Stray’s premise is simple: Get home or die trying. Image: BlueTwelve Studio/Annapurna Interactive via Polygon

There is no grass, and there is no light. I land in a heap, crumpled but unbroken, in the garbage-strewn bowels of a forgotten city. My loved ones watch helplessly as I vanish into darkness. My peaceful existence shatters when I miss a routine jump off a pipe and find myself plummeting to my doom. Stray is mostly a straightforward platforming game with some puzzles sprinkled in in lieu of combat, there’s a focus on the catlike ability to sneak, evade, and escape. It’s a short tutorial area where I play around with the cats’ lifelike movements and vocalizations. I’m just a tiny orange guy, and life is good - full of playing, sleeping, and exploring. The game opens with a family of cats living in lush, green, sunlit ruins. Most people don’t like to see animals get hurt, so there’s an instant sense of emotional and psychological investment, compounded by a default instinct to protect the baby. (Thank you for your service as Sassy, Sally Field.) I’m reluctantly conscious of the fact that the constant presence of Oni, a tender little coward who wouldn’t last five minutes outside, informs my perception of Stray’s protagonist I suspect that many cat owners - bless toxoplasmosis - will form a similar connection. It’s not quite the same premise, but the same strain of emotional anguish watching sweet animals brave treacherous circumstances. Stray isn’t just an adventure RPG - it’s a psy-op made for people who love cats, especially if you grew up watching Homeward Bound.

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