Strand games are real. Maybe. Depending on who you ask. Hideo Kojima first coined this term to describe Death Stranding, but it has since inspired confusion (and a lot of memes). Is it a new genre? A vibe? A marketing stunt? Or just another way to say “walking simulator with feelings”?
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Over the past few years, more and more Strand-like mechanics are popping up in other video games (even if they never use the word). So, let’s unpack the whole thing and look at what makes a game a Strand game, more or less.
10 It All Started With Kojima
The Birth of “Strand”
The term “Strand Game” didn’t exist until Death Stranding. Hideo Kojima, never one to avoid inventing a new language, described his 2019 game as the first of its kind: a “Strand-type” game built around connection rather than conflict. Players weren’t just walking across post-apocalyptic America. They were building it together.
Bridges, ladders, and charging stations were all player-placed and shared, forming a literal network between players. Whether he meant it as a genuine genre or a marketing flourish, Kojima sparked a conversation. And like everything Kojima touches, it got weird and kind of brilliant.
9 Is It Just A Walking Sim With Wi-Fi?
What Sets Death Stranding Apart
At first glance, Death Stranding looks a lot like a walking simulator with really good weather effects. But it’s the multiplayer layer (which is technically invisible) that separates it from other walking simulators out there. You never meet other players, but you’re always helping each other. Leave behind a rope, and someone else might climb it. Drop a package, and someone else might deliver it for you.
This passive cooperation is much different from traditional multiplayer. However, it feels surprisingly connected, even if you never actually see anyone. So, yes, it is a bit like a walking simulator, but one that remembers you.
8 The Rope vs. The Stick
A Philosophical Pitch
Kojima’s whole Strand idea hinges on a metaphor from Kobo Abe. Essentially, early humans used sticks to ward off threats and ropes to bring things closer. Most games, he argued, are about sticks: violence, enemies, competition. But Death Stranding is a rope. It’s about connection and empathy instead.
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Even when there is some combat, it feels a bit out of place in a world that’s dedicated almost exclusively to kindness. Whether you buy into that metaphor or not, it reframes how we think about game design. A Strand game isn’t just about what you do, but why you’re doing it, and for who.
7 What Mechanics Make It?
The Strand DNA
So, what makes a game a Strand Game instead of just a chill adventure? It’s more than slow movement and cool weather. If you were to make a list of key mechanics, it might look like: asynchronous multiplayer, indirect cooperation, environmental traversal as a meaningful challenge, and systems that reward helping others.
That said, there is often a heavy dose of loneliness, too. But, in a good way, like camping alone with a radio. These mechanics create a strong feedback loop to help people you’ll never see, and then it quietly celebrates you for doing so.
6 Is “Stranding” A Vibe, A Genre, Or A Meme?
Are We Ready To Call It A Genre?
Here’s where things get slippery. For some players, “Strand Game” is a serious design framework. For others, it’s pure meme fuel. But, in a way, both camps are right. It is a genre, but one that is still growing and trying to figure itself out. But as a vibe? Absolutely real.
Death Stranding feels slow and thoughtful (and a little eerie). It cares about effort and mutual support. It makes you notice the wind. You could argue Stranding is less a genre and more a mood board. Somehow, that makes it easier to recognize. It’s about a feeling, not necessarily checking off boxes.
5 Other Games That Accidentally Feel Like Strand Games
Even Without Using The Word
Before Kojima named it, other games were already doing Strand-like things. Journey had anonymous online players helping each other without words. Dark Souls used bloodstains and handwritten warnings to create a sense of shared struggle. Even Deathloop had indirect multiplayer that blurred timelines.
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Of course, these games weren’t labeled “Strand” at the time, but they carry the same “vibe.” There is a sense that someone else is out there, walking the same path as you (and maybe even helping you).
4 New Games Carrying The Strand Touch
Exploring The Genre
Since Death Stranding, a few developers have taken quiet stabs at the “Strand” formula, but many avoid using the word. Pacific Drive turns survival horror into a car-based road trip full of environmental storytelling and eerie isolation. Baby Steps literalizes the slow, careful traversal, with physics-based hiking and clumsy charm.
Tchia and Season: A Letter to the Future bring emotional exploration and soft interactions into their open worlds; none of these are officially “strand” games, but they echo the essence.
3 When Does A Game Stop Being Strand?
What Is The Qualifier?
Not every game that features loneliness or online features qualifies. If a game’s central loop revolves around direct combat or a traditional progression system, it probably leans more toward “action” than “strand.” Even Death Stranding walks a very fine line, as there is a lot of action in the later chapters.
There are many hybrids out there, like SnowRunner (which offers careful terrain traversal and cooperative structure-building but lacks any social or emotional layer). It might come down to intention. If a game makes you think about other people, it might still count.
2 What Strand Games Get Right
That Other Genres Don’t
Strand games slow you down; this isn’t to waste your time, but to slow you down because every step is purposeful, something many genres don’t even bother with. Where other games hand you power and speed, Strand games ask you to earn both, often by helping others.
There is something incredibly human about building a bridge just so someone else’s trip is easier. I’ve felt more connection in a single Death Stranding ladder placement than in entire co-op sessions elsewhere. It’s a bit strange, but that’s exactly the point.
1 So, What Is a Strand Game?
Developing A Definition
It’s still up for debate. Some say it’s a new genre, others call it an idea wrapped in a metaphor wrapped in Kojima-brand weirdness. And maybe that’s the best part, as Strand Games don’t fit neatly into a category, and in many cases, they actively resist categorization.
They’re quiet and often a little awkward. They’re about being alone, but not lonely. Whether or not “Strand” ever catches on as an official label, the games that embrace this slow spirit are carving out something new.
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