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.
Also: A Sunburnt & Sinking Tease You Didn’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 — because yes, one of my current runs has already ended. And no, you won’t find out how for at least two months.
I play ahead — sometimes way ahead — 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 doesn’t mean I’m any more emotionally prepared.
My Permadeath Rules (Across the Blog)
🛑 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.
🧤 Difficulty is flexible.
I don’t always play on the hardest difficulty — 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.
🪦 Once they die, they go to The Graveyard.
Every character gets an obituary. Sometimes dramatic, sometimes… deeply stupid. Either way, the blog remembers them.
🎣 Runs are usually played a month or two ahead.
So if something goes wrong? You’ll find out… eventually.
🌴 Coming Soon(ish): Sunburnt & Sinking
Yes, Stranded Deep is on the way. Yes, the series is called Sunburnt & Sinking.
Stay tuned. It’s equal parts sunstroke and sharks.
🧭 Want to Know More?
If you’re wondering why I don’t always crank the difficulty to maximum chaos, there’s a reason for that — and it’s not just because I like my limbs frostbite-free.
From rabbits with better reflexes than me to undead sniper ambushes, here’s the full recap of what went live this week on Survivor Incognito.
The Week in Review
Another week, another round of chaos, permadeath, and poor life choices in the name of survival. Let’s take a look at what went live:
🐇 Monday: Survivor’s Shorts – The Rabbit Which Got Up and Left Yes, I stunned a rabbit. No, I didn’t catch it. Yes, it got up, looked me dead in the eyes, and walked away like it had somewhere better to be.
🌊 Tuesday: Dark Waters: A Dredge Survival – Day Two The paranoia sets in. Fish with extra eyes, fog with extra vibes, and a to-do list that mostly reads “don’t die.” Just another day on the water.
❄ Wednesday: The Cold Chronicles – Day Six It’s cold. It’s bleak. There are wolves. So naturally, I went exploring. Because that’s never gone wrong before.
🗡 Thursday: Skyrim Survival – Day Seven Sneak, snipe, and regret. The Argonian continues the journey through frost, bandits, and the occasional vampire attack.
🧟 Friday: Day One Diary – Zombie Army Trilogy The zombies were waiting. The rifle jammed (emotionally, not mechanically). Welcome to permadeath mode, where the first day might also be the last.
What better day to fight Nazi zombies than Friday the 13th?
The first entry in my Zombie Army Trilogy experience is now live on the blog. I step into the boots of Hermann Wolf, load into “The Berlin Horror,” and quickly learn that ammo is limited, aim is important, and zombies don’t like staying dead.
Expect:
● Occult seals
● Suicidal zombies
● A lot of shotgun usage
● And the slow decline of my confidence in Marksman difficulty
All of that — and more — in Zombie Army Trilogy: Day One Diary. Read it now… if you dare.
The dead walk as Operation Z begins. My first steps into Zombie Army Trilogy involve headshots, missed shots, occult seals, suicidal zombies, and plenty of shotgun diplomacy. A new Day One Diary begins.
Welcome to Berlin. It’s… worse than usual.
Character: Hermann Wolf Difficulty: Marksman Enemy Setup: Suitable for solo play Chapter: The Berlin Horror — Village of the Dead
I load in and am immediately greeted with a very angry Hitler standing in front of a map. His mood is about as good as you’d expect from someone losing a war. After shooting one of his own soldiers in cold blood, he calmly orders the others to initiate Plan Z.
Spoiler: Plan Z involves zombies. Lots of zombies.
With the undead now walking the earth, I stick with the default loadout for the mission and head out. The early zombies are pretty easy to deal with — basic headshots handle most of them — but the game is very quick to teach me a lesson: shoot for the head or they get back up. One particular zombie helpfully demonstrates this right in front of me. Noted.
My Aim Needs Some Work
I reach the village where an occult seal blocks my path forward. Naturally, the only way to break it is to wipe out every zombie in the area. Easy enough in theory — if I could actually hit all my headshots. Apparently, Marksman difficulty still expects me to be able to aim. This might be a problem.
Shotgun Solutions
Once I break through the seal, I spot what I assume is the safe room — only to find that zombies have already moved in. The housewarming party is very much still in progress.
Plan B: Shotgun. I head upstairs, camp at the top of the staircase, and turn the whole thing into a makeshift meat grinder. Zombies may be many things, but smart isn’t one of them. They obligingly walk straight into a wall of buckshot.
Of course, this strategy does have a minor flaw: limited shotgun ammo. Once I’m reasonably confident the room has stopped moving, I make a run for the actual safe room.
Just One More Room…
With some momentum, I decide to press on to the next safe room.
Early on, I manage to score a satisfying two-for-one kill with my sniper rifle — a brief moment where I start to feel almost competent. Naturally, that confidence doesn’t last: a zombie manages to sneak up behind me and reminds me why I shouldn’t get cocky.
I soon find another occult seal and am told to investigate a mysterious skull. Since nothing good ever comes from mysterious occult skulls, I lay down some trip wires before interacting with it. My instincts prove correct: I’m immediately thrown into a siege.
Suicidal Tendencies
Midway through the siege, I meet a new type of zombie: suicidal ones, complete with grenades strapped to them as they charge at me screaming. Lovely.
Fortunately, I have grenades of my own. No matter how many I take out, more keep arriving. Eventually, the wave dies down and I make a break for the second safe room — but not before one last zombie manages to slip past my shot, forcing a bit of panicked dodging. More suicidal zombies show up as well. I get the feeling this won’t be the last time I see them.
With the coast finally clear, I dive into the second safe room and slam the door shut. That’s enough zombie nonsense for one day.
Survival, stunned rabbits, fishing horrors, and a lot of undead. Here’s what’s scheduled for this week on Survivor Incognito.
The Week Ahead
We’re keeping the survival streak alive with another full lineup of chaos, questionable decisions, and more permadeath fun. Here’s what’s coming your way:
🐇 Monday: Survivor’s Shorts — The One Involving The Stunned Rabbit
You’ll see. It involves a rabbit, a stone, and my general lack of coordination.
🌊 Tuesday: Dark Waters – Day 2
The sea grows darker, the fish get weirder, and the Madness meter keeps rising. Day 2 of Dark Waters: A Dredge Survival goes live.
❄ Wednesday: The Cold Chronicles – Day 6
The Long Dark journey continues. More cold, more danger, and probably more bad choices.
🗡 Thursday: Sneak, Snipe, Repeat – Day 7
The Argonian’s Skyrim Survival Mode adventure rolls into Day 7. Expect more sneaking, more sniping, and definitely more repeat.
🧟♂️ Friday: Day One Diary – Zombie Army Trilogy
The undead rise just in time for Friday. It’s a Day One Diary entry for Zombie Army Trilogy, and let’s just say the welcome committee was enthusiastic.
See You in the Wild
As always, stay tuned across the week as each new post goes live — and feel free to place bets on which run falls apart first.
Catch up on this week’s survival chaos: bears, zombies, Customloper runs, permadeath hubs, and one very questionable Interloper experience.
This Week in Review
Another week of survival, panic, and the occasional questionable decision. Here’s what went live across the blog:
🐻 Monday: Bear Meets Panic Rifle
Sometimes you bring a rifle to a bear encounter. Sometimes the rifle just brings panic. This week kicked off with a new Survivor’s Shorts entry where I learned that even with a firearm, bears remain terrifying.
🌊 Tuesday: Dark Waters: A Dredge Survival – Day One
The boat launched, the paranoia began. My permadeath Dredge run officially set sail with the start of Dark Waters. The ocean may look calm, but we both know it isn’t.
The Customloper experiment is underway. A bit Interloper, a bit Voyageur, a lot of me desperately hoping I don’t freeze to death before leaving Mountain Town. So far, so… technically alive.
Side note, The Cold Chronicles and Customloper Diaries will be alternating weeks for the foreseeable. Until one of them ends of course. So next week will be the next entry The Cold Chronicles
🗡 Thursday: Skyrim Survival – Sneak, Snipe, Repeat – Day Six
The Argonian saga continues. Day Six saw more stealth, more arrows, and the usual healthy amount of questionable life choices while wandering Skyrim’s frozen wilderness.
The hub page for The Backyard Trials: Grounded Permadeath is officially up and running! Rules, info, and upcoming entries are all ready for you. I also teased what’s coming next Friday: a special Day One Diary for Zombie Army Trilogy—fittingly set for Friday the 13th.
The backlog grows stronger. Next week, expect more from Dark Waters, Customloper, Skyrim Survival, and our first look at Zombie Army Trilogy. More danger, more chaos, more very avoidable mistakes.
What better day to dive headfirst into Nazi zombies than Friday the 13th?
The latest Day One Diary arrives this Friday as I take my first steps into Zombie Army Trilogy. Expect undead soldiers, occult seals, suicidal zombies, and my usual mixture of panic, bad aim, and questionable survival instincts.
Character: Hermann Wolf Chapter: The Berlin Horror – Village of the Dead Difficulty: Marksman
Safe rooms reached? Yes. Ammo well managed? Debatable. Mental stability? Slipping.
Zombie Army Trilogy – Day One Diary goes live Friday the 13th. Consider it a very fitting start.
Survivor Incognito 