Life Is Strange: Before the Storm is an episodic adventure series consisting of three episodes, released gradually over time. The game can be purchased separately for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, or as part of a full season for PC. The story takes place three years before the events of Life Is Strange , and follows Chloe Price, a teenager living in Arcadia Bay. She forms an unlikely friendship with Rachel Amber, a popular girl who seems to be the opposite of Chloe's rebellious nature. The game focuses on this period, while Max Caulfield is away in Seattle.
The gameplay is similar to the first Life Is Strange game, with the player guiding Chloe through different environments and solving small environment-based puzzles. However, the conversation system has been improved, with a new backtalking mechanic that requires the player to choose the right answers before time runs out.
The game features a journal that is updated as the story develops, biographies for Chloe's friends and family, and background information through texts on her cell. While Max's photography skill is not present in Life Is Strange: Before the Storm , Chloe has developed her own graffiti skill to mark specific spots.