Netflix's Stranger Things is quite notable for its nostalgia. As demonstrated by its 1980s setting, retro aesthetic featuring decade-appropriate hairstyles and outfits, as well as the dated references made throughout the show, Stranger Things is quite inspired by the past, but the influence of video games on the iconic Netflix Original may be just as big.
References to video games and scenes evocative of iconic titles like Silent Hill can be found throughout the show, likely owing to the series creators, the Duffer Brothers, being big gamers themselves. Fittingly enough, Netflix's popular program has crossed over with some of the biggest names in gaming in the 5 years since its debut, and some of these collaborations have certainly been on the stranger side of things.
Minecraft
What franchise hasn't crossed over with Minecraft at this point? The massively successful block builder introduced some Stranger Things skins right around the debut of the second season, allowing players to build freely as both fan-favorite characters and terrifying monsters. Unfortunately, no locations from the TV show made it into the game, but that hasn't stopped Stranger Things fans from building a few themselves.
Face Your Fears
VR title Face Your Fears previously collaborated with Stranger Things to bring players an up-close look at the series' setting of Hawkins, Indiana, and a few of the cosmic horrors that inhabit it; there's even a face-to-face encounter with the show's dreaded Demogorgon. Unfortunately, Turtle Rock Studios' license to Stranger Things expired a few years following this expansion's launch, so the content is no longer accessible.
Fortnite
To promote Stranger Things' third season, the Netflix series teamed up with Fortnite to run a crossover event that featured Upside Down portals located around the map, an in-game location modeled after the ice-cream shop that Stranger Things characters Steve Harrington and Robin Buckley work at, as well as skins based on Chief Jim Hopper and the Demogorgon. Seeing either of these Stranger Things characters popping off after a Victory Royale with trendy dance moves is, indeed, a strange thing to witness.
Dead By Daylight
Dead by Daylight just turned 5 years old last month, and the asymmetrical multiplayer horror game is still going strong. To keep the game feeling fresh, developer Behaviour Interactive has regularly delivered new content based on iconic horror franchises, and one such expansion brought over some elements from Stranger Things. Survivors can take control of characters like Nancy Wheeler, Steve Harrington, and Jonathan Byers, while the killer can pursue players as the ominous Demogorgon.
Rocket League
Rocket League is another title notable for its frequent collaborative events, and for Halloween 2019, quite a few Stranger Things-themed cosmetics were brought over to the popular online game. Additionally, the game's Farmstead Arena saw a temporary redesign, adopting some traits specific to Stranger Things' Upside Down world for the duration of Rocket League's yearly Haunted Hallows event.
The Seven Deadly Sins: Grand Cross
This collaboration sees the residents of Hawkins, Indiana working alongside Meliodas and the other six Sins to take down Stranger Things' main villain, the Mind Flayer, in this mobile role-playing title. The Netflix show's cast boasts new, anime-inspired looks that are, admittedly, a little jarring at first glance, but they fit right in with the art style of The Seven Deadly Sins.
SMITE
SMITE has previously crossed over with the likes of RWBY, Avatar, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Stranger Things is the latest franchise to join that list. Of course, it's not like the actual characters themselves will be going to battle against mythical gods and creatures. The Stranger Things expansion for SMITE just brings skins inspired by the series' cast into the game. Scylla can suit up as Eleven, Apollo as Chief Jim Hopper, while Bakasura and Sylvanaus can take on the forms of the Demogorgon and the Mind Flayer, respectively.