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15 Death Stranding Tips for Your First 15 Hours

Plan safer early deliveries in Death Stranding with practical advice on cargo balance, terrain, traversal tools, threats, stamina, and shared structures.
Length4 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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For your first stretch in Death Stranding, prioritize intact cargo and a route you can safely travel over speed. Check each order’s conditions, balance your load, read the terrain before leaving, and carry tools for difficult ground. The tips below focus on the opening portion of the game; “15 hours” is a useful framing, not a fixed itinerary, since pace and unlocks vary.

Prepare your cargo before setting out

1. Check how much you are carrying

Too much cargo makes movement harder and drains stamina. Review the load indicators before departure, especially when accepting extra cargo. A lighter load can be worth the trade-off if the route is steep or uneven. Kojima Productions’ Director’s Cut beginner guide explains the game’s load and balance systems.

2. Use auto-arrange, then review the result

Auto-arrange is a useful starting point because cargo placement affects Sam’s center of gravity. Check the arrangement afterward rather than assuming the heaviest or most awkward items are positioned as you want them.

3. Read special handling instructions

Some orders have cargo-specific requirements. The official guide uses pizza as an example of cargo that can be damaged if carried vertically. Read the delivery details and follow any handling instruction before choosing how to stack the load.

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4. Check the order and terrain together

Before accepting or starting a delivery, consider its cargo weight, destination, climate, and delivery conditions alongside the terrain. A route that looks short on the map may be a poor choice for fragile cargo or a heavy load.

Choose a route you can actually travel

5. Tilt the map to inspect slopes

Use the map’s terrain view to judge steepness, not just distance. A longer route over gentler ground can be easier and faster than hauling a heavy load up a sharp incline.

6. Mark the route in manageable segments

Set several map markers or guide lines rather than relying on one straight line to the destination. Segmenting a route helps you keep the direction visible while allowing you to adjust around slopes, water, and hazards.

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7. Pack traversal tools for difficult deliveries

Ladders and climbing anchors can make troublesome terrain manageable. Kojima Productions specifically recommends them for the first long delivery in the Eastern Region, covered in its Eastern Region guide. Bring them when the route calls for steep climbs or crossings rather than carrying them automatically on every trip.

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8. Carry container repair spray when the trip warrants it

Timefall and falls can damage cargo containers. Repair spray is worth considering on long or risky deliveries where a damaged case could compromise the shipment. It repairs the container case; do not treat it as a substitute for avoiding falls or exposure.

Choose between walking and vehicles by terrain

A Reverse Trike can cover ground quickly, but it is not automatically the safer option. The Eastern Region guide warns that deep rivers can wash Sam and cargo away, while rough terrain can damage or trap the vehicle. Walking may be safer across difficult ground or where the water depth is uncertain.

Travel choice Better fit Watch out for
Walking Rough terrain, uncertain river crossings, or routes where careful foot placement matters. Heavy loads and steep climbs can drain stamina and make balance harder to manage.
Reverse Trike Ground that is clear enough to ride and where speed is useful. Deep water can sink or sweep it away; rough terrain can damage it or leave it stuck.

Read the ground and threats as you travel

9. Scan uncertain ground before crossing

Use the Odradek to help assess safe ground on a heavy delivery and to locate threats. Take a moment to scan when you are unsure about a crossing or the area ahead, rather than discovering a hazard while moving at speed.

10. Avoid MULEs when protecting cargo matters most

Check their positions, stay low, and use terrain for cover when you can. If fighting risks damaging the delivery, evade the encounter and escape instead. A confrontation is not worth an order’s cargo when a safer route away is available.

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11. Stop and observe in BT areas

When the Odradek indicates BTs, pause to check their positions. Move slowly and hold your breath as the official guidance advises. Rushing through an area you have not read can put both Sam and the cargo at risk.

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Protect stamina, balance, and cargo condition

12. Watch stamina before balance deteriorates

Stamina loss makes balance less reliable and increases the chance of stumbling or falling. Rest and rehydrate before exhaustion turns a manageable route into a cargo-damaging one.

13. Treat falls and Timefall as delivery risks

Falls, attacks, and Timefall can damage cargo. Keep an eye on case condition during a delivery and adjust your pace or route when the shipment is at risk. Avoiding a fall is more useful than trying to recover after a heavy load has gone down.

Make use of the shared world and learn at your own pace

14. Use other players’ structures when available

When playing online and within Chiral Network coverage, you may encounter equipment and structures left by other players. Use what helps your route; useful structures can be liked. Their presence depends on network coverage, so plan for a trip that may not offer a helpful structure where you need one.

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15. Treat the opening as practice, not a speed test

The early game introduces equipment and systems as you progress. Kojima Productions puts the priority plainly in its Director’s Cut guide: “The most important thing is to deliver your package without damaging it, and as you progress through the game, you’ll discover and unlock more equipment along the way that will assist you in delivering cargo.” Learn what the current route demands, then add tools as they become available.

Which tips apply to Director’s Cut?

The cargo, route-planning, threat-avoidance, and delivery-condition advice here is grounded in official guidance for the original game’s Eastern Region as well as the Director’s Cut. The Director’s Cut also adds enhancements, missions, facilities, weapons, vehicles, and other features, so a particular added feature should not be assumed to exist in the base game. For version-specific details, check the Director’s Cut guide; the Eastern Region advice is described in Kojima Productions’ guide.

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