Life is Strange
Life is Strange follows the story of Max Caulfield, a photography student who discovers she has the power to rewind time, leading her to uncover the darker side of Arcadia Bay. Alongside her best friend Chloe, Max investigates the mysterious disappearance of fellow student Rachel Amber, all while grappling with the consequences of her newfound abilities. The game is a choose-your-own-adventure game, allowing players to rewind time and affect the past, present, and future as they navigate Max's journey and the unfolding narrative shaped by their decisions. Special thanks to Twitter user SoulziesArt for compiling some of the below information.
- Release date: 01-29-2015
- Developer: DON'T NOD, Feral Interactive, & Pingle Game Studio
- Publisher: Feral Interactive & Square Enix
- Platforms: Android, iOS, Linux, MacOS, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Windows PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Triggers for this game
Animals & Wildlife
Birds
Episode 3 (dead), Episode 4 (can save)
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
You can kill a bird if you close the window, although you can rewind in time and save it.
- Can't be avoided
Dogs
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
Avoidable — Episode 3 — If you choose to throw the false bone to the highway, the dog gets knocked down by a truck. To avoid, throw the bone to the parking lot. Episode 4 — If you choose the wrong answer in a conversation, the friend of the main character shoots a dog and a man. You can avoid this by choosing the right answer, not finding the gun, or asking Frank to NOT open the door which contains Pompidou. Do not call Pompidou or talk about either the letter or Frank's bracelet.
- Is avoidable
- Can't be avoided
Insects
Ants, butterflies
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
Ants — There is a large amount of ants concentrated in an area for an optional collectible in the game. Butterflies — Major role in the game
- Can't be avoided
Misc. Animals & Critters
Episodes 3 & 4: Whales (dead); deer
- Can't be avoided
Rodents
Rabbit
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
Kate has a rabbit and Max can offer to look after it here and there for her
- Is avoidable
Crime
Being Held Against Will
Episodes 4 & 5
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
Episode 4 — Photos of girls tied and dying are shown. Episode 5 — Max is tied in a chair in some sequences. Another character is also shown tied in some moments (depending on certain choices made in Episodes 1 and 4).
- Can't be avoided
Explosions & Bombs
Massive explosion
- Can't be avoided
- Can't be avoided
- Can't be avoided
Illegal Drug Sales
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
One character is a drug dealer, and a major puzzle involves using the drug dealer's list of customer contacts in order to find a culprit. Most, if not all the contacts are underage. Some of the drugs sold are hard drugs too.
- Can't be avoided
Kidnapping
Episode 4 & 5
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
Episode 4 — Photos of girls tied and dying are shown. Episode 5 — Max is tied in a chair in some sequences. Another character is also shown tied in some moments (depending on certain choices made in Episodes 1 and 4).
- Can't be avoided
Murder
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
A girl is shot at the beginning of the game. Episode 4 — A girl is shot in the forehead, blood is shown. We later see the girl in the floor with blood around her. Episode 5 — If you decide to tell Chloe's step dad, David, that she was killed by the villain, he'll shoot the killer offscreen. However, the player can see the dead body of the villain.
- Can't be avoided
Road-Related Violence
Car accident (mention), dog hit by truck
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
Unavoidable — Chloe's dad died in a car accident, and this is mentioned several times. Chloe has major PTSD from being in the car accident as well. Avoidable — Episode 3 — If you choose to throw the false bone to the highway, the dog gets knocked down by a truck. To avoid, throw the bone to the parking lot.
- Is avoidable
- Can't be avoided
Torture
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
The main villain is a man who drugs and kidnaps teenage girls, then photographs them while they are unconscious. Near the end of the game the protagonist is abducted by him and wakes up tied to a chair in a bunker.
- Can't be avoided
Death & Loss
Death of Child
Teens
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
There is a teen character who was killed prior to the game who is a big part of the plot. Throughout the game, a couple of other characters can die as well.
- Can't be avoided
Death of Friend
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
It is revealed that the girl who disappeared is dead. There is a scene when she is found where a bag can be seen, implying that she is inside. Chloe dies at the end, if the player chooses to sacrifice her.
- Can't be avoided
Death of Parent
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
Chloe's father died in a car accident, and she has PTSD from being in the car
- Can't be avoided
Death of pet
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
Avoidable — Episode 3 — If you choose to throw the false bone to the highway, the dog gets knocked down by a truck. To avoid, throw the bone to the parking lot. Episode 4 — If you choose the wrong answer in a conversation, the friend of the main character shoots a dog and a man. You can avoid this by choosing the right answer, not finding the gun, or asking Frank to NOT open the door which contains Pompidou. Do not call Pompidou or talk about either the letter or Frank's bracelet.
- Is avoidable
Misc. Death & Loss
Dubious morality around death
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
Episode 4 — You have to let an innocent man die to return to the original timeline.
- Can't be avoided
Suicide
Attempt in episode 2; assisted suicide/euthanasia in episode 4; self-sacrifice in episode 5
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
Episode 2 — Kate is shown jumping off of a building. You immediately rewind time and go to the roof to speak with her. However, if you chose the wrong dialogue, she will jump off the building and die. You cannot rewind that scenario. Episode 4 — You have the option to assist a disabled character's suicide. Episode 5 — Self-sacrifice. Chloe and Max speak in a vision, and Chloe says that it's not worth the town being destroyed if she continues living (especially without Rachel).
- Can't be avoided
Disturbing Sounds & Sound Design
- Can't be avoided
Sirens & Alarms
Fire alarms
- Can't be avoided
Drugs & Alcohol
Alcohol Consumption
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Drinking is shown, including underage.
- Can't be avoided
Casual Drug Consumption
Weed
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
A girl smokes weed in her bedroom.
- Can't be avoided
Forced Drug Use
Roofied
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
Nathan drugged Chloe and took photographs of her while she was unconscious. Fortunately, she awoke and managed to fight back and escape before he got around to doing anything really nasty. Kate, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky, and was coerced into making out with several boys. Nathan records this and uploads it basically to YouTube. As you investigate the situation, you learn others have been drugged.
- Can't be avoided
Misc. Drugs & Alcohol Content
Overdose (depends on story choices)
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
Before the game takes place one of the antagonists accidentally overdoses someone. It is not shown in the game though it is talked about in Episode 5.
- Is avoidable
- Can't be avoided
Financial & Resource Management
Homelessness
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
You can interact with a homeless woman and warn her about the impending storm. Doing so will save her life.
- Can't be avoided
Gore
- Can't be avoided
Blood
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
When you use too much the time rewind power, your character bleeds a bit from the nose. Dead animals (Episodes 3-4). Episode 4 — A girl is shot in the forehead, blood is shown. We later see the girl in the floor with blood around her. A boy hits another that has a gun numerous times. If you choose to stay away from him, the "good boy" hits the "bad boy" more times and he starts bleeding. Episode 5 — A man hits another man various times and dies. In the same sequence if you choose the wrong choice the bad guy will shoot the other man, showing some blood. If you do it right, the good guy hits the other man various times. In the part of the game, when you speak with the man who saved you, if you choose "TELL THE TRUTH" he will shoot the bad guy, showing blood. A lot of pigeons hit the windows of the classroom covering everything with blood. Weird and bloody. Dead people shown in the street.
- Can't be avoided
- Can't be avoided
Hate & Discrimination
Ableism
Slur; sanism
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
Slur — Variations on the R word are seen a few times in the game, although they can thankfully be easy to miss. This includes graffiti in the car park in episode 1 and a variation of the slur used in an email you can read in episode 4 (depending on your choices). Sanism — Heavy in this game. Use of 'psycho'/'psychotic' in a derogatory manner.
- Is avoidable
Eugenics
Euthanasia of a paraplegic individual in an alternate reality
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
Episode 4 — You have the option to "assist" with a disabled character's suicide. The disabled character in question is an alternate reality version of Chloe, and the idea is that living disabled is far too hard to continue due to respiratory issues, limitations, and the financial burden this child has on her parents.
Homophobia
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
Nathan uses the d-slur in one of his voice lines (in the diner) if you choose to speak with him about a certain topic. Max finds vandalism on the door of a minor character's room that uses homophobic language to refer to said minor character.
- Can't be avoided
Horror Themes
Ghosts & Hauntings
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
Max regularly encounters a doe, who is said to be Rachel's ghost. Episode 5 — If Kate dies in episode 2, you encounter her ghost towards the end of episode 5.
- Can't be avoided
Jump Scares
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
Slight scare in the the very beginning of “Chaos Theory” where Chloe jumps out behind Max in an attempt to scare her (for fun, not mean).
- Can't be avoided
Kink & BDSM
Necrophilia
Comments in a nightmare
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
in a nightmare, a character makes a necrophilic comment.
- Can't be avoided
Mental Health
Anxiety
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
Avoidable — Chloe has medications for anxiety & depression in her bathroom cabinet at home.
- Is avoidable
- Can't be avoided
Depression
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
Avoidable — Chloe has medications for anxiety & depression in her bathroom cabinet at home.
- Is avoidable
- Can't be avoided
Eating Disorders
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
Avoidable — If you go through Nathan’s computer, he has a tab open to diet pills & the conclusion can be drawn that he’s using them himself.
- Is avoidable
- Can't be avoided
- Can't be avoided
Mental Illness
Nathan
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
Nathan is mentally ill, being coded as someone with one of a number of mental illnesses (never confirmed which one). He is shown to be incredibly violent multiple times throughout the game. Depending on the timeline, he is a murderer as well.
- Can't be avoided
Misc. Mental Health
Derealization
- Can't be avoided
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Chloe; David
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
This is shown far more in the prequel game, but Chloe has major PTSD from being in a car accident in which her dad died. Chloe's stepdad David also has PTSD from serving in the military.
- Can't be avoided
Suicidal Ideation
Episode 2
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
Kate shows suicidal ideation in conversations with you prior to her suicide attempt.
- Can't be avoided
Natural Events
Natural Disaster
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
Episode 5 — You can choose to let your friend die or destroy the whole city. If you choose to let your friend die, the same sequence of the first episode (when a boy shoots a girl) is shown, but we see more blood than the first time. If you choose to destroy the city, some corpses can be seen.
- Is avoidable
Storms
Visions of a tornado ruining the bay
- Can't be avoided
Non-Sexual Abuse & Violence
- Can't be avoided
Assault
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
A boy is shown being bullied. It isn't violent, but it is implied that they assaulted him. A character fights another, and the one who is your friend gets a bruised eye. A man tries to kill you with his knife if you do something to him, but the game orders you to rewind time so you only see the man moving to your character. If you choose the wrong answer, the friend of the main character shoots a dog and a man. Also with another answer the man can get injured with his own knife. The man can kill you, but the game pauses and have to rewind. But you can also finish with no one injured. Episode 4 — In Episode 4, Warren beats Nathan to a pulp if you let him. It's meant as a revenge for when Nathan beat Warren up in the parking lot and also for his mistreatment of Max and Kate.
- Can't be avoided
Blackmail
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
Chloe attempts to blackmail Nathan for drugging her, hoping to use the money to help her and Rachel finally escape Arcadia Bay together. It goes very poorly.
- Can't be avoided
Bullying
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
A boy is shown being bullied. It isn't violent, but it is implied that they assaulted him.
- Can't be avoided
Child Abuse
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
David is verbally abusive (and depending on a choice in the first episode, physically abusive) to Chloe. Nathan's father is abusive to him. Jefferson is a father figure for Nathan and not only grooms and manipulates him, he ends up killing him. Kate's mother is emotionally and religiously abusive to her. Frank's father was neglectful and religiously abusive.
- Can't be avoided
Child Endangerment
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
David is verbally abusive (and depending on a choice in the first episode, physically abusive) to Chloe. Nathan's father is abusive to him. Jefferson is a father figure for Nathan and not only grooms and manipulates him, he ends up killing him. Kate's mother is emotionally and religiously abusive to her. Frank's father was neglectful and religiously abusive.
- Can't be avoided
Domestic Violence
Slap
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
David is verbally abusive (and depending on a choice in the first episode, physically abusive) to Chloe. Nathan's father is abusive to him. Jefferson is a father figure for Nathan and not only grooms and manipulates him, he ends up killing him. Kate's mother is emotionally and religiously abusive to her. Frank's father was neglectful and religiously abusive.
- Can't be avoided
Emotional Abuse
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
David is verbally abusive (and depending on a choice in the first episode, physically abusive) to Chloe. Nathan's father is abusive to him. Jefferson is a father figure for Nathan and not only grooms and manipulates him, he ends up killing him. Kate's mother is emotionally and religiously abusive to her. Frank's father was neglectful and religiously abusive.
- Can't be avoided
Gaslighting
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
The main antagonist/villain gaslights people throughout the game, including grooming the secondary antagonist into doing a lot of horrible things for him.
- Can't be avoided
Harassment
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
A boy is shown being bullied. It isn't violent, but it is implied that they assaulted him.
- Can't be avoided
Manipulation
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
David is verbally abusive (and depending on a choice in the first episode, physically abusive) to Chloe. Nathan's father is abusive to him. Jefferson is a father figure for Nathan and not only grooms and manipulates him, he ends up killing him. Kate's mother is emotionally and religiously abusive to her. Frank's father was neglectful and religiously abusive.
- Can't be avoided
Misc. Non-Sexual Abuse & Violence
Choking; Victim-blaming (episode 2)
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
Victim-blaming — Done by Mr. Jefferson in Episode 2
- Can't be avoided
Psychological Abuse
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
David is verbally abusive (and depending on a choice in the first episode, physically abusive) to Chloe. Nathan's father is abusive to him. Jefferson is a father figure for Nathan and not only grooms and manipulates him, he ends up killing him. Kate's mother is emotionally and religiously abusive to her. Frank's father was neglectful and religiously abusive.
- Can't be avoided
Phobias
Acrophobia
Episode 2
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
Episode 2 — Kate is shown jumping off of a building. You immediately rewind time and go to the roof to speak with her. However, if you chose the wrong dialogue, she will jump off the building and die. You cannot rewind that scenario.
- Can't be avoided
Emetophobia
Noises but not shown
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
Unavoidable — A girl gags after digging up a dead body, but no vomit is shown. Avoidable — During a big pool party in the school in the fourth episode, it's possible to go into one of the bathrooms and find a boy hunched over a toilet, noisily vomiting.
- Is avoidable
- Can't be avoided
Hemophobia
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
When you use too much the time rewind power, your character bleeds a bit from the nose. Dead animals (Episodes 3-4). Episode 4 — A girl is shot in the forehead, blood is shown. We later see the girl in the floor with blood around her. A boy hits another that has a gun numerous times. If you choose to stay away from him, the "good boy" hits the "bad boy" more times and he starts bleeding. Episode 5 — A man hits another man various times and dies. In the same sequence if you choose the wrong choice the bad guy will shoot the other man, showing some blood. If you do it right, the good guy hits the other man various times. In the part of the game, when you speak with the man who saved you, if you choose "TELL THE TRUTH" he will shoot the bad guy, showing blood. A lot of pigeons hit the windows of the classroom covering everything with blood. Weird and bloody. Dead people shown in the street.
- Can't be avoided
Merinthophobia
Episodes 4 & 5
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
Episode 4 — Photos of girls tied and dying are shown. Episode 5 — The main character is tied in a chair in some sequences. Another character is also shown tied in some moments (depending on certain choices made in Episodes 1 and 4).
- Can't be avoided
Necrophobia
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
Episode 5 — If you decide to tell Chloe's step dad, David, that she was killed by the villain, he'll shoot the killer offscreen. However, the player can see the dead body of the villain. A lot of pigeons hit the windows of the classroom covering everything with blood. Weird and bloody. Dead people shown in the street. You allow a teenage boy and girl to die or save them. You can choose to let your friend die or destroy the whole city. If you choose to let your friend die, the same sequence of the first episode (when a boy shoots a girl) is shown, but we see more blood than the first time. If you choose to destroy the city, some corpses can be seen.
- Can't be avoided
Trypanophobia
Episode 4
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
Episode 4 — A man injects a syringe in the main character's neck.
- Can't be avoided
Physical Health & Body Issues
Hospitalization
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
Depending on various choices, you may visit Kate in the hospital following an attempted suicide.
- Can't be avoided
Misc. Physical Health & Body Issues
Parapelgia
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
Episode 4 — You have the option to "assist" with a disabled character's suicide. The disabled character in question is an alternate reality version of Chloe, and the idea is that living disabled is far too hard to continue due to respiratory issues, limitations, and the financial burden this child has on her parents.
- Can't be avoided
- Can't be avoided
Reproductive Health
Abortion
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
If Max looks at the home pregnancy test in Dana's room, then rewinds and doesn't touch it, only brings it up, Dana tells Max that she was pregnant, and strongly implies that she got an abortion previously. Nothing happens on screen, and Max can find a doctor's note which shows a previous appointment at a health clinic where she most likely got the abortion.
- Can't be avoided
Sex & Erotica (Consensual)
Adultry
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
A minor character gets cheated on with her boyfriend and was tricked into thinking her friend was involved. A character finds out her girlfriend has been cheating on her and is obviously very upset about it.
- Can't be avoided
Kissing
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
Max has two possible love interests: Warren or Chloe. Depending on the player's choices, Max can kiss Warren, Chloe, neither, or both.
- Can't be avoided
Nudity
Implied on posters
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
In the same episode when entering a drug dealers RV; you can see a rather clear poster of two naked women kissing. You can also see a naked woman as someone's laptop wallpaper. If you observe closely you'll most likely find more posters similar to this. It doesn't show any actual nudity, just implied.
- Can't be avoided
Sexual Abuse
Child Sexual Assault
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
Nathan drugged Chloe and took photographs of her while she was unconscious. Fortunately, she awoke and managed to fight back and escape before he got around to doing anything really nasty. Kate, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky, and was coerced into making out with several boys. Victoria records this and uploads it basically to YouTube. As you investigate the situation, you learn others have been drugged.
- Can't be avoided
Grooming
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
Talk of student/teacher relationships (Nothing shown, but mentioned)
- Can't be avoided
Misc. Sexual Abuse
Non-consensual photography
- Can't be avoided
- Can't be avoided
Traumatic Events
Accidents
Car accident (mention), unintended gun injury (avoidable), train rail
ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers
Unavoidable — Chloe's dad died in a car accident, and this is mentioned several times. Chloe has major PTSD from being in the car accident as well. Avoidable — One character has a gun and in a part of the game you go with her and play with the weapon and the time. She asks you to shoot something and if you choose incorrectly, the bullet rebounds in the direction of your friend (the character who shot it) and gets injured. A girl is stuck on a train rail and if you don't save her, the train kills her. You only see the train near the girl and orders you to rewind time.
- Is avoidable
- Can't be avoided
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