AUGUST 2019 PCWorld 11arms reaching toward the characters or their
local mall. Want more? How about the
Windows Throwback theme (go.pcworld.
com/thrw) pack instead? On the other hand,
if you can’t get enough of the Stranger Things
experience, clicking About in the Windows
1.11 app will open up a link to the $19.
Stranger Things 3 game (go.pcworld.com/
srg3), a much deeper expedition into the
Stranger Things world. No, it doesn’t stop
here: Microsoft is featuring Stranger Things 3
in Camp Know Where (go.pcworld.com/
camp): two programs for students 13+ at
Microsoft Stores in the United States, with
tutorials in coding and mixed reality. And yes,
(enough already!) there’s a custom Xbox and
even an arcade cabinet, too.
Can we be a little disappointed that
there’s not a (literal?) Blue Screen of Death,
though?inspired by
Windows 1.0, but
one that’s been
taken over by the
Upside Down
from Stranger
Things.” Microsoft
makes no attempt
to hide that it’s
cashing in on
some sweet
nostalgia: the
Netflix tie-in is
apparent on the
splash screen that opens the game.
The trail leads through a number of classic
Windows apps, such as Paint, where the
“glitches” open up promotional materials
from the show. (Small warning: These
promotional materials appear to include
some spoilers and a bit of language, though
nothing really beyond what you might expect
in a trailer.)
All in all, it’s a well-done little experience
that’s worth a minute or two of your time,
especially if you yourself invested in an early
Windows PC. Unlike the fairly compact
Windows 1.1, however, the download is a
fairly hefty 400MB or so.
If you don’t have time for the Windows
1.11 app itself, Microsoft has also made
available a 4K theme pack (go.pcworld.
com/4kpk) of stylized images from the
Stranger Things show, complete with creepy
A file tree is just one of the entry points into the Upside Down inside Windows 1.