Rarely does an indie game make quite as big an impression as BlueTwelve Studio’s debut titleStray. It’s one of the most singular games in recent memory, with players thrown into a neon-drenched underground city and tasked with helping some of the robots who live there to escape to the outside world. Oh. Also, players control a stray cat.
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Strayis much more than just another cat game though, with its handling of exploration and narrative progress helping to set it apart from many of its peers. It is an incredibly short game, however, with players able to complete it in just a few hours. Thankfully, there are plenty of other great games likeStraythat players can dive into once they make it to the outside world.
Spirit of the North
Though it could certainly be argued thatbeing a PlayStation exclusivelimited the size ofStray’s potential player base, the additional marketing push that the game received from Sony seems to have more than made up for this. That would certainly explain why the smash hit indie game made a much bigger splash thanSpirit of the North, which is incredibly similar toStrayin a lot of different ways.
Infuse Studio’s third-person adventure game sees players controlling a brushy-tailed fox and is every bit as visually stunning as its feline-themed peer. Granted, the controls are a little less responsive and the story isn’t quite as strong, but the gameplay is every bit as enjoyable in spite of these minor quibbles. It won’t be for everyone, but those who likedStrayshould take a lot of enjoyment fromSpirit of the North.
Endling: Extinction is Forever
Endling: Extinction is Foreveris yet anotherwell-reviewed indie gamein which players control a fox, though they’ll this time be doing so in a world that’s teetering on the brink of extinction. It’s not quite as impressive asStray’s neon-soaked rendition of Kowloon walled city, but the game’s distinctive art style really helps to make each location feel unique and provides an extra layer of depth that’s seldom found in low-budget indie games like these.
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Interestingly, Herobeat Studios opted to releaseEndlingon the exact same date asStray, which has led to the title being overshadowed and overlooked by many prospective players. As more time passes, however, the positive word of mouth that the game is attracting will likely lead to a surge in popularity, as anyone who enjoyedStrayis almost certain to have fun with thisatmospheric adventure game.
Shenmue
At a glance,StrayandShenmuemay seem like chalk and cheese, though there are actually an awful lot of similarities if one starts to poke around under their respective hoods. The most notable of these is perhaps the lack of handholding found throughout the two games, with players encouraged to explore andinteract with the world around themrather than follow map waypoints and arrows from objective to objective. Granted, players control a stoic Japanese teenager rather than a friendly feline, though, somewhat bizarrely, they are able to take care of a stray cat during the first game.
With all this in mind, those who enjoyed the feelings of freedom evoked byStraywill likely loveShenmue, as too will anyone who took pleasure from the level of detail that went into making the game’s world and those who inhabit it feel so authentic.Shenmue 2even allows players to explore Kowloon, though, due to the game’s 1980s setting, its depiction of the walled city is very different from the one found inStray.
Tokyo Jungle
Like all of the other games mentioned thus far,Tokyo Jungleis incredibly underrated. The Japan Studio titletakes place in a post-apocalyptic futurein which humanity has become extinct and animals have risen up to reclaim the barren streets of Tokyo. Players must control one of these animals, not only surviving the harsh conditions and many threats that surround them but also attracting partners in order to save their species from extinction.
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Players can control a wide range of animals, from cute little bunnies to carnivorous dinosaurs, with several feline breeds also included. Though the game could perhaps have done with more focused objectives and some additional story elements, it’s still an absolute blast to play, either solo or with a friend. Players will likely pick up some seriousStrayvibes in the process, not just because they’ll becontrolling an animal, but also due to the game’s complete lack of human characters and spoken dialogue.
Untitled Goose Game
For those who loved being able tounleash their inner cat while playingStray,Untitled Goose Gamemay well be worth a look. LikeGoat Simulatorbefore it, it’s a game that celebrates the fun side of being able to control an animal in a video game, with very few traces of the serious narrative beats that are found throughout many of its peers.
Though the lack of a plot can at times makeUntitled Goose Gamefeel a little hollow, its many tasks allow players to tackle the game in fun bite-sized chunks. They’ll likely need more thanthe two hours that are required to finishStrayif they want to complete everything on the To-Do list, but the game still falls into that short but sweet territory in whichStrayhas found much of its success.
Strayis available now on PS4, PS5, and PC.
