Formally announced at the recent PS5 event, Stray is an adventure game that pits you as a cat making its way around a fictionalized Kowloon Walled City among robot dwellers.
- Genre: Adventure game
- Platforms: Timed console exclusive for PS4 and PS5, PC (Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and possibly Switch at later date)
- Developer: BlueTwelve Studio
- Release date: 2021
- Check out PlayStation Blog’s brief glimpse into how Stray came to be
Originally known as HK_Project, Stray is being developed by French developer, BlueTwelve, and published by Annapurna Interactive. Although written in French, the official Stray (HK_Project) blog details the evolution of BlueTwelve’s time developing the game. The first post on the official devblog dates back to October 7, 2015.
If the studio’s official blog is any indication, the game is being developed on Unreal Engine 4. Other recent games developed using Epic Games’ popular engine include Borderlands 3, Days Gone, Final Fantasy VII Remake, and The Outer Worlds.
When will Stray release? Which platforms will Stray be released for?
As of now, the official release date for Stray is sometime in 2021. The PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 will retain limited exclusivity as far as consoles go. The amount of time it remain exclusive to Sony’s consoles is unknown at this point. Stray will also release for the PC.
As with most timed exclusives, you can expect the game to be released for the Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and possibly the Nintendo Switch sometime after its initial launch.
Why keep tabs on Stray?
For one, BlueTwelve looks to be cooking up something refreshingly unique. I can’t quite think of any games centered around a melancholic cyberpunk setting that allow you to play as a cat. The loose and artistic perspective seem to be a great foil to the bombastic highs of AAA gaming. We’ve certainly seen an uptick in unique indie experiences this generation, but nothing quite like what Stray seems to be putting out there.
Annapurna Interactive, publisher of the game, also has quite the track record as far as funded indies go. Games like What Remains of Edith Finch and Outer Wilds were highly praised by critics and players alike. Their eye for quality and fresh takes inspires confidence in their latest endeavor.
Lover of games, tech, nature, and strange electronic music. Shaped by Sega, PlayStation, Nintendo, and Xbox – platform agnostic ever since. Currently overwhelmed by choice on my Xbox Series X thanks to Game Pass.