When Daniel and Sean are in the forest, Daniel sees a mushroom on a tree and says it looks like a clicker then Sean makes a weird noise. This is a reference to the PlayStation exclusive The Last of Us (2013).
A flyer can be found for a chainsaw called ASH-82 from an owner named Sam R. This is a reference to The Evil Dead (1981) from director Sam Raimi. The chainsaw was named after the movie's main character Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell).
The reference in the journal to "Crimes. Crimes." is a nod to another game, Night In The Woods (2017).
Seattle was originally intended as the main location for Life Is Strange (2015) before it was decided to set the game in Arcadia Bay.