Stranger Things had Several Video Game Influences

In case you are one of the uninitiated, Stranger Things is a new Netflix original series. It came out recently and tackles an eerie and dark story with an undeniably 80's setting and style. I've got to be honest here, if you haven't seen it, you need to. I mean it. Right now. Drop everything and binge the whole thing. You can come back when you're done.


It's just so so good.

Okay, now that you're on the same page as the rest of us, you probably have a slight beef with my title. "No! Stranger Things was inspired by the sci-fi stories, horror films, and The Goonies!" you're screaming at your computer as if I can hear you. True. But when IGN's Chris Tilly sat down the show creators Matt and Ross Duffer, they said that video games helped to inspired the twisted tale as well. According to them, both Silent Hill and Dark Souls helped them shape the alternate world of the Upside Down. Another game they specifically mentioned was The Last of Us: specifically the way it handled the story. On top of that, the Duffer twins admitted that they are pretty big gamers, so there could be influences they haven't even considered.

Look at that. We didn't even need another reason to love Stranger Things, but we got one anyway.