Love is Strange

Love is Strange is a visual novel taking place in an alternate universe of Life is Strange that lets you take control of of Max Caulfield once again, now in her second year at Blackwell Academy. Max has spent the last year reuniting with her best friend, Chloe Price, and meeting and getting to know the other students at Blackwell, like Kate Marsh, Rachel Amber, and Victoria Chase.

Much of this visual novel’s backstory is roughly the same as presented in Life is Strange, with Max returning to her hometown, Arcadia Bay, from five years spent living in Seattle. Max has had a lifelong dream of pursuing a career in photography, which is the focus of her studies at Blackwell. At the beginning of Love is Strange, Max is presented with an opportunity to enter a photography contest- one that necessitates picking a partner. What happens from there on out is up to you.

This game falls under the ‘dating sim’ category of visual novels, although there is barely any emphasis on dating and the storylines are more about fostering trust and positive relationships. There are four different characters in the game with storylines to pursue (Chloe, Kate, Victoria, and Rachel), and nine different endings. The player will be able to make dialogue and action decisions throughout the game that have a real impact on the direction of the story and relationship being developed.