We previously learned that Telltale Games had a game based on Netflix’s Stranger Things series before the company closed up shop. But a new report suggests that a second game was also in production. Alas, it went through a similar fate.
Based on the report, the developers of Oxenfree, Night School Studio, were hard at work on the game. Formed by former Telltale employees, the company struck a publishing deal with them prior. Its previous Mr. Robot game came out under its wing.
Shortly after its release, Telltale asked Night School to collaborate on the Stranger Things project. The studio found it to be appealing. As a result, it started work back in January 2018, under the codename “Kids Next Door.”
Meanwhile, Telltale’s episodic Stranger Things project was also in the works. And at one point, they were set to coincide. Night School’s game was more of a “mobile extension” to that game, rather than a full-fledged release.
But as development went on, things got a bit shaky between Telltale, Night School, and Netflix. Shortly after leaked footage of the publisher’s main Stranger Things game went online, it reportedly got a fine by the online streaming service. Telltale even stopped paying Night School altogether at one point.
Shortly after Telltale closed in September 2018, Night School had no choice but to cancel the game. Fortunately, it had a new project waiting in the wings – the indie darling Afterparty, which we enjoyed quite a bit during a recent preview event.
It’s a shame that the Stranger Things projects never saw the light of day, though. The description for the games reads as “The Witcher 3 meets Night in the Woods, with a hint of games like Oxenfree or Firewatch.”
You can read the full report here. And don’t fret, Stranger Things fans. BonusXP is hard at work on a retro-style Stranger Things adventure. It releases on July 4, the same day that season three premieres on Netflix.
