred. Still playing.

Next log: When the cold, the dark, or something worse decides to test me again.

Surviving, Not Suffering.

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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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