Shortly after unveiling a series of abandoned video game concepts—including one for a ‘Forgetting Game’ where the protagonist progressively loses vital memories and skills if you pause gameplay for too long—Kojima disclosed that he has entrusted his team with a USB stick containing game concepts to be used after his passing.

According to VGC, Kojima shared this sobering insight with Edge magazine, reflecting on how his perspective shifted during the pandemic.

“Reaching 60 wasn’t as impactful as what I went through during the pandemic,” he remarked. “I faced a serious illness and underwent eye surgery. Until then, I never felt my age—I believed I could keep creating indefinitely.”

“But when I fell sick, I couldn’t produce anything. I saw many people around me pass away. I was forced to confront mortality. Of course, I recovered, but it made me wonder: ‘How much longer do I have to develop a game or a film? Maybe ten years?’”

This shift in thinking not only drove Kojima to launch multiple new projects but also led him to create a USB stick that serves “as a kind of will,” intended to help safeguard the future of Kojima Productions after he is gone.

“I handed a USB stick containing all my ideas to my personal assistant, almost like a will,” he stated. “Perhaps they could continue creating at Kojima Productions once I’m gone… It’s a concern of mine—what becomes of the studio? I don’t want them to simply manage our established IP.”

This week, IGN reported on Kojima’s views regarding the use of real-world time progression in video games. Kojima not only discussed time-based mechanics from his earlier titles but also shared unused concepts, including one eventually cut from the upcoming Death Stranding 2: On The Beach.

“I’ve considered having characters' hair grow in a game,” Kojima said during a recent episode of his Japanese radio podcast KOJI10. “Initially, Death Stranding 2 was going to feature Sam’s beard gradually growing over time, requiring players to shave it. Without grooming, Sam would become disheveled,” he explained. “But because Norman Reedus is such a prominent actor, I didn’t want to make him appear unpolished!” Still, the director mentioned he may incorporate this idea into a future title.

Kojima also unveiled three game ideas built around the passage of real-world time. The first is a life simulation: “You begin as a newborn, grow into childhood, and gradually become an adult. Throughout the game, you face various foes. Similar to the previous example (MGS3’s The End), if you continue playing, your character will age into their 70s or 80s. At that stage, physical abilities decline—vision weakens, movement slows. In youth, your avatar is faster and stronger, but as an elder, you possess greater wisdom and experience.” This aging process would change how players approach enemies. “Still, nobody would buy it!” Kojima quipped, though others on the podcast voiced excitement about such a distinctive “Kojima-style game.”

Another proposal involves a game in which you produce items like wine or cheese that need time to mature. This would encourage players to engage gradually over an extended period, much like an idle or background simulation.

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Lastly, Kojima introduced a “forgetting game” designed to be completed rapidly. In this scenario, the protagonist loses crucial knowledge and abilities whenever you step away from the game. Skip a day, and the character begins forgetting essentials—like how to operate a firearm or their mission. Neglect accumulates until the protagonist becomes immobile. “Players might need to take a full week off from work or school to finish it,” Kojima joked.

It’s an exceptionally busy period for Kojima and his studio, Kojima Productions (now we know why!). Alongside Death Stranding 2, Kojima is collaborating with A24—the studio behind Oscar-winning films like Everything Everywhere All At Once—on a live-action Death Stranding movie. He’s also developing OD for Xbox Game Studios, along with Physint, a hybrid video game and film project for Sony.

No release dates have been set for OD or Physint. In fact, Kojima confirmed in January that the ongoing video game actors strike has influenced both projects, so further updates may take some time.