We know why you're here, you want Steph as well, we see you! Obviously, who wouldn't want to date Steph Gingrich, the awesome DJ and drummer residing in Haven Springs? There are two love choices for Alex to ponder in Life is Strange: True Colors and today we're going to tell you how to make Steph swoon!
Please note: before reading on be aware that there will be some spoilers for the narrative of the game, as some of the encounters are tied to important events in the story. Read on at risk of finding out events about later chapters.
Meeting Steph
The first time you meet Steph is in the Record Store found in Haven Springs. There isn't much interaction here and choices made will not affect your standing with her. She will show you two Vinyls she places on the recording booth window for you to choose. Pick between either:
- Unicorn Sandwich
- Zombie Parade
Either is fine here! She will then proceed to play whichever you chose on the radio and will introduce you to Haven Springs as "Some chick", whilst having a cheeky look in her eye.
After the Record Store
The next encounter is in The Black Lantern bar when Alex works a shift for Jed. Steph will be sat in the corner near the front door next to the Jukebox. Chat with her and then ask her questions when prompted. You will need to:
- Ask her "Is that your shot?", regarding a shot glass filled with a green liquid
- Say yes to playing the Jukebox game with her
Whether you win or lose does not matter, just make sure to play the game. After this you will resume your shift, but she will be happy you played the game with her.
Related: All the Voice Actors in Life is Strange: True Colors
Foosball Champion
The third important encounter with her will be when she comes to support you after Gabe's wake. She will be in a state of sadness that you need to bring her out from. Survey the room looking for emotional clues and then get her to play foosball with you.
In the middle of the foosball game she will start to feel better again and will ask you about your partner preferences and whether you are into girls. You can either say that:
- You are into girls
- You are into both guys and girls
- That you are into guys
Pick the option saying you are into girls just to be safe. She will flirt back indicating that she liked the answer.
A Scheming Trio
Later in the game Alex, Steph and Ryan will be scheming a way to get information about the incident with Gabe and Typhon. Ryan and Steph will come up with the plan to hit on Diane to distract her so one of them can steal her USB drive.
They will ask you to make the decision but will preface it by asking you who you think is hotter, i:e more capable of getting Diane's attention. Choose Steph as she will remember this, and later on during the LARP you can read her emotions and she will be freaking out about the fact you basically said she is hot.
Discovering the Truth
After the LARP you will go to visit Charlotte. Things do not go well and she gets extremely angry. You can choose to take her anger from her or leave her with it so she can deal with what she is going through on her own.
- If you choose to leave Charlotte alone, upon returning to your apartment you will find Steph and Ryan there. Steph will stay and help you decipher the messages on the USB drive from Typhon.
- If you choose to take Charlotte's anger from her, upon returning to the apartment Steph and Ryan will still be there but Alex will lash out in a fit of anger over Gabe's death. Steph will leave angrily due to the outburst and Ryan will follow her to make sure she is okay.
Thankfully, the instance where Steph storms out does not effect the situation between Alex and Steph badly. So, choose which is better for you with regards to the storyline, however, if you always want Steph to stay around then do not take Charlotte's anger from her when given the chance beforehand.
The Spring Festival
At the Flower Festival, Steph and Alex will either be fine or they will make amends regarding the outburst. They will be on good terms and Steph will return to a trailer to continue DJ-ing. Go over to the Rose Cart and pick up a Rose. Take it to the trailer and hand it to Steph, cementing the notion that you have feelings for her.
She will ask you to meet her on the roof after a little gig on the stage at the festival. Go up to the roof where she will tell you about her future plans. Pick any of the three postcards. After a chat a prompt to either Hug or Kiss her will appear. Pick Kiss and it will reveal that Steph is practically begging you to kiss her in her mind.
And with that you will have romanced one Steph Gingrich! These events all take place between chapters 1 and 4, so it does take a little while to get to the point where you can seal the deal.
Steph from Before
You might recognize Steph from Deck Nine's other Life is Strange game, Before the Storm released in 2017. If you haven't played that along with the original game then we highly recommend it! As it gives you some insight to where Steph was before landing in Haven Springs.
Life is Strange has always had two love interests for the protagonist to choose from, but we think that this is the hardest one yet! Both Steph and Ryan are so well-written, and have great qualities that a second playthrough is definitely needed to explore both of the options!
Looking for more content? Why not check out the details for the upcoming True Colors DLC, Wavelengths where you actually play as Steph?
Published: Sep 13, 2021 09:46 am