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You might remember Popverse's recent reporting on the fact that Netflix wants to make Stranger Things video games. You might have forgotten, however, that there already exists a semi-popular Stranger Things video game. But don't worry - it's an easy thing to forget. Just two years after the game came out, it was made a lot less accessible to play, and now, fans of the game are ditching it in droves. Let's talk about Stranger Things 3: The Game.

As the title implies, Stranger Things 3: The Game was released in 2019, to coincide with Stranger Things season 3's release on Netflix. Developed by BonusXP, the game was a classic beat 'em up, designed in the retro style of gaming's 16-bit era. It was made available on Steam for MacOS, Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in July of 2019, then ported to Android and iOS a few months later.

And then, just two years later, the game was stripped from Steam entirely.

These days, the game still exists, but it is only accessible if one has a Netflix subscription. Not only that, but there was a recent software update (January 7, 2025, according to the game's Google Play page), and fans have been reporting a significant drop in quality ever since. 

"I've played this game before and beat it twice," says one reviewer, "It's a fun game. Something changed and now it's not playable."

"Hopefully it gets fixed," writes another, "But from the reviews here I think not as they are all ignored."

One reviewer going by the name Jason even suggests that the game's recent problems point to a desire on the owners' part to let it die out. "This was a great game to play," Jason writes, "and I fear that the broken stuff is done to ease the game out of the ecosystem."

As Netflix moves toward making different games based in the Stranger Things universe, is Stranger Things 3: The Game being left behind or even killed off? Maybe, but it is extremely important to note a big change happening behind the scenes in the game, that is, that developer BonusXP closed in 2023.

I suppose that not everything is a conspiracy, even if it does take part in a universe loosely based on MKUltra.

Stranger Things season 5 is expected on Netflix later this year. 

As we all collectively wait for Stranger Things season 5, here's the keys to getting ready:

• How to watch Stranger Things in chronological or release order
• Getting to know the Stranger Things season 5 cast
• There needs to be more death in Stranger Things, says co-star Gaten Matarazzo
• The Stranger Things time jump between season 4 and 5 has been confirmed by Netflix - and it raises some serious questions
• "They land the plane," David Harbour describes the Stranger Things finale, which he calls its "best episode"