Wilderness Survival
The Crash
The plane hits the lake hard. When you surface, cold water streams from your clothes. The forest surrounds you: dark spruce, rocky shore, and no sign of the pilot.
The wreckage has broken apart along the shoreline. Supplies float near the shallows, while part of the cabin rests at an angle above the water.
Search carefully and secure the hatchet. Grab the nearest supplies and hurry toward higher ground. Climb across the unstable wreckage without checking your footing.Shelter: Hatchet in Hand
Condition: Tired but healthy.
You reach a shallow rock overhang above the lake. It is not much of a shelter, but it gives you a wall at your back and some protection from the wind.
The hatchet feels reassuring in your hand. It is small, but it can cut dead branches, split kindling, and help you make the shelter more useful before dark.
Kneel on stable ground and cut dead branches. Search the shoreline for food while there is still light. Leave the hatchet beside the lake while collecting water.Keep both feet on firm ground whenever you use the hatchet. A tool is only useful if you remain balanced while using it.
Shelter: No Hatchet
Condition: Tired but healthy.
The rock overhang gives you some protection, but without the hatchet you cannot cut branches easily. You bend thin dead twigs against your knee and begin building a low bed from bark, grass, and brush.
The work is slow. Darkness is approaching, and the temperature is already dropping.
Build a small shelter from branches, bark, and your jacket. Return to the wreckage and search carefully for the missing hatchet. Search for food before the light disappears.Stay away from slick mud near the lake. The bank drops sharply in places.
Cutting Wood
You kneel on a flat patch of ground and test each branch before cutting it. The dead wood breaks cleanly. After several careful strokes, you have enough material to block some of the wind.
Finish the shelter and continue. Keep swinging while standing on the loose slope.The Hatchet by the Lake
You place the hatchet on a flat rock and walk down to the water. The lake is calm, but the rock is close to the edge and the ground is damp from the spray.
Fill the bottle, then return for the hatchet before leaving. Wander along the shore and forget the hatchet until darkness. Step onto the slick bank to reach water farther out.Tool Secured
You return to the rock and fasten the hatchet through your belt. The simple act of securing it makes the rest of the journey feel more manageable.
Return to the shelter.A Shelter Without a Tool
You gather dead branches by hand and arrange them beneath the overhang. Your jacket becomes a ground covering, and bark fills the largest gaps.
It is uncomfortable, but it keeps your body away from the cold stone.
Settle into the shelter and continue.Searching the Wreckage
You return to the wreckage, moving slowly and testing every piece before putting your weight on it. Beneath a bent section of seat frame, something catches the light.
The hatchet is scratched and wet, but the handle is intact.
Take the hatchet back to the shelter. Climb over the broken frame without testing it.Unknown Berries
Condition: Hungry but capable.
Along the shoreline you find small red berries growing beneath a low bush. They look tempting, but you do not recognize them.
Eat a handful immediately. Leave them alone and return to shelter. Follow the berry bushes across the slick lakebank.Foraging Without the Hatchet
Condition: Hungry but capable.
You find the same unfamiliar berries. Hunger presses hard, but you remember that looking like food is not the same as being food.
Eat the unknown berries. Leave them alone and search only for something you can identify. Step onto the wet bank to reach more berries.A Costly Mistake
Condition: Severely weakened.
The berries bring on fierce nausea and weakness. You are not killed, but you lose much of the afternoon and barely make it back to the shelter.
From now on, long searches and difficult climbs will be more dangerous.
Rest, drink carefully, and continue.A Costly Mistake
Condition: Severely weakened.
The berries make you sick. You spend hours lying beneath the overhang, too weak to search for food or improve the shelter.
Rest and conserve whatever strength remains.Main Survival Loop: Hatchet Available
Condition: Tired but capable.
Night approaches. You have shelter, a useful tool, and enough daylight for one careful task.
Gather dead branches near the tree line. Search again for food. Collect water from the safest part of the shoreline.Main Survival Loop: No Hatchet
Condition: Tired but capable.
You have shelter but no tool. You must save energy and avoid unnecessary risks.
Move carefully along the open shoreline. Search for food using only your hands and eyes. Collect water without stepping onto the unstable bank.Main Survival Loop: Weakened with Hatchet
Condition: Physically weakened.
You conserve your strength. The hatchet gives you an advantage, but sickness makes every task slower and more tiring.
Improve the shelter from stable ground. Drink carefully and rest. Search near the trees despite your weakness.Main Survival Loop: Weakened Without a Hatchet
Condition: Physically weakened.
Without the hatchet, you cannot afford to wander. You stay close to shelter and save your energy for water and warmth.
Collect water carefully. Rest and wait for your strength to return. Approach a large animal in search of food.Safe Water
You use the hatchet to clear a small area of brush and reach a shallow place where the water is calm. You fill the bottle without stepping onto the mud.
Return to shelter.Safe Water Without a Hatchet
You lie flat on firm ground and extend the bottle toward the shallows. It takes time, but you collect enough water without trusting the unstable bank.
Return to shelter.The Bear and Her Cub
A bear steps from the trees. A smaller shape moves behind her. You understand immediately that the cub is the danger—not because it is threatening, but because the mother will protect it.
Stay still, avoid sudden movement, and slowly back away. Run toward the shelter. Move closer to get a better look at the cub.The Moose on the Trail
A moose stands across the trail. Its ears turn toward you. You are not close enough to be attacked, but you are close enough to make a bad decision.
Stop, give it space, and wait for an open route. Raise your arms and try to frighten it away. Run downhill through the brush.Injured, but Alive
Movement is slow; avoid further confrontation.
The moose charges a short distance and throws you into the brush. You escape with a painful leg injury, but you can still crawl and walk carefully.
Return slowly to shelter and conserve energy.Game Over: Crash
The ground gives way beneath you. In the wilderness, a small mistake can become a disaster before you have time to correct it.
Start again from the crash.Game Over: Drown
The muddy bank collapses beneath your feet. The cold water closes over you before you can regain a secure hold.
Start again from the crash.Game Over: Predator
The animal reacts faster than you do. Running from or approaching a protective wild animal turns a warning into a fatal mistake.
Start again from the crash.