Crazy games sometimes require crazy methods. Betraying your own company can be a strategy.
It is not very likely that an idea for a video game actually turns into a finished game. After all, there are many hurdles that need to be overcome. Especially funding can be difficult – even more so if the game will cater to a small niche. But the creator of some of the craziest and darkest games knows a trick:
One simply has to betray their own company.
Who said that? This is said by Kazutaka Kodaka, a Japanese manga author and video game developer, known for his somewhat crazy works. There are usually strong contrasts in the themes, such as hope and despair, which rapidly alternate and sometimes reach absurd heights.
What did he say? Kodaka called for an “Ask me Anything” on X.com and answered all questions that didn’t directly relate to the content of his games. One person wanted to know how to implement the “most ambitious and craziest ideas”. Kodaka’s answer:
You have to deceive the company.
Pursuing creative work within a company is impossible if you are someone who always does exactly what the company tells you. Even if it means you have to pretend to obey, keep doing what you enjoy. Use the company. And if something goes wrong, it’s the person who hired you who’s to blame, lol.
But that’s not the only “trick” Kodaka has used. When he wanted to create Danganronpa, he faced many rejections, as he explains (automaton-media):
Back then, it was really hard to get the project greenlit. After all, it was a game about high school students wanting to kill each other. The upper management said: “This is a game that advocates bullying and probably won’t sell well due to the tough market conditions.” No matter how many times I presented it at meetings in the company, it was simply not accepted.
After the project was rejected several times, Kodaka simply took a different path: he went directly to the president of Spike and presented his idea to him. Apparently, Kodaka was so convinced about Danganronpa that he would have even been ready to leave Spike if the project was rejected again. But it turned out differently: the president was relaxed and gave the green light.
It seems to have paid off – Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc is also available on Steam and currently holds a rating of “Very Positive” with a solid 95% from over 30,000 reviews (as of 02/06/2026, 11:40 AM).
Which games is Kodaka responsible for? Kazutaka Kodaka is behind the games The Hundred Line: Last Defense Acadely and the Danganronpa series. The latter is likely also known to anime fans, as there are some series adaptations available. The game revolves around high school students who try to kill each other while committing the “perfect crime” – only if they’re caught does it end with their death. The various Danganronpa installments are crazy but often deal with dark themes related to contrasts.
We have presented the game The Hundred Line here.
