A unique and highly anticipated game is now out with Stray! In Stray, you take control of a stray cat in a futuristic dystopian world devoid of humans, instead filled with robots and an all-eating creature known as the Zurk. You’ll meet a companion robot shortly into the game, B-12, who will store items, speak to others, and store items for you.
If you have PlayStation Plus Extra or Premium – the two upgraded tiers of what is now PlayStation Plus Essential – then the game will be included with your subscription. You can still purchase the game separately if you don’t have Extra or Premium.
Below, you will find complete controls for Stray on PS4 and PS5. Gameplay tips will follow geared toward beginners and the early parts of the game.
Stray controls for PS4 & PS5
- Move: L
- Camera: R
- Jump: X (when prompted)
- Meow: Circle
- Interact: Triangle (when prompted)
- Sprint: R2 (hold)
- Observe: L2 (hold)
- Defluxor: L1 (obtained during story)
- Inventory: D-Pad Up
- Light: D-Pad Left
- Help: D-Pad Down
- Recenter: R3
- Pause: Options
- Validate: X
- Exit: Circle
- Next: Square
- Select Item: L (move up during conversation, move left and right to pick item)
- Show Item: Square (after selecting item with L)
- Previous Category: L1
- Next Category: R1
Note that the left and right sticks are denoted as L and R, respectively. R3 indicates pressing on R.
Stray tips and tricks for beginners
Below, you will find gameplay tips for Stray. You can die in this game, though there really isn’t a penalty as you’ll simply reload from the last checkpoint.
1. Follow the neon signs in Stray
Whenever you’re stuck, look for the neon lights that guide your way. Each light is there to be your direction of adventure as there is no map to observe. While many paths are linear, you’ll also come across more open and large areas. If you find yourself turned around and lost, look up for the lights to find your path. You may even have to go up if a light is located high up – which you’ll do shortly after making acquaintances with the robots.
An interesting note about the lights is that they’ll turn off as soon as you pass. If you backtrack for any reason, remember where you came from because the lights will not turn back on even if you retreat.
2. Explore your surroundings as much as possible
Particularly once you reach the robots, explore as much as possible before proceeding. You’ll find robots to speak to as well as collectibles. It’s important to speak to every robot just in case they can provide you with any information to help you in your adventure. There are also some trophies you can pop for the trophy inclined. For example, go to the rooftops and interact with the controller on the couch to watch all available channels to pop Télé à Chat.
After speaking with the guardian robot, head right and you’ll see a basketball. Make sure that you’re lined up directly behind the ball and push it into the bucket below. If you want to be extra cautious, then stand on the sidewalk crack behind the ball and go straight into the ball. You’ll pop Boom Chat Kalaka.
Next to the now “dunked” basketball is a vendor. However, you’ll unlikely have the items you need to trade when you first interact with the robot. There is one piece of currency you can find close by in your explorations around the slums: drinks from vending machines. Simply press Triangle at any vending machine still lit to obtain one drink. For one drink, you can trade for sheet music, a collectible in the game.
Speaking of sheet music, there are several around the slums before you proceed. There are eight total pieces of sheet music, and each will unlock new music for the musical artist, Morusque, at the opposite end of the vendor. He will play the new tune each time you deliver him a new piece of sheet music.
There’s also Grandma at the end of one alley. She’s a proficient crafter and asks you to bring her electric cables so she can make a poncho. The cables are at the vendor. Grandma is also one of a few select robots you can nuzzle up against – the typical cat rubbing their body on your leg – which will change their screen (face) to a heart. There is another trophy for nuzzling up against five applicable robots as not all robots can be nuzzled: Cat’s Best Friend.
Explore, particularly the rooftops, and remember that cats can enter areas that are too small and narrow for a typical human MC. Interact with everything you come across as well.
3. Bob and weave when running from Zurks
Zurks are the creatures that while looking like nothing more than a grub, can quickly swarm and devour you. It’s even said by the robots that they’ll “devour anything,” so you’ll understand why the robots react in fear at their first sight of you as they mistook the cat for a Zurk. Zurks are tricky to deal with until you’re better equipped with the Defluxor, and your only recourse until then is to run.
You’ll first come across Zurks within the first hour of the game. After a cutscene – the first picture in this section – you’ll have to run from them in a chase scene. These little buggers scuttle and then leap at you. If they attach to you, they’ll quickly take health (the screen will gradually turn red). You’ll slow, but you can dislodge them by rapidly pressing Circle. If you’re not quick enough or don’t tap fast enough, well, see below.
To avoid this fate, bob and weave as much as possible in the narrow alleys. Maintaining a straight line is an easy way for the Zurks to attach themselves to you and potentially kill you. When a horde of Zurks surprises you by coming from one corner and trying to force you one way, run at them and just before they leap or you reach them, sharply cut the other way. If timed right, they should hop right past you as you sprint past them.
On the other hand, there is a trophy you can pop if you die nine times, so the first chase scene is a great way to unlock this as you’ll reload at the beginning of the chase: No More Lives. On the opposite end, if you can somehow make it through this chase without the Zurks ever attaching themselves to you, you’ll unlock a gold trophy: Can’t Cat-ch Me. It’s already being considered by Stray players to possibly be the most difficult trophy to unlock.
Lastly, the other trophy that is being considered the most difficult is another gold trophy. I am Speed will unlock if you beat the game in two hours. This will most likely be a second run after you become familiar with the layout of each stage and the objectives needed to advance. Hopefully, you’ll have unlocked all collectibles on the first run to better your time.
Now you have all you need to know to complete the early parts of Stray. Remember to explore as much as possible and most importantly, avoid those Zurks!
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