With just three weeks until the release of Stranger Things season 2, fans of the 1980’s throwback got a fun treat in the form of a new mobile adventure game based off the Netflix show. If you’ve just started playing Stranger Things: The Game, you’ll be immediately struck with the same nostalgic feeling all 80s kids get watching the show. The game is designed as a pixelated action RPG adventure that features all the iconic locations from the show. While exploring the different landmarks from the show is fun on its own, the game has a surprising level of depth and complexity to keep you puzzling to the end. Whether you’re new to the genre or a seasoned pro, working through Stranger Things: The Game will prove a challenge. It incorporates elaborate mapping and requires strategic thinking to overcome obstacles and defeat each chapter or dungeon.
If you find yourself stumped as you work your way through Stranger Things: The Game and need a few hints to help you push forward, we’ve put together a beginner’s guide of tips and tricks to help. If you’re struggling with a particular chapter we’ve also added walkthroughs of the individual chapters. Not every chapter has been completed yet, but as we work through them, we’ll continue to update this post.
Stranger Things Beginner’s Game Guide: Tips & Tricks For Completing Each Chapter
Tip #1: Click On Everything
One of the best parts of this game are the tons of interactive items. Though not every item you touch is useful, each time you enter a new area it’s a good idea to tap on every object to see what it has to offer. Some items like bushes, trash cans, cabinets and refrigerators offer tiny rewards like health hearts, coins and rocks for Lucas’ slingshot. Other items might go in your collection or can be used for trade with other characters. Each chapter of the game involves a pretty elaborate mapping system, so you want to thoroughly investigate each space to avoid backtracking.
Tip #2: Utilize The Map To Organize Your Search
Because of the elaborate mapping system in this game, it can be easy to overlook key areas of the map or have difficulty making your way back to a point of interest. Luckily, the game does offer a map overview you can access from the upper right-hand corner of the game screen. I try to move in a methodical way and explore all the paths I can in a particular direction before moving on. If you find yourself stumped or feel like there isn’t anything else you can do, chances are you’ve overlooked a key portion of the map.
Tip #3 Learn Each Character’s Skills And Use Them
At the start of the game, your only character option is Hopper, but you’ll eventually run into extra characters who will join your team. Each character has a specific skill or weapon that comes in handy during various parts of the journey. For example, in the first chapter you find Lucas. His weapon is a slingshot used to hit unreachable targets. This skill proves useful throughout the game. In Chapter 1, there are a number of switches you need to flip in order to turn off the laser security in different rooms. Some of these switches are not accessible by Hopper because of holes in the floor, but Lucas can switch them off from a distance by using his slingshot. Each time you get a new character, be sure to take a look at the tools he or she has equipped and consider using different characters if you are in an area that’s got you stumped.
Tip #4 Learn To Use Tools Around You
There are a number of puzzles you’ll need to unravel that require using certain objects in a room in a particular order or in a particular way. If you are stuck in a key area, look around to see if any interactive objects might be useful. In Chapter 1 switches are used to turn the lasers on and off. While in most cases you are flipping the switches to gain entrance to a new area, sometimes you’ll use the lasers to take out an undefeatable enemy (more details in Chapter 1 walkthrough). If a tool isn’t working for you, try using a different character or complete actions in a different order. If you are diligent, you’ll eventually unravel the mystery.
Stranger Things Chapter Walkthroughs: Hints For Beating Every Dungeon
Stranger Things Chapter 1 Walkthrough: The Lost Boy
General Tips & Tricks
Collect Key Cards - Any time you see a chest, be sure to open it. It usually has a keycard you will need.
Follow The Ribbons - The main challenge at this level is deactivating the row of four lasers in front of the final room. In order to do this, you have to find each switch. You can make this easier by following the colored bands on the walls. Each set of colored bands leads you to where a specific switch is found.
Use Lasers As A Weapon - Some of the guards you encounter will be immune to your attacks. Youneed to use a laser to kill them by getting on the opposite side of the room near a switch. Play as Lucas and hit the guy with a stone to get him to come after you. As he begins to move, turn on the laser to electrocute him.
Stranger Things Chapter 2 Walkthrough: The Gate
General Tips & Tricks
Exploding Pods - In this chapter, the key thing is keeping track of where you have been or else you’ll miss something important. In the first part of this dungeon, your main challenge is getting past the group of tentacled monsters. You’ll need to use the exploding pods things to do it. Each pod can be punched/pushed three times before a timer activates and it explodes. You need to punch/push one of these pods in a position so that the three tentacled monsters are surrounding it. Once there, if the timer hasn’t triggered, punch it one more time and step back. The pod will explode and destroy the tentacled monsters.
Bears, Traps And Honey - At certain spots in this dungeon, you’ll notice bears. If you try to fight them they’ll eat you, but they are actually the key to unlocking other parts of the dungeon. In some places there will be logs or other objects you can’t move and you will have to use the bear to break them down. To do this, play as Lucas and shoot down the beehives along the path across the obstacle you can’t pass. The bear will follow the honey trail and trample the logs for you. Just be careful. You need to work quick and make sure you stay out of the bear’s path as you do it, or you’ll die.
Final Room - If you’ve made your way to the final room of the dungeon, you’ll find yourself surrounded by a group of SWAT team-like opponents. In order to defeat them, I had to play as Nancy. As soon as the guys come out of the bushes, focus your energy on just one of them, tapping on him as fast as you can to make him drop his shield. Once he drops his shield, attack him quickly to take him out. He’ll drop a heart, which you’ll probably need. Be careful to dodge other attackers along the way, but keep focusing your attention on one individual at a time until you take them all out.
Go Back Through Each Area To Collect Missed Items - besides the Eggo you get for defeating this chapter, there are also a number of collectibles to gather in this dungeon (a VHS tape, camera lens, birdhouses etc.).
