Out of all the indie games that came out in 2022, Stray was the title that took the internet by storm for obvious reasons. You can play as a cat and interact with the environment by doing the typical things a normal cat would do. Now I'm not a cat person by any means, but I liked my experience of what the game has to offer
You play as an orange stray cat. After falling off a broken pipe, you are plunged into a decaying cybercity populated by robots, machines, and mutant bacteria, where humans ceased to exist. Little later on, you'll encounter B-12, a little drone buddy to assist you on your journey of setting out in returning to the surface. It's simple, but I think that's all you need for a game like this
Speaking of simple, Stray is a third-person adventure game involving basic platforming and an emphasis on puzzle-solving. The platforming can be done with the press of a button when near specific platforms and ledges, while the puzzles are more so moving stuff around and messing with the NPCs. The puzzles themselves for the most part are short and aren't that complex to figure out, but that's not a bad thing. With a game like Stray having puzzles that are short but give off a little challenge and making it accessible to newcomers is a W in my book
That said, I do have a few issues with the game. The first problem I have with the game is that it feels rushed near the end. I'm not going to get into spoilers, but when you get to the final area of the game, there are barely any puzzles to solve. It's just that one door you need to open in order to get access to the room that'll open up the city and trigger the ending for this orange stray. I have no problem with short games at all, but the endgame feels underdeveloped
The other issue I have is the game not letting us do more of the things cats do in everyday life. Let me explain, everyone's first thoughts when they watched the trailer is something like "oh cool, we can experience what it's like to be a cat." Yes, that is there, and that's the highlight of the game, however, the rest of the game consists of the robot citizens that I mentioned earlier. I don't hate them, I just wish we have some more moments in the story where we can be disconnected from the robots for a bit and freely wander and do the cat things the game promises, like at the beginning of the whole game
Stray is a decent indie game while also being the best video game where we play as a cat. As I've mentioned before, the game is not long at all; it should take you around 4-6 hours to beat, and there is a bit of replayability for people who love the game or completionists like myself. I recommend this to anyone who loves cats and wants a more shorter experience. I like the game, but I strongly disagree with this being the Best Indie Game of 2022 or a GOTY nominee at The Game Awards. I think there are a lot of indie games that year that deserve that spot in my opinion
You play as an orange stray cat. After falling off a broken pipe, you are plunged into a decaying cybercity populated by robots, machines, and mutant bacteria, where humans ceased to exist. Little later on, you'll encounter B-12, a little drone buddy to assist you on your journey of setting out in returning to the surface. It's simple, but I think that's all you need for a game like this
Speaking of simple, Stray is a third-person adventure game involving basic platforming and an emphasis on puzzle-solving. The platforming can be done with the press of a button when near specific platforms and ledges, while the puzzles are more so moving stuff around and messing with the NPCs. The puzzles themselves for the most part are short and aren't that complex to figure out, but that's not a bad thing. With a game like Stray having puzzles that are short but give off a little challenge and making it accessible to newcomers is a W in my book
That said, I do have a few issues with the game. The first problem I have with the game is that it feels rushed near the end. I'm not going to get into spoilers, but when you get to the final area of the game, there are barely any puzzles to solve. It's just that one door you need to open in order to get access to the room that'll open up the city and trigger the ending for this orange stray. I have no problem with short games at all, but the endgame feels underdeveloped
The other issue I have is the game not letting us do more of the things cats do in everyday life. Let me explain, everyone's first thoughts when they watched the trailer is something like "oh cool, we can experience what it's like to be a cat." Yes, that is there, and that's the highlight of the game, however, the rest of the game consists of the robot citizens that I mentioned earlier. I don't hate them, I just wish we have some more moments in the story where we can be disconnected from the robots for a bit and freely wander and do the cat things the game promises, like at the beginning of the whole game
Stray is a decent indie game while also being the best video game where we play as a cat. As I've mentioned before, the game is not long at all; it should take you around 4-6 hours to beat, and there is a bit of replayability for people who love the game or completionists like myself. I recommend this to anyone who loves cats and wants a more shorter experience. I like the game, but I strongly disagree with this being the Best Indie Game of 2022 or a GOTY nominee at The Game Awards. I think there are a lot of indie games that year that deserve that spot in my opinion