trip robot stray

Stray lets you go full chaotic cat and trip up robots

Our virtual feline friend is just as mischievous as a real cat

Stray will let you cause maximum chaos for the city's mechanical inhabitants.

Adorable kitty-themed adventure Stray is pouncing onto PlayStation and PC in less than a week . The game places you in the fluffy paws of a cat, who must navigate through a strange robot-filled city to find their way home. In order for us to get better acquainted with our feline friend, PlayStation has created a spoiler-free introduction to the game.

As the webpage shows, developer BlueTwelve Studio   has given this hero kitty all the characteristics of a real cat, including their fondness for making mischief. With hoomans nowhere to be seen, this cat has to get their kicks by tripping up robots instead. One of the videos shows our cat pal standing at the top of some stairs when a robot, blissfully unaware of their presence, spectacularly trips over the animal and ends up eating pavement.

A lot of meowing is essential in the everyday life of a kitty, and in Stray, there's a dedicated button for doing just that. Additionally, cats typically spend around 15 hours of the day sleeping, so taking a nap is always an option. Snoozing makes use of the PS5's controller's haptic feedback and speaker to "make it feel like you're holding a sleeping kitty in your own hands." You can also keep your furry companion's claws sharp by scratching furniture and other surfaces. 

You'll have to fully embrace the way of the cat if you want to earn all of the trophies in Stray . Silver trophy 'A Little Chatty' is only unlocked after you've made the ginger fellow meow 100 times, and sleeping for more than one hour is needed to net the trophy for 'Productive Day'.

Take a look at our Stray preview for our first impressions of this charming indie. 

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Originally from Ireland, I moved to the UK in 2014 to pursue a Games Journalism and PR degree at Staffordshire University. Following that, I've freelanced for GamesMaster, Games TM, Official PlayStation Magazine and, more recently, Play and GamesRadar+. My love of gaming sprang from successfully defeating that first Goomba in Super Mario Bros on the NES. These days, PlayStation is my jam. When not gaming or writing, I can usually be found scouring the internet for anything Tomb Raider related to add to my out of control memorabilia collection.

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Stray: How to Get Cat’s Best Friend Trophy (All Robot Nuzzle Locations)

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After joining forces with B-12 at the start of Stray , players will officially begin their journey through the mysterious underground settlements. As the home of the remaining companion robots after the fall of humanity , it’s safe to assume that this small cat wouldn’t mind a little attention from a bipedal being.

Players can earn the Cat’s Best Friend trophy by nuzzling up against five different robot’s legs over the course of Stray . While there are several eligible legs for players to choose from, it’s not necessary to interact with all of them. Unless, of course, players want to.

RELATED: Stray: How to Steal Worker Jacket and Worker Helmet

Players will first encounter sentient robots in the Slums, and shortly after arriving, they will be able to explore the town. Here, players can begin their search for metallic legs to rub against to make new robot friends.

After Guardian has calmed the inhabitants of the Slums, he will explain to the small visitor that Momo can help them with their task. But, most importantly, players can rub against Guardian’s leg.

This sweet robot knits clothing for the residents of the Slums using material that can be traded for in Azooz’s market . Players can find Grandma sitting in her shop, tucked away in a warmly lit corner with a mannequin and materials, like any good tailor.

Zakk and Riko

Warming themselves by a fire are two robots that are hanging out by the door that players will use later in Stray . Players can nuzzle against both of their legs, and Riko even has a cozy spot next to him on the sofa for a catnap.

Around halfway into their quest, the tiny duo will travel to the Antvillage to find one of the Outsiders, and B-12 will uncover a significant memory here .

Players will be tasked with finding Zbaltazar , one of the Outsiders that made the dangerous trek through the sewers in an attempt to see the world. He is also one of the robots that players can interact with for this trophy.

Due to Zbaltazar’s seated position and less than conventional appearance (by robot standards), players must walk behind him after their initial conversation with him. There, the small cat can snuggle up to his back, which Zbaltazar seems to enjoy.

RELATED: Stray: Every Badge (& Where to Find Them)

As players near their goal, they will reach Midtown, a brightly neon-lit city that has been taken over by Peacemaker robots and their Sentinels. Here, players must find Clementine in order to progress the story, but there are legs to be nuzzled first.

After exiting the subway, players should head to a small room to the right where B-12 can regain another memory, and the cat can rub against Ledoc, who is cozily wrapped in a blanket.

Players will come across an out-of-service elevator before entering Midtown proper, where players can jump on the railing to walk behind it. Here, players can find a scratching point as well as Bonobot, who is one of the few robots that aren’t too sure about their new fur friend .

As they enter Midtown, players will spot a robot wearing a white jacket standing outside a shop to the right. Inside is a safe , but players will first want to give Paoudre a nuzzle to help them feel better about being sold a faulty battery.

Koondy and Krooni

Found outside Mattbee’s small cafe, players can find these two robots chatting with one another. Much to the cat’s delight (and player's), both of them will accept nuzzles.

Peacemaker 198

Unlike in the Slums, law enforcement robots are ever present in Midtown . This Peacemaker can be found standing to the left of a vehicle speaking to the disgruntled driver. Players can rub against their legs, but it’s not a welcome interaction on the Peacemaker’s side.

And with that, players can feel at peace knowing that they have made several friends over the course of this short but sweet journey, earning the Cat’s Best Friend trophy in the process.

Stray is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC.

How to Find All 4 Vending Machines and Energy Drink Cans

Stray: complete guide & walkthrough, how to dunk the basketball (boom chat kalaka).

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Stray: How to acquire the Poncho and where to use it

You’ll need the Super Spirit Detergent and Electric Cable to warm up Elliot the repair robot

by Ryan Gilliam

In Stray , you can collect a variety of items and give them to the various robot NPCs around the world. Some of these items — like Sheet Music and energy drink cans — are totally optional. Others, like the Poncho, you’ll need to complete the main story quest.

In this Stray guide, we’ll teach you how to get the Super Spirit Detergent, the Electric Cable, and the Poncho so you can fix the Broken Tracker.

Note : You can do this quest in chapter four, but you won’t need to complete it until the end of chapter six.

How to get the Super Spirit Detergent

From the Guardian robot, do a 180, take a right, and climb up to the rooftops. You should see some robots chucking paint cans from one side of the roof to the other. Climb over to them.

The robot on the lower roof (the one throwing the paint cans) is the target here. Turns out they’re very easily startled by loud noises. Talk to them and the game will prompt you to meow. Hit the meow button just before the robot throws and it’ll drop a paint can onto the street. This will summon the grumpy robot that runs the laundromat. Once the paint can falls, they’ll unlock their door and start clearing their stoop.

Make your way back down to the street and walk through the laundromat’s front door. Immediately to your left you’ll see two tables pushed together. Jump up and grab the Super Spirit Detergent bottle next to the Super Spirit box.

How to get the Electric Cable

Take your new bottle of detergent over to Azooz, the robot who runs the shop to the right of the Guardian. Select the Electric Cable off the ground and trade your Super Spirit Detergent for it.

How to get the Poncho

With your Electric Cable stowed in B12’s backpack, head back to the Guardian and look for a signpost. Follow the signs to Grandma’s clothing store. Trade her the Electric Cable and she’ll make you a poncho. Sadly, this is not a cat-sized poncho, but a robot-sized one. Luckily, there’s a nearby robot who needs it for warmth.

What to do with the Poncho

Find another signpost and follow it to Elliot’s repair shop. You’ll know you’ve found it when you come across a red door covered in posters and writing. Scratch on the door and a robot will answer. Slide through the open door and go up the stairs. Talk to Elliot and offer him the Poncho. He’ll instantly drape himself in the gift and offer his repair services should you require them.

If you already have the Broken Tracker, hand it over to Elliot and he’ll fix it for you. If not, continue along the critical path until you get it.

Once you’ve fixed the Broken Tracker, return to Seamus so you can head into chapter seven.

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There are several types of robots in Stray . Between them they comprise the entirety of the non-player Characters within Walled City 99 .

• Companions : Androids, "designed to caretake for all life forms". These are the most common, and all have unique names and personalities.
• Helpers : Androids with names like Helper 477 , designed as "autonomous cleaners".
• Peacemakers : Enforcement android with names like Peacemaker 22106 .
• Sentinels : Unnamed and armed drones, used for enforcement.
• Laboratory droids : Roughly box-shaped robots that, if activated, will follow whoever activated them.
• Drones: Small robotic planes that move by hovering in the air, featuring with B-12 .

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• 3 Characters

Stray Nuzzle Up Against Robots & Unlock the Cat’s Best Friend Trophy

The Stray Cat’s Best Friend Trophy is a trophy that tasks the player to nuzzle up against 5 robots. Like other trophies in Stray , it is easily attainable but it is something you can completely overlook if you’re not paying attention. How to nuzzle up against robots in Stray?

This guide will help you get this trophy by cozying up to these 5 Companions. Of course, these aren’t the only ones you can cuddle up against but these are the ones you’re less likely to miss.

How to Nuzzle Up Against Robot Companions in Stray

Interacting with robots in Stray is as simple as pressing the Q key on a PC or the triangle button on a PlayStation controller. Without further ado, here are all the companion locations on where you can nuzzle up against robots in Stray:

The Slums – Grandma

Grandma in the slums cannot be missed. For one, she has a request that needs to be fulfilled in order for the story to progress. And two, she’s GRANDMA! You mustn’t avoid giving grandma a big ol’ hug. Enough said.

Antvillage – Zbaltazar

Another character you need to meet in order for the story to progress, Zbaltazar has become one with the network through his meditations. Apart from that, nuzzling up this guy is worth seeing all the hearts.

Midtown – Ledoc

Ledoc leads a very isolated life, being so close to the Subway Station . But he does take care of so many books that are focused around the study of AI, so he’s got that going for him.

Midtown – Bonobot

Now Bonobot is a strange fellow. He advertises talking poetry by his little hangout spot behind the elevator at the front of Midtown. But he’s so lost in the ebbs and flow of it all that he often forgets what he originally advertised. Worse still, he doesn’t even smile when a cute cuddly cat nuzzles up against him. Hope things get better soon, buddy.

Midtown – Alex

Alex is a very chill guy. He let us in the same club the grumpy bouncer denied us access. Well, we had to sneak in from the back, and thankfully our boy was cool with that.

How to unlock the Cat’s Best Friend Trophy in Stray

So, what will you get for all that nuzzling? A trophy of course. The Stray Cat’s best friend trophy can be unlocked if the player has nuzzled up against all robots listed above. There are a lot of nice and wholesome trophies in Stray, this might be the nicest one of all.

If you want to know how we think about the game read our review for Stray . Also check out our other Stray guides and articles :

• Stray Trophy List – How to Get Platinum
• Can You Customize Your Cat in Stray?
• Will Stray Be On Xbox Game Pass?
• Stray PC System Requirements
• Stray Length – How Long to Beat The Game?
• Stray Chapter List – How Many Chapters in Stray
• Is Stray an Open World Game?
• Stray – How to Avoid the Sentinels in Midtown
• Stray – How to Complete the Sewers Without Killing Zurks
• Stray – How to Complete the First Zurk Pursuit Without Being Caught
• Stray Badges – How to get all badges in Stray
• Stray vinyl record – Where to find the Vinyl in the Club
• Stray Sheet Music Locations and How to Get Them
• Stray – All B-12 Memories locations and How to Get Them
• Stray Notebook Locations
• Stray Energy Drink Locations – All Vending Machines
• Stray Safe Mysterious Password – Binary Code Translator Guide
• Stray how to dunk a basketball – Boom Chat Kalaka trophy guide
• Stray Nuzzle Up Against Robots & Unlock the Cat’s Best Friend Trophy
• Stray – how to die and unlock the No More Lives Trophy
• Stray Scratching Locations – How to unlock the Territory Trophy

Check out this Stray full gameplay video by VGS – Video Game Sophistry :

Stray producer on how a design limitation led to being "utterly inspired"

The cat’s out of the bag.

There are a lot of games that feature cats, but Stray is the only one that puts the feline experience front and center — right down to the trademark annoying behaviors.

Ever since its reveal at Sony’s State of Play presentation in 2020, it’s drawn the attention of cat lovers around the world. Developers at Blue Twelve have a deep love for cats — which should come as no surprise — intertwined with a desire to create a unique cyberpunk world filled with robots.

What you might not know, however, is that the game’s original vision looked very different and decidedly less robotic.

“They started doing some tests with human NPCs,” producer Swann Martin-Raget tells Inverse , “but realized that to have the level of visual quality and fidelity they wanted for the whole game would be extremely time-consuming and very hard to do with a small team. So we started to do some experiments with robots that are a bit easier to modelize and place in the scenes.”

Ahead of Stray’s July release , Inverse spoke with Martin-Raget about the inspiration behind the game and why more thoughtful presentations of animals in gaming at large is something he wants to see more of.

The interview below has been edited for clarity and brevity.

Where did the idea for Stray first come from?

Martin-Raget - Viv and Koola, who are the co-founders of the studio and directors on the project, were artists before starting the company. They have always been fascinated by a place that no longer exists — the Kowloon Walled City in Hong Kong. It was a very unique place with the density of people being extremely high, and that resulted in construction that almost felt organic, the amount of detail and the number of things that are put together were fascinating to them.

So they started to think about an artistic direction based on that reference, and as they were doing so they started to realize that it was really the perfect playground for a cat, with the number of different paths and the amount of really fresh and interesting points of view.

Kowloon Walled City was, at one time, the most densely populated place on Earth. Although it was torn down in the 1990s, it served as the main inspiration for Stray’s setting.

Was the idea for a cyberpunk city inhabited by robots there from the start?

Martin-Raget - So that came a bit later. At the beginning, it was because of production constraints. When they were working on the game, they knew from the start that they wanted to remain a small team, it's something we really appreciate. They started doing some tests with human NPCs, but realized that to have the level of visual quality and fidelity they wanted for the whole game would be extremely time-consuming and very hard to do with a small team.

So we started to do some experiments with robots that are a bit easier to modelize and place in the scenes. As soon as we did that, we felt utterly inspired by the contrast between the cats being small, alive, and cute, and the machines being a bit more cold and angular.

Also, it inspired a lot of questions about the background in the backstory, like, ‘Who are these robots? Where are the humans? What is this place? ‘ So what was initially a production constraint ended up being something that really utterly inspired us. Also, it helps that we've always been fascinated by films like Blade Runner, I'm guessing you can tell from the look of the game.

Were there any other pieces of media or games where you play as an animal that you looked to as inspiration?

Martin-Raget - Something we realized along the way is that there is really not a lot, if any, references that we could use for controls and interactions. We knew quite very early in the project the type of situations and gameplay that we wanted, and it was really a bit of exploring, technically and in terms of animation as well. The most prolific inspiration was definitely our cats as a team and the cats that we have in the office that come to work with us every day.

Did you ever consider doing mo-cap?

Martin-Raget - Miko is the person that made the vast majority of cat animation in the game. He's really fluent and talented with keyframe animation, so we started the project using this technique. We heard about studios that provide actual cat motion capture — it was really funny for us to see the video of these poor cats in full mocap suits.

But we were quite happy with the freedom that making our own animation was giving us. Also, we have some situations in the game that would be very difficult and dangerous to ask a real cat to do.

Murtaugh was one of the many studio cats that inspired Stray, and in particular, was the reference for the main character.

Do you think playing as animals is something that we could explore more in games?

Martin-Raget - Yes, I do. There's so much inspiration in nature, that it's absolutely something that still holds a lot of gameplay opportunities and stories. Most of the team being cat owners and cat lovers, that was definitely our passion. The Twitter account “Can You Pet the Dog” shows that there's a lot of love for these mechanics. It's really interesting.

Do you have any favorite mechanics or things you can do in the game?

Martin-Raget - When you use your claws on the sofa, we actually have force feedback on the triggers. That really gives you a satisfying feeling of destroying an expensive piece of furniture. Now, instead of being annoyed that my cat is ruining everything at my home, I kind of felt the pleasure that this gives him, so that's my favorite feature. For sure.

Was it difficult to integrate DualSense technology into the game?

Martin-Raget - The physicality of the cat and being part of this interactive world was really important for us from start. We really wanted to try to make you feel like you're inside this world, and that the cat's body,.

So the type of feedback that the controller can give you was really a great opportunity. It was always interesting to add a very specific vibration and try to see how it feels. For example, when the cat is sleeping, you have a purring sound that comes out of the speaker, and also very subtle vibration, it really feels like you're holding a kitten in your hand. It’s very impressive the amount of subtlety that you can put into these vibrations, and we tried to explore as much of them as we could.

Stray primarily focuses on exploration, but did you ever consider including more straightforward action sequences?

Martin-Raget - We never considered actual fighting mechanics involving the cat. The bottom line is really the adventure, the pacing, and the rhythm at which we tell this journey. The story was something that was super high in our priorities.

Without spoiling anything, at some point in the story B12, the little drone that accompanies you, has abilities that allow him to counterattack the enemies that have been bullying us since the start of the game.

Speaking of B12, why did you decide to have a companion to the cat? Is there a relationship that develops between them throughout the experience?

Martin-Raget - The initial inspiration was really having a set of abilities that naturally complete the cat's natural skills. Cats are not really good when interacting with technology. This allowed us to have a lot more interesting and surprising things to do in the game. It also makes a very interesting character. He has his own developments in the game and his relationship with the cat also is something quite important that unfolds as you progress in your journey.

Stray has three stories that play out simultaneously; the cat’s story, B12’s story, and the story of the robots and the city.

When Stray was first revealed it got a lot of attention. Has there been pressure on the team since you revealed it?

Martin-Raget - We weren't expecting the size of the excitement when we first revealed the game. We were extremely excited to see all the people, especially the cat owners, reacting to the game and being super interested in what we're making.

That was definitely what we were aiming for, but also we realized that we were a small team, this is our first game, and a lot of people are looking at us now. So we need to have something that is really polished as much as we can, and the experience to be as detailed and as real as we want it to be.

In terms of showing the game off, there was kind of a big quiet period there from the reveal up until the recent release date announcement. Was that an intentional decision, or was it more of a logistical thing?

Martin-Raget - It was definitely our intention to have the reveal of the concept to see how people react to the game that we're making, and then try to really focus on the production. We always knew that we wanted to communicate when the game was really close to being ready, and that was a helpful decision in letting us focus on creating the best experience possible.

As this is Blue Twelve’s first release, what does putting this game out mean for you as developers? And where do you go from here?

Martin-Raget - It really depends a lot on how players will enjoy the game and will react. We're still trying to finish, and have the best-polished experience as possible. So we try not to extrapolate too much on what is going to happen next. Depending on the feedback we have, we might think very differently about the future. So this being our first game, we feel that the best course is to see what happens and react to this.

Stray launches on July 19 for PS4, PS5, and PC.

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12 Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting Stray

The best tips, tricks, and secrets that’ll help you survive as a little cat in a big cyberpunk city.

Stray is as solid proof as any that being a cat isn’t as easy as it looks. The third-person (third-feline?) adventure game, out now for PlayStation and PC, doesn’t offer the same type of challenge you’d find in, say, this year’s Elden Ring or Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course , but there are moments that’ll trip you up. The following advice should help.

Suggested Reading

Update 08/10/2023: As of today Stray is available on Xbox Series S/X and Xbox One, too.

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You automatically make every jump.

They say cats always land on their feet. That’s true at least for the protagonist of Stray . Pressing “X” (on PlayStation) will automatically bridge the gap between two objects. And if you hold “X” down, you can chain your jumps together automatically. Outside of the occasional scripted section, there’s no way to fall.

Stray will further display a button prompt over any objects you can jump to. You can deactivate this prompt in the settings, which makes Stray feel a bit more cinematic, while also obfuscating the game’s routes. Just know that, once you leave the tutorial area, the pathfinding starts to feel more realistic and, thus, more confusing. I found the indicator helpful to keep on, if only to point out the routes I could take when I got lost.

Most NPCs are worth talking to

Pretty much every NPC, most of whom are robots called Companions, has something important to say. Some of the dialogue is about coloring in the game’s richly realized world. But many Companions offer hints as to where you should go, what you should do, or who you should talk to next. (It might help to keep a journal.) The important text is written in yellow font.

You can’t accidentally give away items

Various plot beats in Stray need you to give a certain item to a Companion. Maybe it’s a drink; maybe it’s sheet music. You can gift items by pressing up on the directional pad in the middle of conversation, then selecting one from your inventory. If you find an item and are at a loss as to who it should go to, just try giving it to everyone. The item-to-Companion pipeline is one-to-one; a Companion will only accept an item if it’s the exact thing they’re looking for. No need to worry about accidentally giving it to the wrong person.

Act like a cat

As part of Stray ’s commitment to portraying feline behavior, you can knock some objects over and shred others to bits. These actions aren’t mere set dressing. Scratching at a door, by alternating the left and right triggers, might cause a Companion to open it up. Pushing a box or a can of paint off a ledge could set off a chain of events that leads to a new side-quest. Meowing will summon enemies—a species of mono-eyed robo-rodents called Zurks—toward you, allowing you the opportunity to give them the runaround. Whenever possible, act like a real cat would.

Tassels indicate climbing routes

Stray never explicitly tells you where to go. There are no waypoints, no map or compass. But it does offer subtle environmental cues that suggest where to go. For instance, if you see any ribbons sticking out of a fan or air conditioning unit, that means it’s a climbing route—sometimes to the next part of the main mission, but more often than not to an area containing one of Stray ’s various optional items.

Shades open up shortcuts

Yeah, I also don’t love it when my cat scratches my window coverings. In Stray , though, it’s essential: Scratching at a shade, which you can only do from a building’s interior. causes it to snap up, revealing a new shortcut into and out of that room.

It’s easier to find memories if you just…explore

Early on, you’ll meet your primary companion for the game: an aerial drone named, in a nod to developer BlueTwelve, B12. Most of Stray ’s optional collectibles are lost memories of B12. By visiting a specific spot in the game world, indicated by an effervescently glowing pile of blue pixels, B12 will recollect what life was like in the past. The way to “100 percent” Stray is to find all of these memories.

There are five big ones, which you don’t need to waste time hunting down; you unlock them automatically as part of the main story. There are more than 20 smaller ones, though—these are totally optional. B12 can show you the general location of a memory by way of a still image covered in choppy static. You then have to look at the visual cues and see if you know where the location is. But the easier method, at least in my mind, is to just…explore every inch of the city. You’ll find the memories eventually.

(Note: Stray only has one conclusion. Finding all of the memories does not unlock a secret ending or whatever.)

Lost? Ask B12

Stray , with its sparse take on game design, doesn’t have what you’d commonly think of as a “menu.” If you forget what you’re supposed to do or where you’re supposed to go, press down on the D-pad and B12 will remind you of your current objective. It’s the closest thing the game has to a mission log.

Don’t let the laser beam overheat

For a few mid-game chapters, B12 gets a laser that can incinerate Zurks. If you let it overheat, though, it’ll take about five seconds to cool down—an eternity, in action-gaming terms. But if you use it riiiight up until the meter’s full, then stop firing, it’ll recharge almost instantly.

Also: It only works on the Zurks, so you can safely aim it at yourself without risk. (This is a good tactic to get out of a bind if you’re surrounded.) And if you’re having trouble pointing it exactly where you want, you can turn on an optional targeting reticle in the settings.

You can hide in boxes

A good chunk of Stray ’s second half revolves around stealth-focused sections in which you must sneak past aerial drones. You can see the specific radius of the danger zone, at least, displayed as a meshed circle of lasers. A blue mesh means a drone is on standby, unaware of your presence; a yellow one means it’s on alert, knows you’re around but doesn’t know exactly where; a red one means it’s actively spotted you. If you’re seen and need to hide, hop into a nearby box. After a few seconds, the drone’s status will reset.

Turn off the HUD

Stray is eye-wateringly gorgeous. Sadly, it does not have a photo mode. If you’re looking to snap magazine-worthy screenshots—at least while playing the game’s launch version—the best thing you can do is to play with the HUD off.

Watch out for stray Skyrim jokes

Man, I thought we were done with this era of gaming. Be careful out there!

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How to Nuzzle Up Against Robots in Stray (Cat’s Best Friend Trophy)

Wondering how to nuzzle up against robots in Stray ? Worry not, as you’ve come to the right place. Below, we’ll outline exactly how to rub up against robots in your bid to unlock the Cat’s Best Friend trophy. I mean, robots love cats just as much as humans, right? So, without further delay, let’s jump into it, shall we?

Stray – How to Nuzzle Up Against Robots (Cat’s Best Friend Trophy)

Thankfully, this trophy should be a cinch. All you need to do is interact with a robot by pressing the Q key on PC or triangle on PS5 when you’re next to a robot.

It’s worth noting, however, that you may not be able to do this with the first robot that you encounter in the game. Instead, look out for a robot in the Slums, which is the first village that you’ll arrive at in Stray .

When you get close to the robot, a contextual button prompt should pop up when you’re in the right place. Press the Q key on PC or the triangle button on PS5, and – voila! – the Cat’s Best Friend trophy will be yours.

So, there you have it. We hope this helped to clue you in on how to nuzzle up against robots in Stray . For more on the game, be sure to search for Twinfinite. And as always, if you have any questions that you can’t see answered on the site, feel free to reach out in the comments below, and we’ll try our best to lend a hand… or a paw.

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A surprisingly tricky trophy is driving Stray players up the wall

Can’t Cat-ch Me

When I cracked into Stray for the first time, I didn’t think I’d have to worry about how best to zig-zag, juke, and even “drift” as a cat — but when a coveted trophy is on the line, everything’s on the table. Half an hour of failed attempts and several slow-mo guide videos later, I’ve finally gotten Can’t Cat-ch Me, a simple yet deceptively hard trophy.

It’s one of the earliest trophies/achievements you can (theoretically) get in Stray , but I’m here to say that it might be best to save it until after you’ve finished the game. It could put you into a sour mood if you try to force it, so don’t let it gnaw away. Come back later.

**Spoilers below**

In the second chapter, there’s a tense chase sequence on the city streets with Headcrab-esque creatures called the Zurks. They’ll scurry, leap, and glom onto your cat, and if you don’t shake them off quickly enough, that’ll be the end of this journey. Try again.

In a puzzle-solving adventure game that is overwhelmingly chill, these little creeps are very threatening. They’re relentless, as they’re meant to be, and that works well in the context of the ruined city’s story. But when it comes to this trophy, the struggle is real.

• Can’t Cat-ch Me : Complete the first Zurk pursuit without being caught.

The chase sequence is about a minute long — how hard could it be? I feared the two-hour speedrun more than anything else, but that seems way less stressful by comparison; there’s room for error, at least. Here, you have to memorize every rushdown and pray.

That’s your home!

In general, zig-zagging is the play. But sometimes, it’s best to strategically run into a group of Zurks and swerve at the last second. Other times, you might need to take a wide swing from one wall all the way to the other, to draw out certain Zurk leaps. It’s not so much avoiding coming into contact with them as it is making sure they don’t land on top of you.

Of course, in practice, it feels like devious RNG is pulling the strings.

Are you too good for your home?

Here’s a successful Can’t Cat-ch Me run from Stone Edge Gaming :

And another from PowerPyx :

Visualizing it can help.

If you’re going for the Can’t Cat-ch Me trophy in Stray , I would recommend rebinding the run input to something comfortable (not the default R2 on PS5), just in case you’re stuck here for a while. Other players recommend increasing the sensitivity, but I kept it as is.

Misery loves company

A few reactions from other  Stray players to help ease the pain:

• “This is purely on random luck.”
• “Took a solid 45 minutes, sometimes zig-zagging works sometimes they get you no matter what.”
• “This trophy really makes me wonder why we trophy hunters do this to ourselves.”
• “ Stray isn’t free if you want the platinum. It costs at least one controller.”

Good luck. You can do it!

Hailey's On It: Robot Road Rage

• Episode aired Aug 24, 2024

Beta reaches new levels of robot rage when he gets stuck in a traffic jam on their road trip. Beta reaches new levels of robot rage when he gets stuck in a traffic jam on their road trip. Beta reaches new levels of robot rage when he gets stuck in a traffic jam on their road trip.

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• August 24, 2024 (United States)
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