During an interview with GamesHub, it was revealed that Stray Gods was inspired by the television series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", specifically the season six episode "Once More, With Feeling". While the episode's plot was standard for the show, it was notable for being one of the first "musical TV episodes", combining elements of the musical genre with heavy action and narrative storytelling. Liam Esler, the Managing Director of Summerfall Studios, stated that they wanted to replicate what TV musicals did for television but with video games.