Every now and then, a game comes along that manages to capture the attention of the world for a good month or so, sometimes even longer. Among Us, Fortnite, Minecraft, and even Wordle have all been the center of attention at one point or another and have all been phenomenons that have managed to transcend the gaming world, and have reached the popular zeitgeist. Stray is very quickly becoming one of those games.
Released just two weeks ago, Stray has taken the world by storm and has broken a number of records that most didn't think was possible. With Stray being a relatively small budget Indie game, and a debut title for developer BlueTwelve, the game's exceeded all expectations, both in terms of a critical reception, and a commercial one, breaking a variety of Steam records. With an adorable feline protagonist and a gorgeous art style, Stray has managed to capture the fleeting attention of the world, and gamers of all types are giving it a go. But Stray's a pretty brief experience, with an average playthrough lasting only around 5 hours, so fans of the game may want some pointers on what to do next.
What To Do After Beating Stray
After finishing Stray, the final cutscene will play, and the player will be taken back to the main menu screen. From here, the only real option is to start the game all over again, but luckily the Platinum Trophy is a really fun one to get. Platinum Trophies can often be pretty tricky to obtain, and are usually quite time-consuming, but for Stray, the whole process is designed with fun and exploration in mind. Even those who don't usually Trophy hunt in video games will probably find themselves giving Stray's a go, just to experience the game's vibrant world and characters once more.
By the end of a player's first runthrough of Stray, they've probably got the vast majority of the game's Trophies, or Achievements if they're playing on PC via Steam. This is especially true if the player's really taken their time to explore each environment fully. There are a good few Trophies, however, that even the most thorough players will have missed. For a start, the "Sneakitty" Trophy is a pretty tricky one to acquire, requiring the player to never alert any of the drones during Chapter 10. Similarly, the "Can't Cat-Ch Me" Trophy requires the player to never once be caught by a single Zurk throughout the second chapter, which can be a tad frustrating but shouldn't be too bad if the player strategizes well and keeps trying.
Of course, getting the Platinum Trophy for Stray is still a fairly time-consuming task, but for those desperate to have another go-round, this is the perfect excuse to do so. To top it all off at the end, likely the last Trophy the player will unlock is the "I Am Speed" Trophy, which requires the player to complete the game in under 2 hours. By that point, this will probably be the player's third runthrough, and this Trophy acts as a nice way to see the game through a new, more challenging lens.
Alternatively, if players don't fancy going for the Platinum, they could always turn their attention to another animal-based game. 2019's Untitled Goose Game, for instance, has similar gameplay vibes to Stray, with the player taking on the role of a mischievous goose whose sole purpose is to ruin the day of the villagers he meets. On the other hand, The Last Guardian doesn't let the player directly control an animal, but the whole game is based around their relationship with a large cat/dog-like creature, so that element of animal companionship is there.
Stray is available now on PC, PS4, and PS5.