Cats are one of the most beloved creatures on the planet, which is why they dominate the internet. Now now it looks like they’re dominating gaming. Stray, the game about a stray cat in the future, released in mid-July but has already destroyed the player rating barometer. It’s even now outranking Elden Ring among Steam player ratings, despite being a much more focused game. And it’s not really difficult to see why it’s such a hit among fans.
Stray Player Counts and Ratings Skyrocket
Stray immediately drew attention for being a game about a cat in a cyberpunk universe. While games about cats aren’t new, there was never one that had such a degree of gaming authenticity. It’s effectively an exploration adventure with limited risk and pressure. Still, its presentation is enough to make a huge impact on the player community. While it may still lag behind the much revered Elden Ring in terms of raw player count, Stray is surging in terms of user ratings. Just check the game’s user reviews on Steam or its Metacritic user score.
Of course, that’s not without reason. The game is being praised for being accessible, beautiful, and immersive. As the title implies, Stray is about a stray cat lost in an underground city. As they explore, they’ll realize that it has been sealed off. The only remaining inhabitants are robots known as Companions. The cat befriends an animated little drone which has its own mystery to solve, and that aligns with the cat’s desire to return to the surface and their family. This leads to an adventure that can be seen as fun, unusual, charming, and heartwarming with great pacing.
Stray was released on July 19, meaning today marks just one week since release. Still, the game has already earned multiple perfect scores by both players and critics. Though more complex titles like Elden Ring maintain their popularity, Stray shows that a worthwhile experience doesn’t need to be overly complicated or difficult. It just needs heart.
