Stranger Things melds with Werewolf in a new social deduction game

A new Stranger Things-themed board game combines the sci-fi Netflix series with the classic social deduction game, Werewolf.

An upcoming board game based on the television show, Stranger Things: Attack of the Mind Flayer sees players stepping into the fictional town of Hawkins on the eve of its invasion by the forces of the Upside Down. The game has players taking control of one of several key characters from the series – including Eleven, Mike, Dustin, Nancy and Steve – as the dreaded Mind Flayer looms on the horizon, waiting to take over the human world.

Attack of the Mind Flayer has four to ten players being secretly sorted into two teams, one supporting the Mind Flayer and one working against it. Using its ability to possess people, the Mind Flayer has taken over the minds of several people in Hawkins, commanding them to prepare for its imminent invasion. Whilst a group of the players are innocents trying to save their town, the others are secretly being controlled by the Mind Flayer and aiding its arrival.

As a social deduction game, Attack of the Mind Flayer challenges one team to figure out who is possessed, whilst the other must eliminate all the players that aren’t on their side. The Stranger Things game works very similarly to Werewolf, with each round seeing players discuss who they think might be suspicious, with the possessed characters wanting to deflect attention away from themselves. Players will also be able to help each other by giving them cards to provide protection from the Mind Flayer.

However, those players who aren’t protected can be attacked by another player who is possessed, allowing the Mind Flayer team to get one step closer to success. Throughout the course of the game, players may also switch sides, giving that team a distinct advantage. Whichever team manages to achieve their objective first is named the winner.

Stranger Things: Attack of the Mind Flayer was designed by Joey Vigour, the creator behind other social deduction board games such as Growl – a take on the Werewolf formula – and a space-themed board game that has players exploring planets called Chaosmos.

Development for Stranger Things: Attack of the Mind Flayer was completed by Repos Production, the studio responsible for board games such as Just One and Concept, with the tabletop title being released as part of a partnership between Asmodee and Netflix that will also include board games based on Squid Game and Ozark.

Stranger Things is a sci-fi Netlfix series that first aired in 2016, with its fourth season being released this summer. The series focuses on the fictional US town of Hawkins, Indiana, which starts witnesses some unusual goings on during the 1980s. The show is best known for its ‘80s cultural references, including everything from music to Dungeons & Dragons.

The release date for Stranger Things: Attack of the Mind Flayer is set for July 30th, with the game – alongside the previously mentioned Squid Game and Ozark tabletop adaptions – launching exclusively at Walmart, which is a US only store, at a retail price of $25 (£21). A wider release date is yet to be confirmed.