A spoiler-free introduction to Stray

Get to know the cat, their drone companion and the fascinating robot world the two navigate to find a way home in this unique action adventure from BlueTwelve Studio.

The hero cat

When starting out in Stray, you meet the hero cat. They are nameless, injured and alone. But this is no alley cat. In a strange city populated only by robots, their sole objective is to navigate their way home.

Brought to life by a team of cat lovers at BlueTwelve Studio, the cat possesses all the lovable traits you might expect from a fearless feline protagonist.

Murtaugh

Reference for the hero. Studio co-founders Koola and Viv's cat.

Oscar

Studio cat and reference for animation. Animator Miko's cat.

Jun

Studio cat. Level artist Clara's cat.

Tao

Producer Swann's cat.

Litchi

Producer Swann's cat.

The drone companion, B-12

Early in the story, you’ll encounter a small drone called B-12 who will join the cat on their journey. Only through a combination of the cat’s natural skills and B-12’s abilities will you be able to fully explore the city.

It’s not immediately clear why B-12 is helping, but it’s worth knowing that the little companion drone has its own motivations and is an important character in the story. 

What does B-12 do in Stray?

Interacts and translates

B-12 can be called upon to help interact with anything electronic (computers, doors, etc.), and helps the cat read the robot alphabet on signs and understand what robots say.

Stores items

While only a small drone, B-12 contains the inventory for quest items. Items in this inventory can be shown to robot inhabitants to progress. It also stores ‘memories’ that can be inspected later to reveal information about the city.

Gives direction

Call him at any time to remind you of your current objective - especially if you’re lost and don’t know where to go.

Fights back

While the cat’s speed and agility are its first line of defence against enemies, an unlockable ability gives B-12 some tools to fight back. Tick-like enemies called Zurks and other dangers are waiting for you though, and B-12’s skills are limited so you’ll also need to use stealth and the environment to outwit them.

Lights the way

B-12 provides torchlight in the many dark areas of the city.

The robot population

The city is inhabited by a variety of humanoid robots, each going about their day among the remnants of what appears to be previous human occupation. Not all robots react to seeing a cat in the same way and you’ll learn which types tend to be friendly and which aren’t as you progress.

Dialogue: 'Grandma - I do love knitting. So far I've knitted 478 miles of scarves. It's something to do.'

Friendly faces

Some robots are especially useful to help you progress your journey. Keep an eye out for Momo in the opening section of the game, and later, Grandma, who helps make clothes out of spare parts for the community. Try talking to everyone though as you never know who will prove a useful contact.

The city

Inspiration

The city in Stray is inspired by Kowloon Walled City – a place that BlueTwelve Studio co-founders have always been fascinated by. They considered the concentration of dwellings and various levels to feel somewhat organic. 

Using this as a reference, visual experiments of a city like Kowloon were created, and soon became a perfect playground for a cat. The concept for Stray quickly followed.

The atmosphere

Colourful neon signs and string lights beautifully illuminate what would otherwise be a bleak dystopian civilization.

Adding robots to this environment provides an intriguing narrative, and a stark contrast between their synthetic yet humanoid nature, the organic feel of the city and distinct lack of humans.

Exploration

The verticality of the city adds a new dimension to exploration. 

You’ll need to solve environmental puzzles and search high and low for ‘memories’ that unlock data in B-12 about the city. How do the plants still grow without sunlight? Where did the robot alphabet come from? What happened to the previous inhabitants of the city? 

Only a cat can access some of these areas to uncover mysteries of the past and present.

It's time to find your way home

Rating and Reviews

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Platform:
PS4, PS5
Release:
7/19/2022
Publisher:
Annapurna Interactive
Genres:
Adventure
PS5 Screen Languages:
Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Dutch, English, French (France), German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Russian, Spanish, Spanish (Mexico), Turkish
PS4 Voice:
English
PS4 Screen Languages:
Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Dutch, English, French (France), German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Russian, Spanish, Spanish (Mexico), Turkish
To play this game on PS5, your system may need to be updated to the latest system software. Although this game is playable on PS5, some features available on PS4 may be absent. See PlayStation.com/bc for more details.

Online features require an account and are subject to terms of service and applicable privacy policy (playstationnetwork.com/terms-of-service & playstationnetwork.com/privacy-policy).

Software subject to license (us.playstation.com/softwarelicense).

You can download and play this content on the main PS5 console associated with your account (through the “Console Sharing and Offline Play” setting) and on any other PS5 consoles when you login with your same account.
©2022 BlueTwelve Studio Ltd. Published by Annapurna Interactive under exclusive license. All rights reserved.