Stray is shaping up to be a bonafide hit, even if we were just to judge its performance from anecdotal incidents like the phenomenon that is @CatsWatchStray, or the reemergence of the Deus Ex Twitter account just to meme about kitties.
Thankfully, we do have some more concrete numbers to go by. They are from the PC version of the game, but it's probably safe to assume even more are playing on PlayStation, considering Stray was made available via PS Plus Extra from launch
After Benji's post, Stray numbers actually continued to rise, peaking at just shy of 63,000 concurrent on Steam. That's far and away the most simultaneous players developer Annapurna Interactive has racked up on a PC game at launch (thanks, VGC).
We will need to wait until Sony releases some official PlayStation numbers to know just how big of a hit Stray was on our beloved platform, and we will update you as soon as they do. In the meantime, if you're still on the fence, check out our in-depth review.
Are you playing Stray? Are you surprised the adorable kittie simulator is taking the world by storm? Stretch your paws in the comments section below.
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[source twitter.com, via videogameschronicle.com]
Comments 55
Not surprised. Couldn’t wait to dig my paws into this one.
Future’s bright for PS Plus rejig as it clearly contributed heavily to these numbers, well done Sony.
Was looking forward to this as a new gaming experience and it hasn’t disappointed. The story is great, about two hours in.
**Happy mew** 🐈
I wonder if the developers regret putting it on ps+
Either way, well done! It's definitely not for me, but I'm glad to see such a different game have sort of mainstream success.
can’t wait for the dog sequel and then the third game has a cat and a dog
Sounds like a purrrrrrrfectly good game to blast through over a lazy weekend and a good reason for me to get a month of Extra.
Have to buy this soon (not rent). It sounds great and a good timing for the start of kids holiday.
@nomither6
And in dlc there is Jim Ryan telling pet stories in Until Dawn style 😅
After playing for a couple of hours I'm honestly shocked that nobody's made a game already where you play as a cat, milling around doing cat stuff. It's such a simple but great premise for a game.
That's great to hear.
I stayed up too late last night finishing my first run. I couldn't stop.
@naruball I've wondered the same thing, but I'm sure the deal they were given was worth it.
There's a physical launch coming too.
Played it for a couple of hours on launch then been busy since. Unfortunately my cats don't seem all that interested in it but my controller meowing winds the dog up for some reason 😂
I have nothing much to do today so will get some more time with it but love what I have played so far.
Really pleased to see such great numbers on Steam and hopefully the PS4/5 numbers stack up as well, must be very rewarding for a dev to do something a little different and see it pay off.
Add a hissing button, maybe an option to leap up out of the way of attacks (my poor kitty has been eaten a few times already 😥) and, of course, the option to customise your cat's look and this would be GOTY, no, GOTG.
😉
I'm really enjoying it, it's definitely lived up to the hype for me.
Going by PSNP's numbers, Stray has more players than both Horizon Forbidden West and Elden Ring had 3 days after launch.
This game! This game! I love this game.
I love the environment design. I love the quest design. I love the interactions. I love exploring everything blind (avoid guides at all costs, I say)
At one point I was sitting at 24 minutes from my last save, as I was just exploring the first bit of city that has interactions in, collecting items, tripping up a poor robot, uncovering other little events, cracking a safe (in a way I feel was different to the intended path as it kept mentioning seeking out a geek and I did not do that) and I had so many collectibles/items stacked, and it was getting quite tense because I didn't know if it would save before any potential action, but finally worked out a way to force a save, paw over some sheet music and take a nap 🐱
I love this game. It's purrrrrrfect for what it is.
Even the one bug I've experienced was fun. I jumped off a ledge into scratching a rug, and I clipped in to the floor, and then sprang backward back up to the ledge 😅🐱🐱
Finished it late last night with 7 hours 55 mins on the clock. Definitely do other runs to get the remaining trophies. Simple but fun game looks beautiful and great OST.
The power of the Kitty.
@Grimwood how quirky of you.
@Shepherd_Tallon @naruball No idea if being on PS Plus was always part of the deal but I'm sure being on PlayStation's showcases/SoP's played a big part in the game's success (even if the game was already kinda viral before it even had a name).
Also I'm gonna go ahead and guess that a deal for being on PS Plus Extra catalogue might be different than for being a monthly PS Plus Essential game.
@Ravix I had a similar bug when I was trying to interact with a radio on a table while I was standing next to the table. The cat didn't jump on the table but instead crawled under it and then warped upwards.
There's also a bit of camera jank (namely things getting in the way at certain angles) but nothing big so far.
Just finished the game for the second time yesterday. Absolutely amazing game
@naruball I’m enjoying it but def wouldn’t have bought it, that’s the kind of thing they need to balance out when thinking what could have been.
Not started it yet, but my son has been playing it. I've been trying not to watch too much so I don't see too many spoilers, but at the same time I can't look away. Far too watchable for its own good.
I'm leaving it a few days in the hopes that some of the jank mentioned in reviews gets fixed, but I do kinda want to dive in already
Completed it just under 6 hours. Graphics, gameplay and story all great. A sequel would be nice
@Voltan Agreed. Being part of that showcase definitely helped with exposure.
I know I personally have been enjoying it, and am happy to see it doing so well.
Dusk falls meanwhile has 115
@Rmg0731 To be fair, most PC players are probably playing through the MS launcher (with Game Pass), not Steam.
My son and I just finished it last night. It was quick and easy to play and was child-friendly, which typically expedites my ability to play a game at this point in my life, having two young kids. Really enjoyed the game, one of my favorite games of the year for sure. In my opinion, it’s my favorite PS exclusive so far this year. Enjoyed it more than Horizon Forbidden West and Gran Turismo, honestly, even if it was maybe 1/10th the size of either of them. You can really tell the developer put everything they had into the game and there’s ideas and story beats that’ll definitely stick with me.
Well deserved success, Im delighted for the studio.
It also clearly demonstrates that if you have a good idea and deliver quality, you can make a splash in this business even if you are not a AAA studio. I hope it inspires others talented teams.
Glad it's doing so well. Looking forward to starting it this weekend. Would normally have been a game I would have stuck on the wishlist and waited for a decent sale. So I'm happy it was added to PS+ Extra as I'm getting to play it sooner and for "free". So far been really pleased with the games on PS+ Extra, will be moving to that tier when the premium subscription is up next year.
Enjoyed the game but the ‘Can’t Cat-ch Me’ trophy is ridiculous 😂
Edit: I finally did it! 🥳
@Grimwood I agree it’s irrelevant, but if a new game comes out (especially indy), and I love it, I like to see that it’s popular because that supports the developer and increases the chance for a sequel. Other than that yes, caring that other people like what you like is a useless but remarkably common societal hitch.
Finished yesterday with my daughter. Great game. I had no bugs on my play through. I will play again as I skipped a mini quest or 2. A purrfect palette cleanser between big games.
@Kidfunkadelic83 may as well just get the year.
@Dloki Stray isn't free on PC though. It's part of PS Plus Extra on Playstation.
@itsfoz Ps plus has not contributed to these number.
They are for steam pc only. We need to wait for PlayStation to release the number of player on PlayStation still.
@Reece97 dont need to mate. It would be wasted on me. I only want it to plat Stray. I dont play online, not bothered about playing any of the ps4 offerings and the ps5 games i want i get day 1.
@Kidfunkadelic83 Ah right yeah I see what you mean man
N.i.c.e. Meowtastic. Haha.word up son
Playing it, loving it. It's a small but very focused game. My favorite Annapurna game of any I've played.
As another commenter mentioned, we definitely need a dog game set in a dystopian future now.
Platinumed it last night. This is one of the best games I've ever had the pleasure of playing.
Relaxing to play! I'm not 100% sold, but it has potential for the moment!
It seems everybody is enjoying playing with this pus...[Removed - inappropriate]😐
naps on roof while camera slowly zooms out
I can't wait to play more tonight 🐱🐱
PlayStation download numbers are going to be absolutely MEOWsive
got a bit of a backlog myself so won't be able to get to this game. a shame the physical doesn't come out until fall/winter...
I've not seen this many players playing the same game on PSN profile since Elden Ring.
Putting this on Extra was a smart move.
edit: those Steam numbers are incredible
What next? Stray the Meowsical??
Well deserved! I hate two of the trophies but the story itself was beautiful and well worth the price.
Looking forward to whatever game the developer works on next.
@RBMango @BritneyfR_ee @MightyDemon82 How hard was the Can’t Cat-ch Me trophy for you? Any helpful tips/advice you can give me?
I've been attempting it for HOURS and still can't seem to zig-zag or wall hug correctly enough to avoid those damn zurks (the pink bugs).
@KidBoruto pretty hard ngl. I almost gave up on it after failing at least 100 times. I found putting the game on mute and listening to some music helped take away some of the frustration but it’s still just a case of having a lucky run. Good luck 🤞
@KidBoruto It took me maybe 10 tries before I got it. If you have PS Plus, I found the hint video in the trophy description surprisingly helpful when it came to planning a strategy. Zig-zagging and some luck are your best friends when it comes to this questionable trophy.
@Robinsad absolutely! That's definitely the case for many ps+ users. But on a personal level, I'm glad we got Spiderman, Miles Morales, Guardians of the Galaxy, Ghost of Tsushima, Assassin's Creed Valhalla, since they're all AAA games that I've wanted to buy but kept waiting for a discount and it finally paid off.
So a bit of everything is the way to go.
@KidBoruto I only just got that one this morning. Took a few attempts but zig zagging whilst running was what worked for me.
@MightyDemon82 @RBMango @BritneyfR_ee Almost makes me wish I was playing on PC, I'm sure the modding community could eventually figure out a way to add the zurk killing weapon super early.
That section would be a breeze if I could fight back, without a doubt.
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