The Best Order For Playing The Life Is Strange Games

While not every game in the series is connected, Life is Strange tends to focus 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 in LiS2 or Chris in The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit standalone entry. These stories often include a protagonist with unique abilities that help them through their individual journeys. With the release of Life is Strange: Double Exposure, it's the perfect time to dive into the franchise as a whole.

The Original Life Is Strange Is The Best Starting Point

Max Caulfield's First Journey

The original Life is Strange is 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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Life Is Strange: Arcadia Bay Collection combines the Rachel Amber story arc in one solid package, and is a great option for newcomers to the series.

As they dig into what happened to Rachel, and if her disappearance is as simple as her finally leaving Arcadia Bay behind like 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, but at least she has 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 1 is 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 Storm is a prequel to the first game, but it shouldn't be played before Life is Strange if a player hasn't played either of them in the past. 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 Storm features some huge spoilers for Life is Strange by showing how their friendship started in detail. Playing it as the second game ultimately makes for a more rewarding order, enhancing Before the Storm's strong points as a bittersweet experience.

Shift To A New Story With Life Is Strange 2

A Story About Brothers

Life is Strange 2 follows brothers as they set off on a journey to their dad's hometown in Mexico after witnessing a traumatic event. Technically, this game can be played first, and players can experience Sean and Daniel's experience of trekking to Mexico with limited resources instead of Max and Chloe's mystery-solving.

There are some Easter Eggs referencing the original Life is Strange in this game, but not to the point that the plot requires context from Max and Chloe's story to understand. However, LiS is the more widely preferred game overall, so LiS2 is better in the middle of the series.

Join Alex In Life Is Strange: True Colors

Steph From Blackwell Academy Returns

The franchise returns to the cozy small town vibes the first game had with Life is Strange: True Colors, where the story is centered around one location and a mysterious death. Alex has powers of empathy that let her see and absorb other people's emotions, naturally opening up some interesting new narrative opportunities and choices.

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Life is Strange: True Colors is an emotional rollercoaster that also serves as a truly compelling lesson about the importance of empathy.

Steph returns as a character in this title, adding to the number of references to past games that can be found during Alex's journey. Because it's not directly connected to LiS2, True Colors and LiS2 can be swapped in the Life is Strange play order without losing any crucial context.

Max Returns In Life Is Strange: Double Exposure

College Isn't Easier On Max

Because Max is returning in Double Exposure, it's important to play at least the first Life is Strange before diving into the latest game. 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 element in the game as 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 them again, seeing both at the same time.

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Life Is Strange: Double Exposure All Edition Differences & Pre-Order Bonuses

Like many games, Life is Strange: Double Exposure will be released with multiple editions available for purchase. But what does each one offer?

At the time of writing this, only the first two episodes of Double Exposure are available, and they're only available to players who purchased the Ultimate Edition to get early access. As a result, it's difficult to say how much of the plot from the first game ties into this game, or if it's reasonably cut off from those events thanks to the passage of time. Either way, solving a murder mystery is sure to be another intriguing journey, especially when it involves two timelines existing at once.

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 experience Life is Strange in release order. In some cases, the games can be swapped, and the only consequence will be missing references and Easter Eggs. For example, True Colors and Life is Strange 2 can be played in either order without losing out on context or important information for the opposite game, allowing for some options to personalize the experience.

After playing through the franchise in release order, it's fun to revisit it later in chronological order. It feels particularly different to play Life is Strange: Before the Storm before the first Life is Strange when all the spoiler information is already known, so drawing out interactions as if it'll save characters from their inevitable fates. In each game, the small interactions and simple moments that capture what makes the characters unique provide a unique charm to Life is Strange.

Life is Strange: Double Exposure

Platform(s) PC , PS5 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S

Released October 29, 2024

Developer(s) Deck Nine

Publisher(s) Square Enix