SIM KITTY

STRAY is a sparkling feline adventure that always lands on its feet

- Jon Bailes

The early novelty of playing as a cat in Stray soon gives way to a striking realization-we often behave like cats in games anyway. Particularly in platform-puzzlers like this, our first inclination is to explore, looking for unorthodox routes up the sides of buildings, say, or jumping on furniture and seeing which objects we can manipulate. Stray simply makes such activities more natural, giving us the perfect form for the job.

The feel of your kitty is crucial here, and it's instantly evident how much observational work has gone into her animation. The slender ginger tabby is one of a small feline colony living in a disused industrial district long since reclaimed by nature. As the game opens, your gang waits out a storm in a concrete shelter, where you can instigate a little play fighting or mutual sniffing and smearing. These interactions are full of recognizable details the way ears flick and rotate, the stretch routines-and if you like cats (as I do), Stray should have you at 'meow'.