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The stakes in "Stranger Things" were pretty high, and I'm not sure that would suit the Loop setting, but OTOH, without a sense of real danger, it will just be kids playing in the woods. One way of upping the stakes is to have bad things happen to NPCs (classmates, friends, siblings), or introducing potentially lethal situations (getting lost in an underground maze, stalking/avoiding sentry robots and dinosaurs, and so on). Having something happen as outlined in the post above sounds like a great idea.

Yes, I think you've hit it on the head there. Upping the stakes means that the peripheral characters (your favourite Chemistry teacher, a friendly town doctor) gets injured/killed.

"Tales From The Loop" isn't a game about a group of kids dying trying to uncover Mysteries. It's about how solving/not solving a Mystery will affect the world. The characters might not die but the repercussions might be dire for the community you live in.

The stakes in "Stranger Things" were pretty high, and I'm not sure that would suit the Loop setting, but OTOH, without a sense of real danger, it will just be kids playing in the woods. One way of upping the stakes is to have bad things happen to NPCs (classmates, friends, siblings), or introducing potentially lethal situations (getting lost in an underground maze, stalking/avoiding sentry robots and dinosaurs, and so on). Having something happen as outlined in the post above sounds like a great idea.

Yes, I think you've hit it on the head there. Upping the stakes means that the peripheral characters (your favourite Chemistry teacher, a friendly town doctor) gets injured/killed.

"Tales From The Loop" isn't a game about a group of kids dying trying to uncover Mysteries. It's about how solving/not solving a Mystery will affect the world. The characters might not die but the repercussions might be dire for the community you live in.

It certainly provides a different challenge for GMs and Mystery writers. Reading Stålenhag's alter ego's comments in the books often creates more questions than answers. There's some leeway, as other kids had other experiences, and the vague hints allow for flexibility, from "Scooby Doo" level mysteries to "Stranger Things" grimness. Also, the choice between Swedish and US settings, or settings created by the "other Loop location" tool, makes it easier for the GM to tailor the game to his/her preferences.

The other thing to note, too, is that the kids will see the world through children's filters. They may know that their parents fight a lot, but they might not guess at their parents' infidelities or that the adults are heading to a divorce. Likewise, serious things might go over their heads or mundane things will be made into something more due to overactive imaginations.

Added to THAT, we have ACTUAL robots and dinosaurs.

The other thing to note, too, is that the kids will see the world through children's filters. They may know that their parents fight a lot, but they might not guess at their parents' infidelities or that the adults are heading to a divorce. Likewise, serious things might go over their heads or mundane things will be made into something more due to overactive imaginations.

Added to THAT, we have ACTUAL robots and dinosaurs.

I could just see a child's viewpoint running against a wall. They've befriended something dangerous without knowing, only to go through a normal routine of being hit and have a raptor fly through the window to attack a parent. 

I could just see a child's viewpoint running against a wall. They've befriended something dangerous without knowing, only to go through a normal routine of being hit and have a raptor fly through the window to attack a parent. 

Brilliant. I sort of want to read that book.

I could just see a child's viewpoint running against a wall. They've befriended something dangerous without knowing, only to go through a normal routine of being hit and have a raptor fly through the window to attack a parent. 

Brilliant. I sort of want to read that book.

Oh, it would be so tense. Suddenly a child is responsible for a death. It'd kind of be like those short stories about the monster under the bed slinking out to murder an abusive father.