The 3 Games To Play After Watching Stranger Things Season 3

Last week Netflix graced the world with yet another season of the 80s inspired sci-fi thriller Stranger Things. A whole new season means a whole new threat for our group of lovable nerds to defeat. However, to my and probably many other fans dismay, there are only eight new episodes. Of course, this follows the trend that previous seasons have laid out with season one having eight episodes and season two having nine. But if you know anything about ravenous fanboys like myself, we always want more. So, in an effort to now only avoid playing a seemingly bad licensed game and sate my appetite for Stranger Things, this week I’m bringing you three games you should play after watching Stranger Things season three.

Crossing Souls  

In Crossing Souls you play as a group of five friends during a summer vacation that they’ll never forget. Each of these characters has their own strengths, weaknesses, and combat styles. One is fast and uses a jump rope as a whip, another has a homemade laser gun, and there’s even someone sporting a trashcan lid as a makeshift shield. Some might say that having five party members is overkill. But when you’re going up against zombies, ghosts, gangs, and your own government there’s no such thing as a heavy hand.

But if that doesn’t already sound like Stranger Things, it should be noted that this all takes place in the year 1986. So you can expect an abundance of references to 80’s pop culture. Such as homages to movies like Stand by Me, E.T., and Back to the Future. Plus, the music featured in Crossing Souls is eerily similar to that in Stranger Things.

Oxenfree

Instead of only featuring nostalgia trips for 80’s kids like Crossing Souls on this list, I wanted to choose a game that not only invoked the feelings of teenage relationships, but also one that tickles the more horror focused and suspenseful side of my Stranger Things fandom. And that’s where Oxenfree comes in. 

This supernatural adventure follows a group of teenagers that embark on a senior trip to an island housing a WW2 military fort. All seems well until these teens unknowingly open a supernatural gate. As resident rebellious teen Alex, you’ll be tasked with finding out what happened in this island’s tragic history and bringing your friends back home safely.

Not only is Oxenfree completely beautiful with its seemingly hand-drawn art style, but it also includes a complex dialogue system that allows you to take control of the story and your relationships within it.    

Firewatch 

Firewatch is the one game on this list that has absolutely nothing to do with 80s nostalgia or a coming of age story. Instead, I included it on this list to showcase the other side of the Stranger Things story. And that is the role of parents and adults such as Chief Hopper and Joyce Byers.

In Firewatch you play as Henry, a damaged man who has retreated to the Wyoming wilderness in hopes to repair the scars that loss has left him. While working as a fire lookout you’ll stumble upon a story of suspense and even love – all the while lacking any sort of human contact. The one exception being your fellow lookout and supervisor Delilah, with whom you’ll have many a conversation over the radio. 

Firewatch is the perfect game for those looking to understand the adult characters of Stranger Things, whether it be their emotional states or their motivations. After rolling credits, you’ll have a whole new outlook on our favorite grizzled police chief.  

If you’re like me and are looking to fill that dark void left behind by the passing of yet another season of Stranger Things, then look no further than these three games. Each offers a slightly different perspective. Whether you’re talking about the more “upbeat” Crossing Souls, the at times bone-chilling Oxenfree, or more stoic Firewatch, each of these games has something for the Stranger Things fan in you. And hopefully they will help to pass the time until we’re graced with another season.