Death Stranding - A Perfect Game To Me

What Kind of Game Do You Want to Make?

As someone who aspires to become a game developer, one of the most common questions I get asked is: “What kind of game do you want to make?” Many people have their favorite genres, and naturally, they want to make games they enjoy. Puzzle lovers may want to create a puzzle game, story-driven players may dream of making an RPG, action fans may aim to build a hardcore action title, and roguelike enjoyers might aspire to craft a deck-builder.

However, I cannot answer the question easily. I love all kinds of games, and I’m open to developing various types. So I kept asking myself, again and again: “What kind of game do I truly want to make?”

Eventually, Death Stranding gave me the answer.

Death Stranding Is a Perfect Game

I love Death Stranding. To this day, the only games I would unreservedly call masterpieces are Death Stranding (plus Outer Wilds). My standards for a 10/10 is incredibly high. The art, world building, core mechanics, music, story, gameplay, endgame, characters, themes, map design, combat — Every element of Death Stranding needs to be perfect to me.

But to clarify, when I say “perfect,” I don’t mean flawless. To me, a perfect game is harmonious and unified just for someone. Every element must fit just right, working together in sync to form a seamless whole. A perfect game doesn’t necessary to have revolutionary mechanics, realistic graphics, an emotional narrative, or unforgettable music. Each component doesn’t need to be perfect individually, but they must connect to one another, forming a perfect experience to impact some players’ life.

While playing Death Stranding, I was awed by the world Hideo Kojima had created. In the game, we play as Sam, the porter who deliver cargo and reconnecting the broken America. In reality, Hideo Kojima himself is also a porter — a game creator that connect different elements of the game into one perfect machine. Even the game’s flaws are deliberate. The slow, sometimes tedious early gameplay sets the stage for the powerful sense of satisfaction and freedom that comes later.

Of course, I know that the game is polarizing, but a perfect game doesn’t need to be anyone in the world. A perfect game lives in the hearts of certain players, and I’m grateful to be one of them. Once a game becomes perfect for someone, it will leave a deep and lasting impact. Death Stranding do change my life.

Death Stranding Connected Me and Hideo Kojima

The impact of Death Stranding grew gradually over time. I first played it in 2022, then replayed the Director’s Cut in 2023. At the time, I already saw it as an unforgettable experience.

That changed the day before my trip to the 2024 Tokyo Game Show, when I finished reading The Creative Gene — a collection of essays by Hideo Kojima. In it, he shares his recommendations, influences, philosophies, and the media that shaped his worldview. Through the book, I began to see how every part of Kojima’s life contributed to who he is and the games he creates.

Before then, I’ve always felt alone on the path to becoming a game developer. My family doesn’t support this dream, and I’ve had few people around me who truly share this passion.

But when I finished the book, I realized something: I’ve never truly been alone. I just hadn’t tried to connect — because I was afraid. I was afraid to diving fully into game development, always leaving myself an escape route.

Death Stranding connected me with The Creative Gene. Reading about Kojima’s life — and all the influences that shaped it — helped everything connect into place. It made me painfully aware of how little I know, but also incredibly excited about how much I still have to experience. I realized that I need to become a porter, connecting myself with others in the future. At that moment, I realized the true meaning of Death Stranding, and that’s when Death Stranding finally became a perfect game to me.

Since then, I’ve picked up reading again. I’ve also started reaching out, trying to connect with more people and the world around me. Additionally, I’ll be studying at Carnegie Mellon University’s Entertainment Technology Center this summer, and I know that these two years will bring even more valuable connections.

Though I’m still scared about the future, but I also feel a sense of strange excitement — since I’ve seen the infinite possibilities that connections can create.

I want to make a perfect game

In an interview at Early Death Stranding 2 Praise, Hideo Kojima said this: “What I want to do is, if there are ten people, four people will say, ‘I love it. I will never forget this for the rest of my life.’ And then those four will become followers, like creators in the future. That’s my ultimate dream.”

Hideo Kojima didn’t want to make a great game for anyone, he wanted to make a perfect game just for some players in the world. Fortunately, I became one of those four out of ten — and I decided to take my own journey as a creator.

Death Stranding became a perfect game to me, and that’s what I also wanted to create. I want to make a game that every system, character, story beat, and minute of gameplay, all connected together as a perfect game for someone in the world.

I’ve found my goal, and for the next few decades, I’ll probably keep chasing it.

At first, I might not even come close. But with every attempt, every connection I make, I believe I’ll get closer. One day in the future, I may create the 100% perfect game I’ve dreamed of - a game that is perfect for someone in the world.