Stranger Things Officially Changes Genre For New Spinoff

Published Jul 30, 2026, 7:29 AM EDT Tom Wilson is a Gaming Features Writer at Screen Rant. Over the past five years, Tom has worked as the Editor-in-Chief at The Game Crater, as a Staff Writer for GamingIntel, a List Writer at TheGamer, and, of course, as a Senior Writer at ScreenRant. Tom has experience writing reviews, guides, news, and features, and has been responsible for teams of writers, training them and editing their work. Tom graduated with a Masters in Multimedia Journalism, and has since gone on to build up his portfolio of games journalism work. Stranger Things may not have quite stuck the landing, at least how fans had hoped, but that doesn't mean the rest of the show isn't worth watching. In fact, Stranger Things remains one of the best shows on Netflix, and a genuinely great sci-fi show that easily ranks among some of the best. It is due to the show's phenomenal early seasons that its legacy endures, that fans continue to rewatch it, that newcomers eagerly hop onboard the Hopper bandwagon, and that new entries and spin-offs continue to be made. As Stranger Things enters a new era full of potential, fans are curious to see exactly what Netflix, the Duffer Brothers, and anyone else tasked with handling the show have to offer. Well, it would seem that we've gotten one of our first looks at just what the future of Stranger Things will look like, at least in part, and it is very different to what fans have come to expect. While shows change all of the time, this new Stranger Things project is ditching its original tone and even genre for something brand-new. Stranger Things Just Went From Horror To... Something Unexpected Stranger Things is no stranger to spin-offs, with the most recent iteration of the horror franchise being an animated show that follows the cast between seasons 2 and 3 as they get up to a whole host of fun new adventures. It makes sense to expand upon the Stranger Things universe with live theater, novelizations, scripts, video games, and animated shows, as there is so much potential for future stories and deeper exploration of themes and ideas that were slightly under baked in the main show. However, what fans may not have been expecting (although Netflix detractors may very well have seen it coming) is for Stranger Things, among a handful of other Netflix shows, to be turned into a minigolf video game. It beggars belief, frankly, but several beloved Stranger Things characters have been put into a brand-new Netflix minigolf title, aptly named Netflix Minigolf. The available characters include Eleven, Hopper, a Demogorgon, and Max, which is a decent selection, although it feels as if it's missing quite a few of the stronger main characters. Still, it is bizarre to see Stranger Things take a sharp left turn into the realm of goofy, colorful, minigolf, something that feels particularly off-brand for the typically horrifying sci-fi series. Sure, it isn't as if Stranger Things isn't allowed to branch out into other genres, but one would assume it would be at least tangentially related to its sci-fi horror roots. Lest we forget this is the same show that made us watch a pack of Demodogs rip Samwise Gamgee to death in a gore-filled scene of misery. This is the show that's spun-off into minigolf territory. Stranger Things Finally Confirms Eleven Survived To Play Golf (Kinda) The one upside to all of this is that Eleven, who famously dies at the end of the final season of Stranger Things, has been resurrected to come hang out with friends and family (and that Demogorgon) to play a few rounds of golf before, one can only imagine, popping back into her grave until she's called upon again to play with Rumi, Mira, and Zoey from KPop Demon Hunters. It is, admittedly, fun to see her back in action, albeit in such a bizarre context. To be completely fair to Netflix, its new minigolf game doesn't look completely horrendous. It's a novel idea to include a party game like Netflix Minigolf with the subscription service, as it all but guarantees users will stick around a little longer or have something to play whenever friends come round. It also includes characters from Bridgerton and Squid Game, all of whom absolutely don't gel with Stranger Thing's child-focused cast, but the crossover is nevertheless fun. Considering the game doesn't cost any extra to access, comes with no microtransactions, and will likely get updated with even more courses and characters in the future (it already has 60 courses to play through), it's a fairly fun and generous offering that only helps to make Netflix feel a little more worthwhile. Sure, Stranger Things' cast may not quite gel with the game's more child-friendly aesthetic, but it is fun to play a round of minigolf every now and then, and why not do it as some of horror's more recent icons. Stranger Things TV Show(s) Stranger Things Video Game(s) Stranger Things: 1984 First TV Show Stranger Things Created by Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer Latest TV Show Stranger Things Upcoming TV Shows Stranger Things, Stranger Things Animated Series