KEY POINTS

  • "Stray" is an adventure game about a cat trying to escape a strange city
  • The game features beautifully crafted environments and a deep mystery to uncover
  • "Stray" is set to release sometime this year for PC, PS4 and PS5

There have been many action-adventure games in the past that featured weird or silly protagonists, but so far, none have dared to put a simple stray cat in the center of their spotlight. “Stray” does exactly this, but the game is more than just a cat simulator.

In “Stray,” players get to play as an ordinary cat. There is no black magic or other mystical forces at play here; players will control a cat that’s lost in a strange cyberpunk world filled with robots and regular humans. There’s something wrong with the world, however, and throughout the game’s main story, players will slowly learn more about what exactly is going on.

“Stray” is a third-person adventure game made by BlueTwelve, a small game studio based in south France. It’s not exactly action-packed like many other games in its genre, but it has its own charm points.

A recently released developer walkthrough showed much of the game’s dark alleys, abandoned buildings, toxic waste dumps and other hazards.

Most of the gameplay lies in exploring these environments while navigating through perilous paths and problematic puzzles. At first, players are limited to performing actions one can expect from any cat, such as jumping up high walls and knocking objects over. However, players will soon encounter B12, a small drone that will help the cat interact with other objects in the world, particularly electronics and other machines.

The robotic denizens of the decrepit city are mostly friendly, but there are other creatures hiding in the dark that pose a grave threat to the cat’s life. Swarms of tick-like insects can end the cat’s journey prematurely, and players must use the cat’s agility and their own quick thinking to escape.

“Stray” seems to be one of the games that have a heavy emphasis on worldbuilding and curiosity. As unwelcoming as the game’s environments are, they are also begging to be explored, waiting for players to uncover the many mysteries hiding within them. The characters in the game give off a similar vibe, with each robot building up to a greater plot that may or may not be revealed at the end.

“Stray” is slated to release sometime this year on Steam, PS4 and PS5.

Stray is set in a futuristic city filled neon-lit alleys, abandoned residential areas and quaint establishments operated by sentient machines
Stray is set in a futuristic city filled neon-lit alleys, abandoned residential areas and quaint establishments operated by sentient machines BlueTwelve