Stray is the rare famous game whose whole pitch fits in a sentence: you are a ginger cat, lost in a walled city of robots, and the city is soaked in the kind of neon that other games only use for loading screens. It is also one of the cleanest purchases on this site.
A city built at cat height
BlueTwelve, a small studio from the south of France, made its debut with a world designed around a body that is thirty centimetres tall. Air-conditioning units become staircases, awnings become bridges and a crowded bar becomes a maze of legs. The camera sits low, the lighting comes from shop signs and puddles, and the result is one of the most convincing cyberpunk streets in any game, precisely because you are never the hero of it.
You get a companion drone, B-12, who translates the robots and carries the plot. The robots themselves are the quiet triumph: shopkeepers, musicians and a knitting grandmother, each with a little routine you notice because you are allowed to sit, scratch a carpet or knock a paint tin off a shelf.
What it gets right
Movement is context-driven: you press a button when a jump is offered, and the cat does the rest. Some players find that too guided, but it keeps the focus on looking around, which is where Stray is strongest. The Slums and Midtown chapters open up into small hubs with side errands, and they are the best-paced hours in the game.
It was recognised widely: Best Independent Game and Best Debut Indie Game at The Game Awards 2022, and a PlayStation Game of the Year at the Golden Joysticks. The critical average sits in the low eighties across platforms, a fair reflection of a game that does a few things exceptionally.
Where it stumbles
The chase and stealth sequences are the weak link. When the swarms of Zurks appear, the precise, curious pace gives way to running in straight lines, and a late stealth section asks for patience the controls were not designed for. The puzzles rarely stretch you.
It is also short. HowLongToBeat puts the story at about five hours and a completionist run at about ten. That is a design choice rather than a flaw, but it matters for the price.
Who should buy it
Anyone who wants a single, memorable weekend in a place rather than a long campaign; cat owners, predictably; and anyone curious about how far art direction can carry a modest mechanical idea. If you want a challenge or fifty hours of content, look elsewhere on this board.
Plays well
- A cyberpunk city with real texture and warmth
- Robots with personality, told through small details
- No in-game store, one edition, no upsell
- Runs on almost anything, Steam Deck Verified
Watch for
- Chase and stealth sections break the rhythm
- About five hours for the story
- Puzzles are gentle
Screenshots and key art: BlueTwelve Studio / Annapurna Interactive, from the official Steam store page. Shown for review.
The checkout: buying Stray in the UK
Stray is sold as a single edition everywhere, so the checkout is simple. On PC it is £23.99 on Steam, which also runs it on a Mac. The PlayStation Store price covers both the PS4 and PS5 versions and normally sits at £24.99; on the day we checked it was on sale at £14.99 until 7 October 2026. The Xbox version is £24.99, and Nintendo sells the Switch and the newer Switch 2 version at £23.99 each.
Because there is nothing to buy inside the game, the price on the store page is the whole bill. The only paid extra is the soundtrack.
| Store | Platform | Edition | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steam | PC | Standard (Windows and Mac) | £23.99 | |
| PlayStation Store | PS5 | Standard (PS4 + PS5) | £14.99 | Sale price until 7 Oct 2026 |
| Xbox and Microsoft Store | Xbox Series X|S | Standard | £24.99 | |
| Nintendo eShop | Switch 2 | Switch 2 version | £23.99 | |
| Nintendo eShop | Switch | Switch version | £23.99 |
Extras and what they add
| Extra | What you get | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Original Soundtrack | The score as a download (Steam). No game content. | £7.99 |
In-game spending
None. Stray has no in-game store, no currency and no paid cosmetics, and its PEGI listing carries no in-game purchases notice.
Subscriptions
Not in Xbox Game Pass or PC Game Pass. It was a day-one PS Plus Extra and Premium game in July 2022 and left that catalogue on 18 July 2023, so today you buy it outright.
Paying at each store
| Method | Steam | PS Store | Xbox Store | Nintendo eShop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debit card | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Credit card | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| American Express | No | Yes | Some | No |
| PayPal | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Apple Pay | No | Yes | No | No |
| Google Pay | No | No | No | No |
| paysafecard | Yes | Yes | Some | No |
| Klarna / pay later | Yes | No | Some | No |
| Phone bill | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Bank transfer | Yes | No | No | No |
| Store gift card | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
If you change your mind
| Store | Game refund rule | Money goes back to |
|---|---|---|
| Steam | 14 days, under 2 hours played | Card or PayPal, or Steam Wallet (your choice) |
| PlayStation Store | 14 days, if not downloaded | Original method where possible, else wallet |
| Xbox and Microsoft Store | Usually 14 days, little play | Original method; balance-paid back to balance |
| Nintendo eShop | No refunds once bought | Faulty or statutory cases: same method |
The five-hour length is worth remembering at Steam: its refund rule allows up to two hours of play, which is enough to know whether the city grabs you.
Questions about Stray
How long is Stray?
About five hours for the story and around ten if you chase every collectable, according to HowLongToBeat.
Does Stray have microtransactions?
No. There is no in-game store or currency. The only paid add-on is the soundtrack.
Is Stray on Game Pass or PS Plus?
Not at the moment. It was in PS Plus Extra and Premium from July 2022 until 18 July 2023.
Which version is cheapest in the UK?
On 25 September 2026 the PlayStation Store had it at £14.99 until 7 October; otherwise Steam and the Nintendo eShop at £23.99 are the lowest regular prices.
Sources
Every price, date and policy above was checked against these pages on 25 September 2026.