Is Life is Strange - Episode 1 free?

Yes — Life is Strange - Episode 1 is free to play, so you can install and play it without buying anything.

Is Life is Strange - Episode 1 Steam Deck compatible?

Mostly. Valve rates Life is Strange - Episode 1 Playable on Steam Deck: it runs, but may need some manual tweaking — a community controller layout, or zooming in on small text.

Can I play Life is Strange - Episode 1 on Mac?

Yes. Life is Strange - Episode 1 has a native macOS version on Steam.

Is Life is Strange - Episode 1 multiplayer?

No — Steam lists Life is Strange - Episode 1 as single-player only.

Is Life is Strange - Episode 1 on PC Game Pass?

No — Life is Strange - Episode 1 is not on PC Game Pass right now.

Life is Strange - Episode 1

Name: Life is Strange - Episode 1
Brand: Square Enix
Availability: InStock

DONTNOD Entertainment · January 30, 2015 · Story Rich, Choices Matter, Great Soundtrack, Female Protagonist, Time Travel

Life is Strange - Episode 1 is free to play — no purchase needed. We track it so you know if that ever changes.

Story Rich deals Square Enix games

Overwhelmingly Positive96% · 176,207365playing now

Best price

Free

Get it free on Steam

This game is free to play. Get it on Steam →

Trailers & screenshots

Watch the Life is Strange - Episode 1 trailer →

Life is Strange - Episode 1 price

Life is Strange - Episode 1 is free to play — there is no purchase price, on Steam or anywhere else we track. We keep watching it, so if it ever stops being free the price history on this page will show when that happened and what it changed to.

About Life is Strange - Episode 1

✦ AI summary

Rewind time to change the past and uncover dark mysteries in Arcadia Bay as photography student Max Caulfield, where your choices shape multiple endings and consequences ripple across the present and future. This award-winning episodic adventure stands out with its stunning hand-painted visuals, emotionally resonant writing, and indie soundtrack that captures a haunting small-town atmosphere.

Episode 1 now FREE!

Life is Strange is an award-winning and critically acclaimed episodic adventure game that allows the player to rewind time and affect the past, present and future.

Follow the story of Max Caulfield, a photography senior who discovers she can rewind time while saving her best friend Chloe Price.
The pair soon find themselves investigating the mysterious disappearance of fellow student Rachel Amber, uncovering a dark side to life in Arcadia Bay. Meanwhile, Max must quickly learn that changing the past can sometimes lead to a devastating future.

Key Features:

A beautifully written modern adventure game.
Rewind time to change the course of events.
Multiple endings depending on the choices you make.
Striking, hand-painted visuals.
Distinct, licensed indie soundtrack.

Life is Strange - Episode 1 — game info

Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux / SteamOS
Steam Deck: Playable
Player modes: Single-player
Controller: Full controller support
PC Game Pass: Not included

More games like this:Mac games Linux games Games with full controller support

Life is Strange - Episode 1 in the rankings

DLC & expansions

Free to play

Life is Strange™ - Directors' Commentary

Free

What Steam players say

Recent verbatim reviews from Steam — separate from playze.io community reviews below.

Recommended Oct 1, 2026

easily one of my all time favorite games

1 found this helpful

Recommended Oct 2, 2026

"This is an absolutely fantastic game! One of the biggest highlights for me is how well-optimized it is—it runs smoothly and is completely playable even on a low-end PC, so you don't need an expensive rig to enjoy it. My journey with Life is Strange actually started a while back. I played Episode 1 when it was free to try, and the atmosphere and story instantly hooked me, but I just never got the chance to finish the rest of it. Well, that finally changes today! I just bought all 5 episodes, and I am incredibly excited to dive back into Arcadia Bay and experience the full story all the way to the end. If you are looking for a gripping, story-rich experience that won't melt your computer, I highly recommend this. I can't wait to see how all the choices play out!"

Recommended Oct 2, 2026

Randomly gets super real in episode 3 outta nowhere!!!!

Recommended Oct 1, 2026

Strange, life changing.

Recommended Oct 1, 2026

its so good but beware u will never find a game this good ever again, except maybe other lis games

Recommended Oct 1, 2026

Playing this after a decade... Life is still strange

Community reviews

—

0 reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to review this game.

More like Life is Strange - Episode 1

162

News

All news →

Blog

SilkMU is our new partner: MU Online Season 6 in a browser tab

SilkMU, a MU Online Season 6 server that runs in a browser tab or as an app, opened on 6 November 2026 and is now our partner. What it offers, what is free and what costs WCoin.

Nov 13, 2026

Games like Dying Light, where nightfall changes the rules

Games like Dying Light are easy to find if you only want parkour or only want zombies. These eight keep the part that matters: a city that becomes a different place after dark.

Nov 13, 2026

Games like Portal 2, where one idea carries the whole game

Games like Portal 2 all share one habit: teach a single impossible trick, then spend a campaign breaking it. From rewinding objects through time to Escher geometry that loops back on itself.

Nov 13, 2026

Bundles

Planet Coaster DLC: skip the collection, buy the packs

The Planet Coaster DLC catalogue closed in 2019, so there is no curve left to wait out. Our record shows the collection bundle costs far more than assembling the same packs one by one.

Nov 13, 2026

Xbox

Toxic Commando Game Pass: subscribe, or buy the key?

The Toxic Commando Game Pass add landed on 12 November. Our price record since late September shows the key route barely moved, which changes what a subscription is worth.

Nov 13, 2026

Games like Titanfall 2, for the pilot or for the Titan

Titanfall 2's campaign changed its own rules every mission. Games like Titanfall 2 that keep one part of it — the wall-running, the mech, or a campaign that never settles.

Nov 12, 2026

Games like It Takes Two, where the second player is the point

It Takes Two cannot be played alone, and that is the whole design. Games like It Takes Two that give each player a different job — including one that makes do with a single pair of hands.

Nov 12, 2026

Xbox

Football Manager 27 Game Pass, and what the old FMs now cost

FM27 landed on 10 November, and Football Manager 27 Game Pass covers it on PC from day one. Steam has stopped selling FM26 and FM24 — our price record shows what that does.

Nov 12, 2026