‘Stray’ is Having a Moment Thanks to Custom Mods & Stellar Reviews
Cat in the big city game Stray is making waves in the gaming world with custom kitties and popularity that challenges even God of War.
Last week Stray dropped into our laps and we collectively went, “Awww! Look at the kitty! Psp sps psp!” This game of a little cat lost in the big robot city has become a runaway hit in the short time it’s been out. But the game may be getting away from what the programmers even envisioned.
Probably the biggest draws to this surprise hit are the nature and aesthetic of it. The internet loves cats – we love cats so much that there are celebrity cats. But puzzle games are also demographic-spanning people pleasers. We all loved creating havoc with the Untitled Goose Game, and even my mom will sit down and pour serious hours into a puzzle game with even a loose semblance of a story. Do you remember 1993’s The 7th Guest? My whole family sure does.
So BlueTwelve Studio combining these two great tastes into their kitty-filled puzzle debut title was always destined to be a home run, we just didn’t realize it yet.
Something else we should have seen coming a mile away and somehow didn’t were all of the mods. Fan-made modifications to the game, or mods, have allowed players to make the smallest, most insignificant, cosmetic only change to the game that’s making it infinitely more enjoyable. That’s right, they’re redesigning the already very cute orange cat to look like their own cats. And as a cat owner, I can confidently say, my cat is the best in the world and deserves to be the star of this game. I’m sure every other cat owner feels the same, so this mod has been huge in the player base.
But it wouldn’t be fair to say that mods and adorableness are the only things fast-tracking Stray to greatness. It’s also just a good game all on its own. Reviews for Stray are positive across the board, with glowing commentary from every source I’ve seen. The premise is gimmicky without being a joke, the story is a little short but good. The world is beautifully rendered and fun to explore.
And it’s not just professionals and reviewers who love this game. According to the Stream top 250 for 2022 list, Stray is officially the best-reviewed game of the year with an 8.62 score. This officially beats out the previous top spot, God of War, with its 8.57 score.
So what’s next for Stray and BlueTwelve Studio? Will Stray stay this popular or is it a flash in a pan? Will this mark a new era of hyper-popular puzzle games? Only time will tell. But for how navigating electronic version of our own cats through a city of robots is pretty great.
Have you played Stray? Does your game feature a modded cat or the classic orange shorthair? Do you think Stray deserves Steam’s number one review spot or should that go back to God of War? Let us know in the comments!
Happy Adventuring!
