Stranger Things is a tribute to the 1980s as well as a horror series in its own right, and there is nothing more ’80s than the text adventure game. Since showing text on a screen was light on memory, you could cram an entire RPG into a floppy disk. Now Google and the Stranger Things team are reviving the tradition, with a 21st-century spin: It’s now an audio adventure game, with a few spoilers for the second season.
Designed for Google Home, the idea is that you’re calling Dustin from the show over his walkie-talkie, and have to guide him through various scenarios from the new season. Say “Hey Google, call Dustin from Stranger Things” to a Google Home device and it’ll fire up the game. It’s exactly like a text adventure game, although Dustin is far less likely to get eaten by a grue, just using your voice. The game itself is a bit limited by the medium, since it relies entirely on your voice and voice recognition, but Gaten Matarazzo’s voice work shines and the game itself is a lot of fun, much like the official mobile game.
There are spoilers, and it’s not essential to enjoying the second season. But, if you’re a Dustin fan, or just want more of the show after you binge-watch the whole season today, it’ll scratch that itch. Hopefully, though, the game opens up to a few other platforms, or at least becomes something you can play along with on your Android. But, hey, if you’re really obsessed, a Home Mini only costs $49!
(via Google)