Stray: Internet’s new favorite feline
Most of the time when we come across a game with an animal protagonist, we usually expect our character to act like a human while having the appearance of a cartoon character or an animal, such as OctaDad, Crash Bandicoot, or Sonic the Hedgehog.
With Stray, it's different. Stray is a third-person adventure single-player video game that puts you in the paws of an orange tabby cat who gets separated from his family and ends up in a cyberpunk world inhabited by droids. Decoding different clues to solve an ancient mystery in a seemingly abandoned city, our main character tries to make his way through to be reunited with his feline family members. You will be doing everything a cat does, from balancing on railings, walking on keyboards, pattering across roofs, snoozing on cozy cushions, and knocking things off shelves for no reason.
Composed for PS4 and PS5 by Yann Van Der Cruyssen and developed by BlueTwelve Studio on Unreal Engine 4, Stray is inspired by a real-life street cat adopted by the co-founders of BluTwelve Studio, Koola, and Viv. Throughout the game development, different cats were brought to the studio to observe their very quick and precise movements which helped the animators nail the quadruped’s exact style of motion.
Stray quickly became the fourth most watched and broadcasted game on the day it was launched. Cat lovers and players have posted pictures and videos on social media platforms, showing their fur babies watching the game, and being fascinated watching the virtual cats' realistic movements and meows.
Our orange tabby is a hero for the real-life felines as well! Gamers and cat parents are using online fundraising platforms to live stream while playing “Stray” to raise money for animal shelters and other charities that will help cats all around the world.