Next Games is making a location-based Stranger Things mobile game

The Walking Dead: Our World developer Next Games is working on a location-based mobile game set in Netflix’s Stranger Things universe. It's not the first Stranger Things game Netflix has announced, but this one notably takes some cues from Niantic's Pokemon Go.

Netflix bills the game as a free-to-play RPG/puzzle title for mobile devices, featuring Google Maps integration, location-based gameplay, and social play.

Since the rise of Pokemon Go, a number of notable franchises have announced they’re following in Pokemon’s footsteps with their own location-based mobile games. Netflix’s Stranger Things is only the latest to do so: Minecraft, Dragon Quest, and Harry Potter all have Pokemon Go-like games on the way, and Netflix’s Stranger Things is only the latest to do so.

But for Netflix, the decision to launch a Stranger Things mobile game builds on the company’s growing interest in using interactive content alongside its traditional episodic and movie offerings. Netflix launched a choose-your-own-adventure style show called Bandersnatch earlier this year, and prior to that worked with Telltale Games to bring Minecraft: Story Mode to the service.

Now, the company’s efforts see it bringing games to other platforms. Stranger Things’ upcoming third season has a “companion game” due out next month called Stranger Things 3: The Game for multiple platforms, and Nintendo’s E3 live stream saw the announcement of The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics based on Netflix’s upcoming The Dark Crystal reboot.