The Stranger Things hype is now at an all-time high, thanks to the ongoing fifth and final season. As the series comes to its inevitable close, let’s not forget that Netflix’s prized franchise wasn’t only constrained to the TV series. There were, in fact, multiple video game adaptations of the Hawkins crew.
We still have a few more weeks left before Stranger Things drops its bombshell finale on New Year’s Eve. In the meantime, you can always check out these Stranger Things games. They may not be perfect, but they damn well add something extra tidbits of lore to the supernatural story we’ve known and loved.
Stranger Things: The Game / Stranger Things: 1984
The first Stranger Things game came out on October 4, 2017. It takes place between the events of Season 1 and Season 2.
Also known as Stranger Things: 1984, this takes you to a 16-bit Zelda-like adventure featuring your favorite Hawkins characters, including Eleven, Hopper, Nancy, Lucas, and more.
It’s not the second coming of Christ, nor is it the revolutionary Stranger Things game players wished for. It got an 81 score on Metacritic from 5 critic reviews, which is decent. It’s a simple adventure game that goes ‘nostalgia bait’ for fans of both classic RPGs and Stranger Things 80s aesthetics.
The only way to play this is through Netflix Games, so make sure you have a Netflix account!
Stranger Things 3: The Game
Stranger Things 3: The Game came out 2 years after Stranger Things: 1984. It’s the sequel to BonusXP’s little Zelda-like adventures based on the hit show. It still maintains its signature 16-bit art style, but now with more detail and a slight increase in budget.
What makes this different from the first game, however, is its local co-op gameplay. It plays exactly like a classic adventure game should, with formulaic mechanics, boss fights, and multiple playable characters. If you take away the Stranger Things brand from it, it would look like a game you played as a kid.
Clearly, this game isn’t for me, but if you love a good ol’ adventure game with a nostalgic SNES-like gameplay, you can always check this game out.
Stranger Things: Puzzle Tales
Sometime around 2021, Stranger Things tried to do a “Candy Crush-like” puzzle game. It wasn’t the best idea, to be honest, and the game was unfortunately shut down on December 13, 2024. It was your standard case of a quick cash grab that didn’t do wonders for the franchise.
I mean, you could always find other ways to play this one. But why would you play a color match Stranger Things game? And why is it here anyway?
Stranger Things VR
The next major Stranger Things game dipped its toes into virtual reality territory. If you’re a big fan of Henry Creel/Vecna’s character, then this game might be for you. That’s assuming you could afford a VR headset.
This Stranger Things VR game is all about Vecna and why the villain arc was the path for him. Unfortunately, it’s not considered canon. Which is pretty weird, because Season 5 is essentially building up on his story.
Compared to the rest of the Stranger Things game adaptations, this VR game had the bigger budget, hiring Jamie Campbell Bower (Vecna/Henry) and Matthew Modine (Dr. Brenner) into the voice cast.
Stranger Things: Catalyst
Surprise, surprise. Netflix has another VR game based on their hit show. Stranger Things: Catalyst is the latest game on the market, but it comes with a catch: it’s a Sandbox VR exclusive. If you don’t know what that is, it’s an up-and-coming VR headset that’s slated to compete against the other VR giants.
Catalyst is essentially a tech demo. It puts you into the shoes of the other MK Ultra-like kids trapped within Hawkins Laboratory. Don’t expect any story-heavy moments here, though. The game isn’t canon.
Stranger Things Crossovers
Stranger Things is no stranger to crossing over worlds. One such example is its odd collaboration with Ubisoft’s Far Cry games. It wasn’t even canon, and it barely added anything substantial to both Far Cry and Stranger Things. It’s a similar case with the recent Assassin’s Creed: Shadows and Attack on Titan Crossover, which feels completely out of place for their existing universes.
The Stranger Things cast is also in Fortnite. Everyone saw this coming from a mile away, and Epic Games is just putting everything into the game at this point, including a Kill Bill collab. The Stranger Things and Fortnite crossover brought the Demogorgon, Hopper, and the rest of the Hawkins kids as playable characters.
Lastly, Behaviour Interactive’s Dead by Daylight also took advantage of Stranger Things’ popularity with its series of crossovers. We’ve already got the Demogorgon, Steve, and Nancy as playable characters in the game, and just recently, Behaviour teased Vecna’s addition to the Entity’s realm.
Stranger Things is no doubt a popular and massive IP, but come on, let’s not pretend that it has great games in its catalog. The last good Stranger Things videogame pitch was the Telltale adaptation, but unfortunately, circumstances arose, and that game never saw the light of day.
Once Season 5 ends, Netflix has the opportunity to work on a ‘true’ Stranger Things game rather than mobile and VR entries. It could either expand on the series’ established lore or go beyond it. Personally, I’d love to see them finally make a Stranger Things RPG with Larian Studios at the helm, giving it the D&D experience it needed.
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