The Duffer Brothers first announced their intention to create Stranger Things spin-offs in February 2022, with Netflix confirming an animated project was in the works by July 2022 and greenlighting a straight-to-series order in April 2023.

The Duffer Brothers wanted the animated spin-off to capture the feel of the 1980s Saturday-morning cartoons they grew up watching.

Robert Englund, who voices the new character Cosmo in this series, had previously portrayed Victor Creel in the live-action Stranger Things.

The series introduces a new character, Nikki Baxter, described as 'a tinker' who is taller and bigger than the core group of kids, with distinctive pinkish hair short on the sides.

Creature designer Carlos Huante, known for his work on E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and Prometheus, helped design the new monsters featured in the series, including Upside Down pumpkin zombies and vine-like creatures.

Animation for the series was handled by Flying Bark Productions in Sydney, Australia.

Showrunner Eric Robles cited 1980s cartoons and young adult horror as major influences, including He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and Scooby-Doo, but described The Real Ghostbusters as his 'north star.' The team also studied modern animated works like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Arcane for the visual style.

Composer Brad Breeck scored the series, incorporating references to the original Stranger Things theme composed by Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein.

The series premiered to mixed reviews, holding a 63% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a Metacritic score of 52 out of 100, yet was renewed for a second season just five days after its premiere.