The sci-fi/horror/drama seriesStranger Thingshas become one of Netflix’s greatest hits over the last five years, building its distinctly creepy flavor into an entire franchise. With the fourth season in development for a 2022 release, fans ofStranger Thingshave the opportunity to go back over the franchise’s many spin-offs to tide them over, but fans of video game may not be so lucky. The series has had an interesting relationship with video games over the years, as its iconic cast has made as many appearances in crossovers with existing titles as they have in original titles.
Netflix is planning to expand its gaming efforts, which might explain whyStranger Thingshas become so deeply intertwined in video games over the years. However, there might also be a simpler explanation: arcade gaming was a thriving industry in the 1980s, and the rise of home computers eventually led to the rise of home consoles.Stranger Thingsis a franchise that adores the trappings of 80s media, and that includes retro video games.
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A Brief History of Stranger Things Video Games
The first officialStranger Thingsvideo games were released in 2017 as part of the marketing for season two. They wereStranger Things: The Game, a top-down retro adventure game that served as a bridge between season one and season one; andStranger Things: The VR Experience, which was a virtual tour of Hawkins, Indiana. Both games were released for free, possibly because their primary purpose was to drum up excitement for the upcoming season.
After that was meant to be an untitledStranger Thingsgame in 2018, but that was canceled when Telltale Games collapsed. Netflix has announced itsintentions to still get thisStranger Thingstitle made, but little has been heard of it since.Stranger Things 3: The Gamewas another retro title released in 2019, this time a co-op beat-em-up, that loosely adapted the events of the third season. Meanwhile, 2021’sStranger Things: Puzzle Talesis a narrative-driven mobile puzzle game. One of the few things all of these games have in common is they’re all available for free, though some require a Netflix membership. The same cannot be said ofStranger Things' many crossover appearances.
Bringing Other Games to the Upside Down
Perhaps the most famous video game crossoverStranger Thingshas so far is theStranger Things-themed DLC inDead by Daylight. For a while, players could take on the role of the predatory Demogorgon and stalk the show’s cast through the Hawkins National Laboratory map. Although this DLC was a fan favorite, it is expected to be removed from the game in the next few weeks, similar toFace Your Fears’Stranger Thingscrossover content before it.Face Your Fearshad to remove itsStranger Thingscollaboration because the license expired, which may also be the culprit here.
This could explain why most of the othergames thatStranger Thingshas crossed over with, includingFortnite,Rocket League,The Seven Deadly Sins: Grand Cross, andSmitehave all taken the form of limited-time events. Most of these games are already formatted to allow for brief crossover events, after which new players can no longer access the associated content. The crossover characters and skins are generally kept in the game for players who acquired them, much likeDead by Daylight’sStranger Thingscharacters will stay in the game after the DLC chapter is removed, but new players are no longer able to unlock them. It remains to be seen whether futureStranger Thingscrossovers will continue in this vein, or if the eventual release of a full-fledged commercialStranger Thingsgame will upset the pattern.
Stranger Thingsseason four is expected to debut sometime in 2022 on Netflix.
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