Stray, the upcoming cyberpunk cat platformer that could go on to be this year’s breakout indie hit, is set to release soon. Since officially announced at PlayStation’s Future of Gaming event in June 2020, Stray has already garnered a dedicated fanbase, eagerly awaiting the game’s release. From the game’s release date to the cats who inspired the BlueTwelve Studio-developed feline protagonist, here’s everything you need to know about Stray. 


Stray: Release date


First things first, Stray is set to release on July 19.


Stray: Platforms


Stray will be available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC. 


The game will be a “timed exclusive” for PlayStation and PC for the time being. So, Xbox owners will have to wait for some time to get their hands on Stray. At the time of writing, Microsoft hasn’t announced when Stray will come to Xbox consoles.


Stray: Price


On Steam, Stray PC price is listed at Rs 674. No price has yet been listed on the PlayStation store. However, if you have an active PS Plus Extra or PS Plus Deluxe, you will be able to able to download and play Stray from day one. 


Stray: Story, gameplay


Stray’s story is set in a world inhabited by robots. Players will get into the shoes (or paws) of a stray cat who must find his way back home, scampering and maneuvering his way through a puzzling cyberpunk landscape and dangerous adversaries. 


During his adventure, the cat will be accompanied by a drone named B12, who will not only help our feline hero understand the robots’ language, but also help store pickup items found in the world. 


Stray promises to be a platformer with an open-world treatment. You will have to navigate the pawed protagonist through hurdles, solve intricate puzzles with your feline instinct, and scurry away from swarms of Zurks, one of the many enemies in the game. 


Stray: The inspiration behind the feline hero


BlueTwelve Studio producer Swann Martin-Raget gave fans a glimpse of the real-life cattos that inspired Stray’s protagonist. In order to make in-game cat movements feel the most natural, the team’s dedicated cat animator Miko and cat programmer Rémi, developed Stray after spending countless hours studying each and every movement of three pets: Murtaugh, Oscar, and Jun. While Murtaugh, the studio cofounders’ pet, inspired most of the game’s hero’s looks, Oscar the Sphynx cat provided ample video reference of jumps and runs. 


But what about Jun? “Being the executive chief general president commander director officer at the studio, he was in charge of monitoring the team’s efforts everyday and making sure everyone was working on the right topic,” Martin-Raget wrote in a blog post. Guess you can't stop a kitty from being a kitty, after all.