Best Video Game Ever: Stray

By Mewla Young

“Stray,” is a super fun video game that both gamers and cat people will love. In Stray, you are a cat. You get separated from your cat family and must navigate a cyber-punk city that was once inhabited by humans. You trot through the decaying city, now inhabited by humanish robots. You communicate with the robots and otherwise search for clues to help you figure out a mystery.

I have played other video games that feature cat protagonists. However, the cats in other games act like humans, sometimes walking on their hind legs and using their “hands.” Also, many of the other games featuring cats are violent, and the cats slash their foes with swords, etc. This game is different.

The cats in Stray are like the cats in the Zarah novel; they act like cats. And in Stray, they do so in exquisite visual detail. The cats rub up against each other, move their tails to express danger or friendliness, scratch trees, slurp water, lick each other, and even knock items off of tables! The game’s graphics are top notch, and the cat’s movements and environment are amazingly life-like. The attention to cat behavior makes it obvious that the game’s creators are cat lovers.

Who are the creators? Stray is developed by BlueTwelve Studio, a small team of cats and humans from the south of France. In an interview, the producer at Blue Twelve Studios said, “…About 80% of the team are cat owners and cat lovers, and we are definitely passionate about this animal and the bond that we can have with them. That was really quite natural for us to try to make a game that is really a love letter to them, and portraying them as realistically as possible…” (1)

For me, as a beginner, this game was a blast. The specific tasks can be confusing at times, so listen carefully to all the messages you receive from your robot friends. If all else fails, I learned from CatDad that gamers will google for hints when stuck about what to do next.

And watch out for the evil “Zurks.”

This game has become an online phenomenon, highly rated by gamers and non-gamers alike. But one important caveat from this cat lover. If you have a cat that needs some attention, don’t spend time playing video games. Play with your cat! Otherwise, if you have time apart from your cat-service duties, get this game. It’s the best video game on the planet!

Some fun facts:

~ Stray was inspired by the BlueTwelve Studios cofounders’ cats, Murtaugh and Riggs.

~ The game’s cat protagonist is based on Murtaugh, who is a ginger tabby and a former stray.

~ Murtaugh‘s nickname at the studio is “The Boss.”

~ The city in the game is based on a real city of crowded apartment buildings that no longer exists. It was in Hong Kong and called “the Walled City of Kowloon.”

~ The founders and directors of the game, artists named Viv and Koola, were fascinated by the Walled City of Kowloon. They thought the city’s vertical walls and thin alleys would be the perfect playground for a cat.

~ During the games development, a few cats were used as models, including a sphinx cat named Oscar.

~ The game has a frickin’ “meow” button!

~ Readers of my blog know that stray and feral homeless cats are a huge problem. I’m happy to report that Annapurna Interactive is working with Cats Protection, a charity that finds homes for stray cats.

~ The game is published by Annapurna Interactive, the video game is available on PlayStation 4 and 5, or can be streamed on a PC for $29.99 US dollars.