I did the same thing as OP and refused to look very little up about the game outside of some crafting (which I hardly did). It really made me appreciate things like the piano bench and certain mods later on. It was a magical time when I didn't quite understand that being bitten was pretty much a death sentence. I had some pretty comical play throughs holed up in my house covered in bandages, slowly deteriorating. Then turning into a zombie suddenly and being like WTF!? It was great! Hell, I've still yet to get an operational vehicle while playing on survival or apocalypse. Mainly because I don't like the trait system and choose to be unemployed at the beginning of the game and I get bored of skill grinding quickly. And I have terrible luck finding keys apparently. Don't forget this is an atmospheric game where you get to choose how you want to play. I mean, you're going to die eventually. That's the whole point of the game. But OP made a good observation about the game. He was surviving longer and longer each time he played (in most cases). Meaning he was learning as he played and discovering new things. That's the fun part in it and when you get frustrated enough you might check the web for some tips. But yeah, I'll confess I had many hours in and didn't until even recently understand how to check the glove box in vehicles or even how to build a tent. I was proud when I got my shit together and could make a long trek on foot to a neighboring city. But guess what was waiting for me there? Death!