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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteFor most players, Life Is Strange: True Colors is the best place to start: it has a self-contained story and a memorable supernatural ability. But the series’ strongest game depends on what you want from it—an intimate mystery, a road-trip drama, or more time with returning characters. This spoiler-light ranking compares the story games, not the order in which Square Enix displays them.
What this ranking covers—and how it works
Square Enix describes Life Is Strange as a series of third-person narrative adventures built around supernatural abilities, mysteries, characters, distinctive settings, and difficult choices. Its official lineup currently lists Life Is Strange Reunion, Double Exposure, True Colors, Life Is Strange 2, and the Remastered Collection; that display order is not a quality ranking. See the official franchise page.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Life is Strange Collection (PS5) | $59.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
![Life is Strange Collection (Disc + CIB) [PS5]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51vnVcZhH-L._SL160_.jpg)
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Life is Strange Collection (Disc + CIB) [PS5] | $68.01 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Life is Strange Arcadia Bay Collection - Nintendo Switch | $54.88 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
![Life is Strange: Remastered Collection - Xbox [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41ujh5RpchL._SL160_.jpg)
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Life is Strange: Remastered Collection - Xbox [Digital Code] | $37.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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Life is Strange: Welcome to Blackwell Academy | $32.92 | Buy on Amazon |
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This ranking treats the original Life Is Strange and Before the Storm as separate story games, even though they are bundled together in the Remastered Collection. The collection is a package, not an additional story entry. Its remasters update visuals and animation; Square Enix’s product page explains the included games and their central characters.
The order below is an editorial judgment, not an objective score or a promise that every player will agree. I weigh character and story impact, how well each supernatural ability serves the drama, pacing, setting, and the consequences of choices. I also consider whether a game works for newcomers or pays off more for returning players. Summaries avoid major plot revelations.
#1 Best Overall
- The box set comprises a disc with LIFE IS STRANGE: TRUE COLORS and LIFE IS STRANGE: DOUBLE EXPOSURE, alongside a redemption code granting entitlement to LIFE IS STRANGE REMASTERED, LIFE IS STRANGE: BEFORE THE STORM REMASTERED, LIFE IS STRANGE 2, and all associated DLC and pre-order incentive items.
- Supernatural powers collide with everyday life, and every choice you make has consequences.
- LIFE IS STRANGE is a single-player narrative adventure series that focuses on heartfelt, grounded stories with a twist of the strange, and a franchise that has won over 100 awards since its inception - including from The Peabody Awards, BAFTA, and GLAAD.
- Over five cinematic, emotional adventures, you’ll Rewind Time as Max Caulfield and uncover the secrets of Arcadia Bay with Chloe Price, take a road trip with Sean Diaz and his telekinetic brother Daniel, find a new home with psychic empath Alex Chen, and return to Max to solve a murder across two timelines.
The best Life Is Strange games, ranked
1. Life Is Strange: True Colors
True Colors is the most rounded recommendation for a first-time player. Its contained story gives the series’ character-focused approach room to breathe, while its supernatural premise—empathic power—connects closely to how the protagonist understands the people around her. The result is a strong match between ability, relationships, and mystery rather than a power that feels bolted onto the story.
Choose it if you want an approachable entry with an intimate setting and an emotionally attentive cast. Its self-contained focus is also a good fit if you are not ready to commit to the older games’ longer episodic arcs.
Rank #2
- Life is Strange Remastered
- Life is Strange: Before the Storm Remastered
- Life is Strange 2
- Life is Strange: True Colors
- Life is Strange: Double Exposure
2. Life Is Strange
The original remains the series’ defining combination of supernatural storytelling and difficult choices. Max’s ability to rewind time gives the player an unusually direct way to reconsider decisions, while its mystery and setting make the power feel integral to the story. The rewind mechanic is also a distinctive narrative tool: it lets the game explore the tension between wanting to fix a moment and living with what follows.
Start here if you want to see the formula at its source, or if a mystery with a strong sense of place matters more to you than a newer presentation. It is also the essential choice for players who want the context behind later returns to familiar characters.
Rank #3
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba - 4
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba - 4
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba - 4
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba - 4
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba - 4
3. Life Is Strange 2
Life Is Strange 2 takes the series on the road and centers on a young man trying to protect his telekinetic younger brother. Its travel structure makes the setting and encounters feel more changeable than in the more contained entries. The emotional stakes come not only from the supernatural ability but also from the responsibilities of looking after someone else.
Pick it if you want a broader journey and a story shaped by changing circumstances. Its focus differs from the first game’s intimate mystery, so it works best approached as a distinct chapter in the anthology rather than as a direct repeat of the original’s setup.
Rank #4
- Remastered visuals across characters and environments
- Vastly improved character animation using full facial mocap performance
- Choice and consequence driven stories with multiple endings
- Harness the power of Max’s rewind ability or Chloe’s quick-witted attitude to change the course of events
- Distinct licenced soundtrack & original scores
4. Life Is Strange: Before the Storm
Before the Storm is a character-focused prequel centered on Chloe’s friendship and past. It does not rely on the same rewind-time premise as the original; its appeal is spending more time with a character whose relationships and history matter to the series. That makes it particularly rewarding after playing Life Is Strange.
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Play it if you want a closer look at Chloe and prefer relationship drama to a new supernatural mystery. Newcomers can follow it as a prequel, but its emotional context lands more fully after the original.
Best Value
5. Life Is Strange: Double Exposure
Double Exposure brings Max back and builds its premise around shifting between parallel timelines. That gives the game a fresh supernatural hook while making its strongest appeal its connection to an established protagonist. It is a natural option for players curious about what comes next for Max, rather than the cleanest starting point for someone unfamiliar with her story.
Choose it if returning to Max is your priority and you are interested in a mystery shaped by parallel realities. A critic-aggregation search snapshot placed it below True Colors, but that is only one limited view of critical rankings—not a universal verdict or a substitute for your own preferences.
6. Life Is Strange Reunion
Reunion appears on Square Enix’s current franchise page, but the source information available here does not establish enough about its story, mechanics, or release details to compare it fairly with the other games. It would be misleading to invent a ranking rationale. Treat its placement as unassessed, not as evidence that it is the weakest entry; check the official page for current details.
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Which game should you play first?
- For the best all-around starting point: begin with True Colors if you want a self-contained story and a welcoming introduction to the series’ character-driven supernatural drama.
- For the series’ defining experience: play the original Life Is Strange first, then Before the Storm if you want more of Chloe’s story.
- For a road-trip story: choose Life Is Strange 2; it is a distinct story about responsibility and protecting a younger sibling.
- For more Max: play Double Exposure after the original if you want to follow a returning protagonist.
The Remastered Collection packages the original Life Is Strange and Before the Storm with updated visuals and animation. Square Enix’s 2022 announcement also lists updated character models and environments, improved lip-sync and facial animation, lighting upgrades, puzzle updates, licensed tracks and original scores, and Before the Storm Remastered deluxe content including the Farewell bonus episode. Those changes make it the relevant bundle if you want both stories in a remastered package; it does not include every game in the franchise.
Square Enix also announced a five-game Life Is Strange Collection for PS5. The announcement says True Colors and Double Exposure are on disc, while a digital code redeems the other included games and content. Because availability, territory, and package details can vary or change, check what is currently sold in your country and whether the games you want are physical discs or code-based before buying. The announcement-level details are in the Square Enix Press Hub notice.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
