Windows 1.11 is a freaky trip back to 1985 with 'Stranger Things' flavor

What you need to know

  • Windows 1.11, a game created as a tie-in with Netflix's Stranger Things.
  • The game tasks you with saving the world by unraveling clues using a recreated version of Windows 1.0.
  • Yeah, it's weird.

Updated July 8, 2019: The game is available once again in the Microsoft Store, so you can go ahead and try it out if you missed it the first time. We expect Microsoft will announce the release properly sometime today.

Well, here it is. The confounding Windows 1.0 teases Microsoft has been unleashing on social media over the past week have culminated in the release of Windows 1.11, a game on the Microsoft Store that tasks you with saving the world with none other than a recreated version of Windows 1.0 and a healthy dose of Stranger Things flavor.

Yep, it's a weird one. But it's surprisingly fun, too (if you like poking around things like MS-DOS Executive).

The game, which is part of a promotional stunt for the third season of Netflix's Stranger Things, was first spotted by WalkingCat on Twitter. Here's a quick rundown of the description from the Microsoft Store:

Experience 1985 nostalgia with a special edition Windows 10 PC app inspired by Windows 1.0—but one that's been taken over by the Upside Down from Stranger Things. Explore the mysteries and secrets plaguing Hawkins, unlock unique show content and easter eggs, and play retro games and puzzles—all building off Stranger Things 3. Join Eleven, Steve, Dustin and gang as they seek to save Hawkins and the world. Embrace the 80s and grab your hairspray, because it's basically the raddest show companion experience ever. But fair warning: beware the Mind Flayer.

The game is definitely a nostalgia trip. You quite literally boot into Windows through a command line (though it's automated for you; no need to memorize commands here). After you're presented with a suitably glitchy "Microsoft Windows" title screen decked out with the Netflix logo and a message telling you to watch Stranger Things, you'll find yourself presented with list of files you can check out as you begin your journey. The whole thing feels very much like a point-and-click adventure.

Throughout the game, you'll stumble upon lots of glitches caused by the Upside Down taking over Hawkins and, apparently, your PC. In Paint, for example, my brush quickly turned into half a dozen other brushes mimicking my movements to reveal a low-fi video promoting a mall in Hawkins.

There's lots to explore here, especially if you're a big fan of Stranger Things. If you're curious, you can grab Windows 1.11 from the Microsoft Store now.

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Dan Thorp-Lancaster

Dan Thorp-Lancaster is the former Editor-in-Chief of Windows Central. He began working with Windows Central, Android Central, and iMore as a news writer in 2014 and is obsessed with tech of all sorts. You can follow Dan on Twitter @DthorpL and Instagram @heyitsdtl