Have you played...? Stray

(Originally publised on my Instagram account ⤴ on 2026-03-06)

Stray fanart showing the titular orange cat and a robot hand caressing its face
Stray watercolor fanart by me

A good game for cat lovers and dystopian cyberpunk lovers alike, Stray tells the story of an orange tabby cat that’s living peacefully with their companions, until one day they slip into a dark city populated by humanoid robots. You meet different robots and slowly understand what happened, all while finding your way back to the Outside where you came from.

In a few words, this game is beautiful, poignant and profoundly lonely. Being the only animal in a mechanical, gray city, really makes you feel alone in a world that’s not your own. The graphics and world-building are really beautiful in a dark, futuristic neon cyberpunk way. The most interesting aspect is the gameplay, since you’re a cat and you see the world from their point of view. Being small and nimble means you can jump and reach places the other robots can’t, and it makes exploring the large environments really fun. The music is very subdued and minimalistic, which only adds to the sense of isolation.

My only criticism would be that, in some parts, it’s hard to see which places you’re able to go or where an object that you need to solve a puzzle is. Though I guess these are difficulties a small cat in a big world would face.

Stray is a short game - it took me around 7.5 hours to finish, though spread across many different days. It’s worth your time if you’re looking for an interesting narrative with a unique point of view and gameplay.

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