My Hitman 3 Bullet Journal is helping me learn to play

I am not someone who normally uses stealth strategies to play video games – even those where I must, as Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. I prefer to arm my character with heavy melee weapons and make my way through a level, which is why the Hitman series never really appealed to me. I learned very quickly when I started Hitman 3 on Friday that my preferred approach was absolutely no going to work. I would be forced to play stealthily, as the developer IO Interactive designed.

At first, I was lost. I wasn’t sure where to go or what to do. I heard conversations and immediately forgot them. I acted suspiciously and kept getting caught. My mind immediately went to a different hobby that helped me solve problems during the pandemic: the diary. (And then I opened the Polygon starter guide, too.)

I have a diary that is a diary and another for work notes. Then, I have another one with notes and thoughts about the books I’m reading – a way to follow complex stories. (I also have a few more diaries, but I don’t want you to think that I am stranger than you already think I am.)

So I started a similar newspaper, one specifically for Hitman 3 grades. This is not a new idea, at least, for other video games. Many people do this – and there is an entire community that has come together around the diary and Animal Crossing: New Horizons. There are many different reasons why people do this; some want to manage and track collections or items found – to check for fish and insects – and others simply want to creatively honor their island.

My Hitman 3 diary is a bit of both. I’m using it to track the missions and challenges in the story I completed (or wish to finish eventually), but it’s also a place where I write essential things to remember – little bits of history I could forget, like security codes or floor plans. While playing, I find myself learning the “language” of Hitman 3, observing small details that are colossally important – things that experienced Hitman players can automatically learn.

Image: Nicole Carpenter / Polygon

It’s functional, but it was just as important to make it beautiful. Usually, in my diaries, I use stickers and tape to decorate, but I quickly realized that I might never find a crowbar sticker, so I had to draw. Functionally, I created the boxes and the space to write in pencil, before adding any drawing; this so that I could quickly take notes with the pen while playing.

It’s been really good, after playing a little bit Hitman 3, to return to the diary and fill the space with doodles and thoughts. Hitman 3 it’s so different than what I normally play, and that’s a way for the game’s “language” to hold. It has been particularly useful as I approach the third level in Berlin, where developer IO Interactive has abandoned history missions and blindly sends Agent 47 – and me. I used the space to track travel routes and other areas of interest.

Without the history missions of the previous two levels to guide me, the Berlin level forces me to rely only on my learned understanding of Hitman 3language of. It’s the subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) ways that IO Interactive directs the player towards a tip, like what makes a person stand out or what kinds of things to avoid. I often find myself jotting down small bits of information gathered from overheard conversations, some of which were very helpful in leading me on a future path. Much of this language is learned through slow observation and listening skills; Hitman 3 it seems slow to play, so it’s good to set aside extra time to record the information collected in a simple (and somewhat extra) way.

If you are interested in starting your own, I have a few tips:

• Use a quick-drying pen / ink – I love fountain pens, but when I’m scribbling notes quickly during a game, I don’t want to risk smudging. I used a Uni Jetstream and a Pilot Acro, both with fine points, in the Midori Traveller’s Notebook booklet. For the gray highlights, I used a Tombow Dual brush pen.
• Doodle and decorate! It is very fun. But don’t worry about it while you play; just do it later.
• Monitor challenges and collectibles so you don’t have to constantly drag through menus.
• Write down “memories” or memorable moments in the game – especially conversations overheard.
• Don’t worry about messing up. I mess up a lot, but I like to think it gives personality to my diaries.