Death Stranding
Hideo Kojima's open-world delivery game.
Where Death Stranding comes up1 episode or test
- 1Imagine whale-lined beachBegan as a mental image of dead whales
- 2Settle concept and vibeConcept, characters and vibe came first
- 3Find fitting mechanicsMechanics were chosen to match the world
From Death Stranding design note
What was said about Death Stranding
Kojima built Death Stranding top down, starting from an image. Death Stranding began as a mental image of a beach lined with dead whales. Kojima settled the concept, characters and vibe first, then looked for mechanics that fit.
The source contrasts this with bottom up design, where rules and verbs come first and story and aesthetic follow. It cites Nintendo's Splatoon, which began as big tofu-like blocks hiding in ink, as the bottom up example.
How to find amazing game ideas
It began as a mental image of a beach lined with dead whales. Kojima settles concept, characters and vibe first, then finds fitting mechanics.
Kojima built Death Stranding top down, starting from an image. Death Stranding began as a mental image of a beach lined with dead whales. Kojima settled the concept, characters and vibe first, then looked for mechanics that fit.
The source contrasts this with bottom up design, where rules and verbs come first and story and aesthetic follow. It cites Nintendo's Splatoon, which began as big tofu-like blocks hiding in ink, as the bottom up example.
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