After nearly a decade, Square Enix and Deck Nine Games return to an older Max Caulfield as the lead character for Life is Strange: Double Exposure. This weekend at PAX West, I spoke with Deck Nine Games Game Director, Jonathan Stauder and Narrative Director, Felice Kuan, about what it means to bring back a beloved character to this series as well as navigating the journey of trauma and guilt associated with Max’s powers.
How did you come up with the idea of creating two parallel timelines, and what were the challenges of working with that structure compared to previous Life is Strange titles?
Jonathan Stauder: The idea stems from the ripple effect, with Safi’s death as the stone in the pond that sets everything in motion. From there, we constantly consider how far we are from that event in terms of hours or days, and how that would impact different characters. If Safi were still alive, how would that affect those around her? This is how we distinguish the differences in the two timelines.
Once the story is outlined, we then look at the gameplay opportunities. Story always comes first, but we also need to figure out how to make the story interactive. So, we take those differences and opportunities and translate them into gameplay mechanics, like button presses. The narrative team also sees the value in exploring and developing character arcs within this framework.
Max is returning as the lead character for the franchise. How has the reception been from the community? Additionally, what challenges did you face in bringing back a more mature Max as the main character?
Felice Kuan: Players feel a strong connection to Max. There’s a unique “I am Max” quality that differentiates her from other protagonists we’ve worked with. We ourselves identified with Max as an 18-year-old, and now we’re reflecting on the changes we’ve undergone as people. Max remains relatable to everyone, regardless of who they are. The depth of excitement we’ve seen from the community has been incredibly satisfying and speaks to the deep connection people have with this character.
Was there a particular piece of media — be it a movie, story, or album — that influenced the development process?
Stauder: For me, the first game was the most influential. While we’re a direct sequel, the new power we’re exploring — two timelines moving in parallel stemming from one major event and the butterfly effect it creates — is reminiscent of the original. It’s like taking the big choices from the first game and fully exploring how one decision can create branching relationships and changes in the environment. So, Life is Strange: Double Exposure leans heavily into the ripple effect of a single choice.
In terms of the camera mechanics compared to previous titles, what’s new and different?
Stauder: There are a few aspects to consider. In the original Life is Strange, Max would play a cinematic, take a Polaroid, and that would be your collectible. Polaroids are still collectibles in Double Exposure, but now you find them in the environment, and they explain a tertiary storyline that fills in some of the gaps. If you collect all of them, it might even provide more context for the sci-fi elements of the story.
Additionally, Max can find items in the environment and take player-driven photographs, which are then reflected in her journal or social media. The camera also has a double exposure feature, which ties into the game’s title. Once you acquire the Polaroid camera midway through Chapter 1, you can take double-exposed photos, and even NPCs on social media will react to them.
Kuan: Assuming the photos are fit for public consumption and not being used as evidence or anything like that, Max will post them to social media.
Stauder: The key thing is that the player takes every photo in the game, as opposed to just watching a cinematic. It’s a genuinely interactive experience.
Max is revisiting her powers after this tragic event, having previously dismissed them. What was it like crafting these elements of trauma and her experiences to inform Double Exposure?
Kuan: When we summarize the game, we often say, “Safi dies, and Max uses rewind.” But it’s far more nuanced than that — it’s not something she does lightly. Max has carried the guilt of either choice for a very long time, and players who are interested can read her past texts and journal entries to understand her journey. There are various reasons she uses her powers again in this game, but it’s not a decision she takes lightly.
Stauder: A significant aspect of Double Exposure is exploring how Max feels about her supernatural abilities and how her relationship with them evolves, especially when it becomes clear that using them might be the best way to help her friend Safi. While the first game suggested that using powers is bad, this one dives deeper into that moral complexity.
I played the demo, and it looks like Max experiences physical effects, like nosebleeds, when using her powers. Is that going to be a recurring theme throughout the game?
Stauder: Yes, using her powers does come with a cost. The first game established that pushing her powers too far takes a physical toll, and that’s an aspect Max will need to navigate as the story progresses in Double Exposure.
What made you decide to revisit Max’s story? Some people might be hesitant to bring back a character like that.
Stauder: Right, instead of doing the obvious thing with Life is Strange 2 and bringing Max back, they chose to go the anthology route. We continued that approach, so bringing Max back now is a big deal.
Kuan: I’ve been with Deck Nine since Before The Storm, which was a prequel with a known character. With True Colors, we branched out completely but still had echoes of the first game through Steph and her ties to Arcadia Bay. It feels like we’ve been building up to this moment, approaching it from different angles, and now we have something meaningful to say with Max’s return.
Will the two endings from the Life is Strange game influence how Max reacts to events in Double Exposure? Will that create significant branching paths, or is it more supplemental?
Kuan: We’re able to address that question and branch the entire game from Scene 2 onwards, based on the choice the player made in the original game.
Stauder: A significant part of the story is Max overcoming the trauma from that original choice, and the specific flavor of that trauma permeates the entire game as she grows and evolves.
In terms of Max’s powers, we’ve seen her projecting objects from one timeline to another. Are there going to be more powers introduced?
Stauder: We’re venturing into spoiler territory here, but you can expect bigger uses of the powers you’ve seen, rather than entirely new ones. The scene you played was designed to give you a sense of what to expect from Double Exposure. As the game progresses, things will get bigger rather than different, if that makes sense.
Is there anything you’d like players to take away from Life is Strange: Double Exposure, whether they’re new to the series or returning fans?
Stauder: First and foremost, Double Exposure is a great entry point for anyone who’s never played a Life is Strange game before. It works as a solid introduction to Max as a character, even for new players. That said, we have immense reverence for Max and the original game with Don’t Nod. We’ve worked hard to balance creating an entry point for newcomers while honoring what long-time fans would love and miss if we didn’t include it.
Kuan: We were really excited because we felt we had something important and meaningful to say about the first game. But also, these games are about life, so it was equally important for us to have something meaningful to say about being a person and navigating your own existence.
