If you haven’t been on the internet in an adult life, you may not realize that cats have always been in charge. In the early 2000s, one of the preeminent methods of communication through email, burgeoning social media platforms and forums was basically cat memes.
Likewise, if you’ve ever used terms like “hecking good boy” or “boop the snoot”, you may not realize that the root of your internet language is in fact Kitty Pidgin, the “I can has?”-laden language born from the Lolcat meme era, one of the earliest traceable pidgin of its kind online.
However, the internet is just a new medium for an already existing human fascination with cats. Whether it’s old murals or Harry Pointer’s meme-esque photography, we’ve been inextricably linked to cats for over 9,000 years. Research has even shown that cats, effectively, domesticate themselves (opens in new tab)which makes their sometimes maddeningly indifferent attitude towards us logical.
It’s no surprise, then, that while they may not have quite the supreme power they once had over the online space, cats are still a huge cultural mainstay. As evidenced by the viral sensation that is the third-person cat adventure game Stray.
Now over 60,000 concurrent players for Stray on Steam. I absolutely cannot stress enough how incredible these numbers are for an indie title. These numbers are much closer to what successful AAA titles achieve. HUGE hit for Annapurna Interactive and BlueTwelve Studio https://t.co/B8TbOKExta pic.twitter.com/2LSGNzIQQoJuly 19, 2022
Although weeks of hype surrounded the game leading up to its release, a veritable tsunami of feline content swept through our Twitter, TikTok, and even Facebook feeds upon release. Reaching over 60,000 concurrent players on Steam, a number that rivals some AAA titles, Stray has clearly captured something that was otherwise absent from the current gaming scene.
Paws for thought
Some readers may remember a little old site called ‘I Can Has Cheezburger?’ from the old days, who posted text memes with a range of recurring characters and themes – some of the earliest memes I remember on the internet.
Whether it was one of the first cat blogs like MyCatHatesYou or the Infinite Cat Project, memes like Ceiling Cat, Long Cat and Cheeseburger Cat or even 4Chan’s Caturday posts, cat culture was strong and expansive, spreading quickly from images to video as sites like YouTube became more accessible.
The cat meme universe expanded quickly. Now we had keyboard cat, “No No No” cat, grumpy cat and, of course, our pop pie friend Nyan cat. Reporting from Buzzfeed in fact, in 2012, even though dogs were searched more frequently, cat content was much more susceptible to virality.
Fast forward to the present and we have Stray, taking advantage of the internet’s decades-long feline legacy. If you’ve been wondering why this game has won hearts, look no further than the attention to detail in capturing the joy of cats.
Un(cat)nny Valley
Stray puts you in control of an orange cat who has been separated from his group of feline friends and pushed into a post-post-apocalyptic cyberpunk city, walled off from the outside world. The inhabitants of the city are companions, helper bots abandoned by mankind, which have evolved over several centuries to mimic the behavior, beliefs, and even aspirations of humans.
Throughout the game, you and your drone friend B-12 explore and investigate the various dwellings in the walled city in hopes of finding a way to return to the outside world and, as a byproduct, free the companions trapped within the walls.
As a premise, I’d neglect to say it completely revamps the post-apocalypse adventure genre, but what really takes Stray to the next level is seeing it all through a cat’s lens.
Whether you’re scratching carpets and trees, drinking from puddles of water or meowing at the touch of a button, this game exudes the charisma of a cat.
The moment I realized this game had more to offer than just nice graphics and some solid platforming mechanics, the first time a throwaway animation was recorded for no other purpose than to add depth to a cat’s experience to be.
Early in the game, when you encounter B-12, the drone will attract you with a suit of armor. The interaction that followed made me squeak – the cat fell furiously to the floor as if cursed with the most grotesque burdens. If you’ve ever tried dressing up with a cat that’s not used to it, you’ll have gotten a similar answer. It’s not an animation that reappears elsewhere in the game – just a really neat acknowledgment of cats’ mannerisms.
Likewise, there are countless pianos around the world that you can jump on and walk on a keyboard cat; multiple times when it’s your job as a cat to destroy things by pushing them off ledges with a timid, curled paw; and even moments of walking over a computer keyboard is a crucial part of plot development.
These small but important interactions add to a bigger story, a sense of self-awareness that Stray has – and a feeling that, in my opinion, much larger teams and studios would struggle to capture with such nuance. It’s this raw, unadulterated charm that I believe has captured the hearts and minds of players around the world.
The cat’s pajamas
The relationship of the Companions with the stray of the same name is also known. Despite many of them not even knowing what a cat is, referring to it as a four-legged friend, they have a very human desire and appreciation for the creatures.
Rub against the leg of some companions and they will emote with a heart. One bot is on a bench and can be jumped on. At first he reacts in surprise before giving in to the cat’s will, petting him and falling back asleep. On the less loving side, you can hop onto a table where two bots play dominoes, spray tiles all over the place, then gleefully watch as they meticulously replace the pieces… just for you to do it all over again.
Another favorite interaction of mine is when delivering sheet music to the audiophile bot, Morusque. The Companion plays the piece on his makeshift guitar – and you have the option to curl up on a pile of pillows next to it and listen to the song. It’s a simple, sweet moment, reminiscent of cozy afternoons spent next to my own feline friend.
Stray captures the essence of conviviality in his winks to those little moments in life that bring you peace and contentment. In Danish they have the word ‘hygge’ to explain this, and I can’t think of a better description. For me, it’s like pausing for a coffee at Brewster’s in Animal Crossing, just to watch the simple animation of a cup being raised with stubby fingerless hands, sipping and enjoying it.
We get it, you’re a dog person
Does all this mean that Stray is for everyone? No, clearly not, judging by part of the reception. Stray’s greatest strength is also his greatest weakness – it depends on whether you appreciate the cultural space of cats, or have the experience of owning one, to really shine.
I recently read a piece Shame (opens in new tab) that suggests Stray is undermining himself – offering too human a lens on a humanless world. But I have to disagree. There’s a fundamental juxtaposition in Stray between the way the robots so desperately emulate humanity, and the survival of cats in this barren, post-human world. Ultimately, what charmed me most about this simple game was that an intelligence created in our image will always strive to be human, to be more. cats? They’re just cats.
Stray is far from the perfect game; In fact, I’d say the second act was a bit underwhelming in terms of gameplay due to a lack of verticality compared to how beautiful and detailed the first act was. However, it is undoubtedly one of my favorite games of recent years. Appreciation of entertainment and art forms is always subjective, and nothing shows that quite like the invention of the cat game person. You are one or you are not.
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