Life is Strangeis a franchise that has a mix of games that are connected and standalone entries. In cases like this, there are generally two orders in which the games can be played: release order and chronological order. However,Life is Strangeis unique in thatnot every game needs to be played in a specific sequence to have the required contextfor other titles. For certain games in the series, however, playing one before another leads to massive spoilers, making things tricky for new players.
While not every game in the series is connected,Life is Strangefocuses on characters in their late teens to early twenties as they undergo a coming-of-age experience. However, it can also feature a wider range of ages, like the younger Daniel inLiS2or Chris inThe Awesome Adventures of Captain Spiritstandalone entry.These stories often include a protagonist with unique abilitiesthat help them on their journeys. With therelease ofLife is Strange: Double Exposure, it’s the perfect time to dive into the franchise.
The Original Life Is Strange Is The Best Starting Point
Max Caulfield’s First Journey
The originalLife is Strangeis the best starting point. It follows Max Caulfield, an aspiring photographer, as she returns to her hometown of Arcadia Bay to spend her senior year of high school studying at Blackwell Academy. Revisiting Arcadia Bay results in Max encountering her former best friend, Chloe Price, whom she left behind when she moved to Seattle with her parents. However, what should be a normal senior year starts to take a turn when Max helps Chloe investigate the disappearance of Rachel Amber.
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As they dig into what happened to Rachel, and if her disappearance is as simple as her finally leaving Arcadia Bay behind as she wanted, Max learns some dark secrets about the people of both Blackwell Academy and Arcadia Bay. She also ends up in some dangerous situations with Chloe buthas the power to rewind time to help them stay out of trouble as much as possible. Between the cozy vibes of Arcadia Bay and the mysterious plot,Life is Strange 1is the perfect taste of what the franchise has to offer.
Continue The Journey With Life Is Strange: Before The Storm
Chloe’s Story Before The First Game
Life is Strange: Before the Stormis technically a prequel to the first game, butit shouldn’t be played beforeLife is Strange. Even though it’s a prequel, the release order of games still often relies on the expectation that a player will have engaged with the originally released content beforehand, so things may not be as clearly explained or, in this case, even contain spoilers. Plus, there are often nods to things that come later in the timeline, which players miss out on enjoying if they play out of release order.
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This time, the game follows Chloe when she’s still a student at Blackwell Academy, meaning that the player doesn’t have access to Max’s rewind powers to help them out. Since the main characters are Chloe and Rachel,Before the Stormfeatures some huge spoilers forLife is Strangeby showing how their friendship started in detail. Playing it as the second game ultimately makes for a more rewarding playthrough as you’ll have context for some ofBefore the Storm’s key bittersweet moments.
If you still opt for starting withBefore The Stormbefore playingLife is Strange 1, it is still highly recommended that you do not playFarewell, theBefore The Stormbonus episode. Even if you playBefore The Stormfirst and feel it’s only natural to wrap up with the bonus episode before playingLife is Strange 1,Farewellis best enjoyed after completing both games.
Shift To A New Story With Life Is Strange 2
A Story About Brothers
After witnessing a traumatic event,Life is Strange 2follows two brothersas they set off on a journey to their dad’s hometown in Mexico. Technically,this game can be played first if players have no interest in the first game or just feel that they may prefer this story, as the story of Sean and Daniel’s experience of trekking to Mexico with limited resources is a completely isolated story from that of Max and Chloe’s mystery-solving.
The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit has decisions that tie intoLiS2, making this standalone game an optional choice to play betweenLiSandLiS2.
That being said, it’s not recommended.Life is Strange 2features several Easter eggs and references to the originalLife is Strangethat can’t be appreciated without context. So, while it isn’t a must to play the firstLife is Strangeto understand the second, as they’re completely different stories, you will miss out on a few things if you intend to play both and playLife is Strange 2first. Furthermore,LiSis the more well-received game, so it’s a good way to know if you’d like to play more from the franchise.
Join Alex In Life Is Strange: True Colors
Steph From Blackwell Academy Returns
The franchise returns to the cozysmall-town vibes withLife is Strange: True Colors, where the story is centered around one location and a mysterious death. In this story,Alex has powers of empathy that allow her to see and absorb other people’s emotions, naturally opening up some interesting new narrative opportunities and choices. That being said,True Colorsfollows the same rule as the others on this list as it should be enjoyed in release order with the rest of the franchise.
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For one thing, Steph returns as a character in this title, only adding to the lengthy number of references to previous games that can be found during Alex’s journey. Since there is no direct link toLiS2inTrue Colors,you could theoretically swapTrue ColorswithLife is Strange 2in your play order without really missing out on anything, but it’s not recommendedunless you simply don’t plan to playLife is Strange 2at all. Also, don’t forget to play the bonus episode,Wavelength, afterTrue Colors.
Max Returns In Life Is Strange: Double Exposure
College Isn’t Easier On Max
Although some of you may be looking to jump right into the franchise with the latest entry,Double Exposure, that would be a mistake. SinceMax returns as the protagonist inDouble Exposure,it’s vital to play at least the firstLife is Strangebefore it. That being said, if you don’t have any interest inLiS2orTrue Colors, you can skip them without ruining anything, but the optimal recommended order if you do that is stillLiS,Before The Storm,Farewell, and thenDouble Exposure.
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Now in college, Max continues to pursue a career in photography alongside new friends and classmates. With Max back in the role of protagonist,her powers are also going to play a key elementas she tries to solve the mystery of her friend’s murder. However, after not using them for years, Max creates overlapping timelines when she tries, causing her to see both at the same time.
Release Order Is The Best Order For Life Is Strange
The Strongest Option For New Players
With the risk for spoilers depending on which games are played first,the best option for a new player is to experienceLife is Strangein release order. The only real exceptions to this areLife is Strange 2andTrue Colors. Since these two stories operate independently, they can be enjoyed on their own without any additional context or skipped altogether if players feel that they would have no interest in these stories.
Once you’ve already played through the franchise in its intended order,playing them chronologically can be a fun way to revisit the franchise. In particular, it’s different to playLife is Strange: Before the Storm,before the firstLife is Strangewhen all the spoiler information for both games is already known. In each game, the small interactions and simple moments that capture what makes the characters unique provide a charm toLife is Strangethat is best appreciated by experiencing the story in full.
