STRAY Review for Nintendo Switch

As much as I enjoy tending to my Animal Crossing island (it’s maple leaf season!), my heart really belongs to the dark, indie horror games. One of my very first gaming experiences was Limbo, which I discovered in middle school and had to play through my fingers because of the enormous predatory spider that haunts the first half. The Half-Life games were also pretty formative for me, and only a few years ago I played Little Nightmares and was absolutely blown away by the tense playstyle and moody atmosphere.

When I read that Stray was a dystopian indie horror-adjacent game, I was thrilled. When I subsequently learned that the player character is a cat, I was…puzzled. But the game makes it work, blending standard human mechanics like jumping and carrying items with uniquely feline actions like clawing, kneading, meowing, and even running around with a paper bag on your head (all of which I’ve seen my own cat do today). If those actions sound a bit too cutesy or zany for horror, don’t be fooled – Stray packs in plenty of spooky vibes despite its slightly peculiar premise.

The first hours of Stray are full of references to sci-fi/horror films and games, intentional or unintentional (maybe I read into a few more than were actually there). The titular ginger feline is a dead ringer for Jonesy the Cat from the Alien franchise, the wallpaper in a dilapidated apartment matches the iconic hexagonal carpet from The Shining, and the buzzing neon signs alongside the rain and thunder is right out of Blade Runner. Early on, the combination of steaming pipes, glaring security cameras, and mysterious graffiti even reminded me of the back half of Portal, and anything that reminds me of Portal is an automatic win.

Stray’s initial hook is straightforward: after a brief prologue exploring an abandoned factory overgrown with greenery, a cat is separated from its pack and falls into a deep chasm, ending up in a nightmarish underground city populated by humanoid robots and malevolent glowing blobs called Zurks. Before long, the cat finds a small amnesiac drone known only as B-12, who has a long list of memories that you can find and recover. B-12 helps with the aspects of the game that aren’t cat-friendly, such as speaking, translating, storing helpful objects, and shining a flashlight onto shadowy walls. The overarching goal is simple: escape the city and return to the outside world.

While B-12 is there to assist, the cat is more than capable of holding its own. Whether you’re outrunning Zurks, leaping across towering rooftops, or hopping on and off levers to power up machinery, this cat is no slouch. The game mechanics are perfectly fine and generally smooth — my only complaint is the camera movement can be a bit sluggish when you swing it around. There are quick-access buttons for jumping, interacting, accessing your inventory, or turning on your flashlight, and certain areas light up with their corresponding button to let you know where you can go. If you’re stuck, B-12 can provide a hint to where you should go next.

I can forgive the occasional dropped frame or awkward camera movement, because the attention to detail in Stray is astounding. Even optional areas that aren’t necessary to the plot have been filled out in rich depth, from the graffiti to the puddles on the ground to the discarded furniture that hints at the presence of humans long gone. The city really feels like a city, not a set of levels thrown together with pre-generated backgrounds. For an indie game, that’s quite an impressive achievement.

While I’m definitely biased in favor of this game because of my love of horror, dystopia, and science-fiction, I think everyone will find something to enjoy about Stray. The mechanics are easy to get the hang of, the puzzles are on the ideal border of challenging and accessible, and the cat is a lot of fun to play as, whether you’re performing high-octane jumps or just clawing the carpet. 8.5/10

For more information, visit the official website.

Related: Reviews by Ian Robinson-Lambert

Ian Robinson-Lambert

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I've loved video games ever since I started playing Mario Kart on my parents' Wii back in seventh grade. These days, you can find me playing a mix of historical RPGs and horror (shout-out to Assassin's Creed and Resident Evil). I also love a good puzzle, and of course I still have a soft spot for the Super Mario series!

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