Stranger Things: The Game for iOS

Hawkins, Indiana Chief of Police Jim Hopper gets a call that four children have gone missing, and he needs to find them. Play as Hopper in this 16-bit SNES-inspired action-adventure game, as he explores familiar locations from the show, including Mirkwood Forest and Hawkins Lab, in order to find them.

Pros

Two modes to play in: Before starting the game, you are given the option to play in either Normal mode, suitable for less-experienced pixel adventure game players, or Classic for more experienced players.

Easy to play: No fancy moves required here. Just tap where you want Hopper to go, grab Eggos and Gnomes, which unlock special bonuses, or smash enemies, and he'll follow.

Easy-to-follow storyline: The storyline is simple -- find the missing boys. That means that even if you've never seen the Netflix show, you'll know what to do. That said, you should definitely see the show, because it's awesome.

More characters to come: Keep playing and unlock more characters, such as Lucas Sinclair or Nancy Wheeler, friends of the missing boys, who get in on the hunt to find them.

Plenty of '80s nostalgia: As on the "Stranger Things" TV series, '80s references abound in the game. For example, chapter one is titled "The Lost Boys," a nod to the 1987 cult teenage vampire movie. Or when Hopper picks up a phone that's not ringing, he gets the message, "Who ya gonna call?" a line from Ray Parker Jr.'s 1984 "Ghostbusters" song.

Same as the show, but different: The title, music, locations, characters, and '80s retro feel will be familiar to fans of the show, but the story goes in new directions, both location-wise and story-wise.

Free: Stranger Things: The Game is entirely free. That means no microtransactions, either.

Cons

Can only be played in landscape mode: If you prefer to play games in vertical mode, know that that is not an option in this game.

Bottom Line

Whether or not you're a "Stranger Things" fan, Stranger Things: The Game is worth exploring.