Stray has been one of the most highly anticipated indie games of the year, and its release has been a smash hit success as BlueTwelve Studios’ debut title. Not only a hit on PlayStation but also a triumph on PC, Stray has broken publisher Annapurna Interactive’s record for concurrent players on Steam by a wide margin.
Since its reveal in 2020, the buzz surrounding Stray only grew bigger as the game approached launch. The PlayStation and PC exclusive turned heads at its debut thanks to its unique concept and striking aesthetic that seemed to hit the right notes for what players expect from an Annapurna Interactive-published game. In the lead-up to yesterday’s launch, Stray topped Steam’s most wish-listed games list and even received a line of cat accessories themed around the game’s neon-soaked world. After its release, it appears that BlueTwelve’s cat-centric platformer is everything that fans wanted. The game has been receiving high praise and is reaching remarkable sales numbers.
Often used as a benchmark for a game’s success on PC, Steam’s top 100 most-played list is primarily dominated by long-standing free-to-play titles such as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive or sales juggernauts like Grand Theft Auto 5. Upon yesterday’s release, Stray managed to climb its way to slot 13 on Steam’s top 100 list, peaking at 62,963 concurrent players. The game even managed to leap past Elden Ring’s peak player count by almost double. Furthermore, Stray has comfortably surpassed the publisher’s previous player count peak of 8,021, attributed to Twelve Minutes, making BlueTwelve Studios’ first game the most successful PC launch for Annapurna so far.
Not only a commercial success but also a critical one, Stray has been widely well-received by fans and reviewers alike. Currently, the game holds an “Overwhelmingly Positive” user review score on Steam, sporting a 97% player approval rating. Meanwhile, critic reviews for Stray shower the indie game with praise for its intuitive puzzling and authenticity to its feline main character. By multiple accounts, Stray’s success has been deemed well earned.
In recent years, Annapurna Interactive has been on quite a streak of releasing high-quality indie titles from many small-time studios. In June, Annapurna published Neon White, a surprise hit among the speedrunning and platforming crowd, even getting some nods as a potential Game of the Year contender. The publisher is set to follow up on the success of Stray and Neon White with a showcase on July 28, promising reveals, announcements, and more.
Stray is available now for PC, PS4, and PS5.