Stray for PC is an action-adventure game where players take on the role of a stray cat navigating a mysterious walled city. This city is inspired by the real Kowloon Walled City in Hong Kong, known for its intrigue, mystery, and touch of rebellion. The actual Kowloon Walled City has been demolished, possibly due to its rebellious nature.
About the Game
The game begins the same for all players: you start above ground, traveling with four other cats, and accidentally tumble into the walled city. Soon after, you discover an abandoned laboratory and activate a drone named B-12, which has an AI consciousness. B-12, previously assisting a scientist, has suffered memory loss and is slowly recovering. Tethered to you with a small backpack, B-12 proves useful in various ways.
As you play, B-12’s recovering memories reveal new story arcs and guidance. Together, you discover that humans have vanished, but their robot companions thrive. The walled city is home to robots, viruses, and machines, including drones. B-12 aids your navigation, but threats abound.
Zurks, a sentient cat-hating bacteria, will swarm and attack the cat, while Sentinels, lethal security drones, aim to keep intruders out and inhabitants within the city. You’ll quickly learn to evade these enemies.
The city’s robots exhibit quirky human traits, like ‘hairstyles’ made of wire. They offer quests or rewards, such as Morusque, who plays music when you present her with gathered sheet music.
To combat Zurks, you can equip B-12 with a Defluxor, which destroys the bacteria but overheats quickly, rendering B-12 inactive while recharging. Sentinels can be avoided by staying out of their clearly indicated sight lines.
Not all inhabitants are hostile. A group of robots wishes to escape the city with your help. Gather some Outsiders and B-12 for new adventures. This game, with its realistic feline behaviors, is a delight for cat lovers!
The Nitty Gritty
In Stray, you have no weapons, avatar, or armor—only a cat’s body. Real-life cats often watch gameplay with fascination, evidenced by the Twitter account @CatsWatchStray.
You’ll climb, leap across platforms, and create paths by knocking over paint cans, jumping into buckets, and clawing interesting objects. You’ll also learn to use vending machines to unlock new areas.
While some parts are linear, there are open-world sections where you can explore, nap, meow, and befriend NPCs, which provides bonuses. You’ll collect badges that appear on your cat’s backpack.
Despite the lack of combat, the game offers relaxing gameplay with moments of tension, like escaping from a swarm of Zurks.
What Can B-12 Do For You?
B-12 offers more than companionship and conversation:
- Translates language for communication with robots
- Provides light in dark areas
- Acts as an inventory with storage space
- Aids in gameplay with hacking skills to open new areas and solve puzzles
That’s all, folks! Happy gaming and take care!
Stray offers a unique and heartwarming adventure, letting you experience the world through the eyes of a cat – with beautiful visuals and a captivating story, it’s a journey you won’t forget.