Following the reveal of several abandoned game concepts—including a fascinating “Forgetting Game” where the protagonist loses key abilities and memories during extended breaks—Hideo Kojima has shared a deeply personal insight: he’s left behind a USB stick filled with unreleased game ideas for his team to explore after his death.

As reported by VGC, Kojima made the poignant disclosure in an interview with Edge magazine, reflecting on how the pandemic reshaped his perspective on life, creativity, and legacy.

“Turning 60 was less of a turning point than what I experienced during the pandemic,” Kojima said. “I fell seriously ill and had an eye operation. Until then, I never felt my age—I assumed I’d keep creating forever. But when I got sick and saw people around me pass away, I faced death. After recovering, I started asking myself: ‘How many years do I have left? Maybe 10?’”

This shift in mindset led not only to new creative directions but also to the creation of what Kojima calls “a digital will”—a USB drive entrusted to his personal assistant containing a catalog of unproduced concepts. His goal? To ensure Kojima Productions continues innovating beyond his lifetime.

“I gave a USB stick with all my ideas to my assistant—kind of like a will. Maybe they can keep making games after I’m gone. I don’t want the studio to just manage existing IP. That’s my fear: what happens when I’m no longer here?”

In a recent episode of his Japanese radio show *KOJI10*, Kojima expanded on how real-world time can shape gameplay mechanics. While discussing unused features originally planned for *Death Stranding 2: On The Beach*, he revealed a scrapped idea involving Sam’s aging appearance:

“I wanted Sam’s beard to grow naturally over time—you’d have to shave him regularly. If you didn’t, he’d look disheveled. But Norman Reedus is a big star—I didn’t want to make him look uncool!”

Despite shelving it for now, Kojima still sees potential in using time-based character changes in future titles.

Three Time-Based Game Concepts from Kojima

1. Life Span RPG: A game that begins at birth and progresses through real-time aging. As your character grows from child to elder, physical abilities decline—but wisdom and experience increase. At 16, you run fast; at 70, movement slows and vision deteriorates. Strategy shifts with age. Though Kojima joked, “No one would buy it,” fellow guests called it “very Kojima” and expressed genuine interest.

2. Slow-Crafting Game: Inspired by winemaking or cheese aging, this idle-style concept requires players to engage gradually over weeks or months. Progress hinges on patience and consistency—perfect for long-term engagement without constant play.

3. The Forgetting Game: A psychological experiment in urgency. If you stop playing, your character forgets core mechanics—like how to shoot or even their purpose in the story. Extended breaks could render the game unplayable. Kojima joked, “Players would need to take a week off work or school to finish it.”

Kojima Productions remains in active development on multiple high-profile projects: Death Stranding 2, a live-action Death Stranding film with A24, the mysterious OD for Xbox Game Studios, and the Sony-backed interactive experience Physint. While no release dates are confirmed—and production delays from the SAG-AFTRA strike have impacted progress—fans can expect more groundbreaking work rooted in Kojima’s lifelong exploration of time, memory, and meaning.