Housekeeping: Choosing Peace Over Point-Scoring

Sometimes the best survival strategy isnโ€™t another torchโ€ฆ itโ€™s knowing when to leave a room.

This is just a quick housekeeping update.

Iโ€™ve stepped away from a Facebook group I was previously part of. No names, no call-outs, and no โ€œhereโ€™s what REALLY happenedโ€ thread โ€” because thatโ€™s not what this blog is for, and itโ€™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 Iโ€™m actively using. Not to argue, not to negotiate, not to start a debate โ€” 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 wasnโ€™t going anywhere useful.

So I left.

No drama. No hard feelings. Just a calm decision to remove myself from a situation that wasnโ€™t going to improve.

Important note: Iโ€™m not here for screenshots, rumours, or โ€œthis is what happenedโ€ commentary.

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

What Matters More

Iโ€™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 youโ€™re here for survival gaming content, structured playthrough diaries, maps, guides, and the philosophy of Surviving, Not Suffering โ€” youโ€™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.

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.

Thatโ€™s survival.

What Held

  • The rule sets worked. Fewer restarts. More stories.
  • Lower difficulty didnโ€™t weaken the experience โ€” 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 isnโ€™t about mastery.

Itโ€™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 donโ€™t count.

Itโ€™s evolved into something simpler: difficulty isnโ€™t the point โ€” survival is.

That hasnโ€™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

Thereโ€™s no roadmap.

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

That uncertainty is deliberate. Survival doesnโ€™t come with guarantees โ€” just decisions made under pressure.

Rule Reminder

Reminder: These runs arenโ€™t about winning.

Theyโ€™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 didnโ€™t immediately disappear.

A Quiet Thanks

If youโ€™ve stumbled onto this little corner of the internet โ€” intentionally or by accident โ€” thanks for sticking around.

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

If youโ€™re still reading at this point, youโ€™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.

Super Mario 64 Randomizer โ€“ Log 3: Rainbow Ride in the Basement

Platform: Steam Deck
Settings: Vanilla Mario & Music โ€” chaos supplied separately.
โ€œSomewhere between the mountain slide and the basement sky, I realised this randomizer doesnโ€™t believe in architecture either.โ€

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 โ€” 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 โ€” 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 Iโ€™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

This Week on Survivor Incognito โ€“ From Frozen Lakes to Flooded Engines

Stranded Deep Day 2, a winning Dead by Daylight survivor build, The Long Dark Day 10, Subnautica Day 1, and SnowRunner Day 4โ€”chaos included

This week was all about variety โ€” and a little bit of chaos.

Sunburnt & Sinking โ€“ Day Two (Stranded Deep):
Water was scarce, knives kept breaking, and island life felt less โ€œtropical paradiseโ€ and more โ€œDIY dehydration challenge.โ€

Survivorโ€™s Dread โ€“ Dead by Daylight:
I tried a survivor build that shouldnโ€™t have worked on R.P.D.โ€ฆ and somehow it did. Consider me pleasantly confused and very alive.

The Cold Chronicles โ€“ Day Ten (The Long Dark):
The Voyageur dream continues: careful route planning, stubborn weather, and only the occasional questionable decision.

Submerged โ€“ Day One (Subnautica):
Ship explodes, pod catches fire, I jump into alien waters armed with optimism and a fire extinguisher. Classic first day energy.

Snowrunner Survival โ€“ Day Four:
More permagear trucking through icy mud. Reminder: โ€œoff-roadโ€ sometimes just means โ€œoff my sanity.โ€


Thanks for reading! If you like chill survival (with a side of chaos), stick aroundโ€”more diaries and guides are on the way.

๐Ÿ›  Something Big Is Brewing

A quick update post from me.

Behind the scenes, Iโ€™m working on somethingโ€ฆ complicated. Itโ€™s going to take time, screenshots, formatting, and far too many tables. Possibly a mild headache or two.

Iโ€™m not saying what it is. Not yet. But if youโ€™ve followed the blog for a while, youโ€™ll probably guess. It involves survival. It involves chaos. It may or may not involve dead livestock and unsafe generators.

Content might slow slightly while this gets stitched together, but regular playthroughs will continue soon.

Until then, stay sneaky. And maybe donโ€™t blow any skill checks near me.

โ€” Survivor Incognito

๐Ÿ“ข New Series Launch Alert!

๐ŸŒŠ Submerged: A Subnautica Survival Diary Begins This Week

Itโ€™s time to dive in โ€” our newest survival series officially launches this week, and weโ€™re starting exactly where youโ€™d expect: falling out of the sky in a flaming escape pod and into an alien ocean full of fish with bad attitudes.

Day One of Submerged is coming this week, with more entries arriving weekly. Follow along as our unfortunate multiverse survivor tries to make sense of a PDA full of blueprints, a lifepod that’s already on fire, and a world where hydration comes from bleach.

  • ๐Ÿ”ง Expect chaos. Expect crafting. Expect at least one poorly timed encounter with a Reaper Leviathan.
  • ๐Ÿš€ All played on the Nintendo Switch, because survival is better when itโ€™s portable.

And if you’re just joining us from The Long Dark, Skyrim, or Stranded Deep โ€” welcome! Hope you brought your flippers.

Customloper Diaries Day Five: Moose-terious Happenings

Customloper Diaries โ€“ Day 5: Moose Standoff, Bullet Disappointment, and Frostbite Gordon Ramsay

Weather: Overcast โ†’ blizzard remnants โ†’ cold, tense calm
Loot Highlights: 32 revolver bullets (without the revolver), coffee, stew ingredients
Mood: Caffeine-fueled paranoia

โ—€ Missed Day 4? Read it here  | 
What is Customloper?

Moose-terious Happenings and Bullet Mockery

I wake up cold, hypothermic, and shivering in a shelter that feels like itโ€™s holding back winter by sheer stubbornness. Outside, the air is still heavy with yesterdayโ€™s storm. I light a torchโ€”not for light, but for moraleโ€”and step outside to grab sticks for a fire.

Thatโ€™s when I hear it. A low, deliberate snort. Snow crunching under something big. My brain takes about two seconds to put it together: the Moose is still here. Still patrolling. Still grumpy. All Iโ€™ve got is a flare gun, three flares, and zero confidence this will be anything but moose-poking practice.

Later research confirmed flare guns actually can scare or even injure moose. At the time, though, I pictured wasting all three shots and ending up as hoof-print art in the snow.

Sidebar: Flare Guns vs Wildlife

  • Wolves: Scared of everything, including your hesitation. Flare gun = instant retreat.
  • Bears: Works if youโ€™re quick and accurate. Miss, and youโ€™ve just upgraded it to โ€œangry bear.โ€
  • Moose: Vulnerable, but charging moose leave little margin for error. Pray your aim is better than your panic management.

Fire, Coffee, and False Confidence

I retreat inside, break down a couple of stools, and get a fire going. Coffee brews while my temperature climbs from โ€œfreezer aisleโ€ to โ€œslightly uncomfortable.โ€ Caffeine courage in place, I decide to make another break for it.

I crack the door. Two cautious steps outsideโ€”then I hear it again. This time I actually see the moose, casually stomping away from me like it owns the place. Which, frankly, it does.

I seize the chance to sneak toward the picnic area, hoping Iโ€™ll finally find a revolver or rifle. Spoiler: no. Just more snow, more silence, and the nagging sense Iโ€™m on borrowed time.

Panic Sprint to Orca

Plan B forms in my head: head to Orca Gas Station and regroup. The snow crunches under my boots, the wind whistles between the treesโ€”and then I hear a noise behind me. Could be the wind. Could be antlers. I donโ€™t check. I just run. Full panic sprint, torch flaring wildly, straight to Orcaโ€™s door.

Inside, adrenaline still in overdrive, I make a silent vow: if I live through this, Iโ€™ll cook everything I can get my hands on. Meals will be my legacy.

Bullets Without a Gun

The walk back to Grey Motherโ€™s is uneventful, which feels like winning the lottery. I throw myself into cooking: rabbit stew, venison stew, boiling waterโ€”anything to nudge my Cooking skill higher. Somewhere in the process, I drop off 32 revolver bullets into storage. The universe clearly thinks this is funny.

Three separate attempts to repair my climbing socks all fail. Morale drops. I sweep Grey Motherโ€™s house again just in case a revolver is hiding in the corner. Itโ€™s not.

I end the day reading a book to boost my harvesting skill, the flickering lantern light casting long shadows. Outside, the moose is probably still wandering. Inside, Iโ€™m still stubborn, still alive, still armed with only a flare gun and misplaced optimism.

Day 5 Summary

  • Location: Milton Region
  • Finds: 32 revolver bullets, coffee, stew ingredients
  • Wildlife Watch: Persistent moose
  • Conditions: Cold and tense
  • Status: Warm, fed, moose-adjacent

Continue the Journey

โ—€ Customloper Diaries โ€“ Day 4: Prybars, Pancake Plans, and the Blizzard Lock-In
Customloper Diaries โ€“ Day 6 โ–ถ

Customloper Diaries Day Four: Locked Trunks, Blizzards, and Pancake Promises

Customloper Diaries โ€“ Day 4: Prybars, Pancake Plans, and the Blizzard Lock-In

Weather: Clear morning, moose-level tension, full blizzard finale
Loot Highlights: Prybar, Storm Lantern, memento cache hint, acorns
Mood: Energised โ†’ cautious โ†’ โ€œnope, not stepping outsideโ€

Missed Day 3? Read it here.  | 
What is Customloper?

Moose Tracks and Memory Trunks

Morning at Paradise Meadows Farm is deceptively calmโ€”blue skies, crisp air, and the kind of silence that makes you think โ€œsafe.โ€ Which, as Iโ€™ve learned, is usually the universe setting you up for trouble. My goal is simple: get back to Grey Motherโ€™s without freezing, starving, or becoming wildlife entertainment.

Before I even make it to the main road, I spot circling birds. If youโ€™ve read my blog before, you know this usually means a corpse. And corpses mean loot. Sure enough, todayโ€™s offering is a prybar lying beside the unlucky owner. I take a respectful momentโ€”then take the prybar. Survival first, sentiment later.

Miltonโ€™s Got Loot

With my new tool in hand, I march into Milton like a one-person locksmith service. Every locked trunk and locker Iโ€™d previously ignored is now fair game. The results? A couple of sodas, some gloves, and various odds and ends. Not exactly jackpot material, but the sense of clearing my โ€œto-openโ€ list is its own reward.

My real prize comes at Orca Gas Station. Perched on top of a ladder, basking in the weak winter sunlight, is a Storm Lantern. Iโ€™d have climbed Mount Timberwolf itself for this. Itโ€™s not just lightโ€”itโ€™s morale. No more groping around in the dark like an amateur escape artist.

Signs in the Snow

Lantern in my pack, I head toward Milton Park. Thatโ€™s when I see itโ€”moose rubbings etched into a tree. My mood shifts instantly from โ€œpleasant strollโ€ to โ€œscan every shadow for large, angry silhouettes.โ€ I havenโ€™t actually seen a moose yet this run, but Iโ€™m not eager to test my odds.

Nearby, I gather acorns. Theyโ€™re a small thing, but they bring me one step closer to Lilyโ€™s Pancakesโ€”my long-term culinary goal. The catch? I still need Cooking Level 4. Which means at least seventy cups of tea, or possibly cooking every edible thing on the island. Twice.

Before heading out, I also find a memento cache hint. A promise of future loot, assuming I make it that far. If past runs are anything to go by, the odds are… letโ€™s call them โ€œvariable.โ€

Blizzard Becomes the Boss Fight

By the time I start for my shelter, the snow is falling thicker. A few minutes later, Iโ€™m in the middle of a full blizzard. Visibility drops to โ€œcouldnโ€™t find your own footprints,โ€ and the wind is howling like itโ€™s trying to blow the entire town off the map. Somewhere out there, I think I hear movementโ€”could be a wolf, could be my imagination. Either way, the door stays closed.

Inside, I get a fire going, boil water, and cook whateverโ€™s left in my pack. The mattress here is old, musty, and about as supportive as a wet paper bag, but compared to freezing to death, itโ€™s luxury. Outside, the storm rages. Inside, Iโ€™m dry, warm, and in possession of a prybar, a storm lantern, and a future pancake dream. Could be worse.

Day 4 Summary

  • Location: Milton Region
  • Finds: Prybar, Storm Lantern, memento cache hint, acorns
  • Wildlife Watch: Potential moose spawn
  • Conditions: Blizzard-bound
  • Status: Warm, fed, slightly paranoidโ€”but alive

Continue the Journey

โ—€ Customloper Diaries โ€“ Day 3: Charcoal Maps, Rabbit Stew, and a Surprise Wolf Hug
Customloper Diaries โ€“ Day 5 โ–ถ

Here’s What You Missed at Survivor Incognito

Another week, another set of chaotic survival tales. If you blinked, hereโ€™s what went live on the blog:

  • Tuesday: Dark Waters: A Dredge Survival โ€“ Day Six
  • Wednesday: The Cold Chronicles โ€“ Day Eight
  • Thursday: Sneak, Snipe, Repeat โ€“ Day Eleven
  • Friday: The Backyard Trials: Grounded Permadeath โ€“ Final Entry

One story wraps up, others carry on. Thanks for tagging alongโ€”more survival chaos ahead next week.

How I Handle Permadeath (and Still Sleep at Night)

Also: A Sunburnt & Sinking Tease You Didnโ€™t Know You Needed

Permadeath. The challenge. The chaos. The deeply personal betrayal when a lovingly named character walks off a cliff because you misjudged a ledge.

This post is part ruleset, part philosophy, and part gentle teaser โ€” because yes, one of my current runs has already ended. And no, you wonโ€™t find out how for at least two months.

I play ahead โ€” sometimes way ahead โ€” because it gives me time to write, screenshot, cry, and recover before you all read about it. So yes, I already know how some of my stories end. That doesnโ€™t mean Iโ€™m any more emotionally prepared.

My Permadeath Rules (Across the Blog)

๐Ÿ›‘ One life. Always.
If the game lets me die permanently, I do. No save-scumming. No reloads. If I glitch through the map, we roll with it.

๐Ÿงค Difficulty is flexible.
I donโ€™t always play on the hardest difficulty โ€” because surviving should be intense but still fun. I tailor it per series: Customloper for The Long Dark, Apprentice for Skyrim, standard settings in Stranded Deep.

๐Ÿชฆ Once they die, they go to The Graveyard.
Every character gets an obituary. Sometimes dramatic, sometimes… deeply stupid. Either way, the blog remembers them.

๐ŸŽฃ Runs are usually played a month or two ahead.
So if something goes wrong? You’ll find out… eventually.


๐ŸŒด Coming Soon(ish): Sunburnt & Sinking

Yes, Stranded Deep is on the way. Yes, the series is called Sunburnt & Sinking.

Stay tuned. Itโ€™s equal parts sunstroke and sharks.


๐Ÿงญ Want to Know More?

If you’re wondering why I donโ€™t always crank the difficulty to maximum chaos, there’s a reason for that โ€” and itโ€™s not just because I like my limbs frostbite-free.

Check out my full page:
๐Ÿ‘‰ Why I Play On Easier Difficulties

And if you’re curious about the rules behind each of my survival runs, from Customloper to Backyard Trials:
๐Ÿ‘‰ Rules of Survival โ€“ According To Me

Because every survival story has its own set of ground rules โ€” even the weird ones involving crows and deer that somehow win the fight.

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