I can’t imagine anyone doubted that Stray would reach the levels of success that it has, but in any case, it’s certainly taken the internet by storm! Stray seems to hit all the sweet spots for the battle-fatigued gamer: puzzles, a gorgeous world to explore, and best of all, a helluva lot of toe beans.
However, the one thing that Stray leaves to be desired has less to do with the game itself, and more that it happens to be only one of a handful of games like it. A Twitter post clued me into this fact, and it got me wondering.
They’ve got a point. Some of us are simple little critter-seekers and we want to romp around as critters do! There’s a sweetness and relaxedness that comes with assuming the role of an animal, especially a critter as beloved as a cat, which raises the question: Where else can we get this dopamine rush?
Short of reincarnating into an animal, these are some other games that can hit that Stray sweet-spot for you.
Cattails
If you’ve ever read Warrior Cats, then you’ll probably appreciate what Cattails is going for. This is an RPG where you create a lil kitty and set out into the wilderness to create a sustainable home for your kitty colony. You can hunt, gather, and even fall in love and raise a litter of critters.
It might seem like a silly premise, but both graphically and conceptually, it’s pretty much Stardew Valley, but with cats. So if you enjoyed both Stardew and Stray, then I can’t imagine you’d dislike Cattails.
Kitaria Fables
What if you want critters, but Legend of Zelda style? Then you ought to try Kitaria Fables, which is the Rune Factory “Stray-like” on this list.
In Kitaria, you assume the role of a newcomer to Paw Village who must help get things together in the face of oncoming tribulations. The combat is fairly seamless, the farming mechanics harken back to early Harvest Moon titles, and the animals are just … really, really cute. The primary complaint I see around this title is that it’s pretty grindy, so I’d only recommend it if you’re looking for something you can hunker down with for a few hours.
Untitled Goose Game
We need more Untitled Goose Games in the world. The stakes are so utterly low, and the power is entirely in your little webbed feet. All you do is explore your little village and wreak havoc on the Brits (we love to see it) who stand in the way of your ultimate goal: to be a silly lil guy.
Impeccable video game.
Spirit of the North
In this gorgeous puzzle game, Spirit of the North has players assume the role of a lonely fox, who becomes partners in destiny with a guardian of the Northern Lights. It reminds me of the old hit Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, with both the imagery and the roots in Nordic folklore.
There is no “real” direction to this game. You must simply explore and figure out what happened to the world around you. In that sense, it matches Stray’s melancholic sense of mystery, albeit with a great deal more doom to it.
Garden Paws
Once again, we have a farm and lifestyle sim, but with cute little critters. This one’s for the folks who might find Kitaria a bit too taxing. Garden Paws is as low-stakes as it can get, and with a tooth-achingly cute aesthetic to boot.
A major plus for this one is in its character creation. You can make a Fox, Bunny, Bear, Dragon (um?!), Cat, Bird, Badger, Chipmunk, Horse, and Dog, which is like … incredible! On top of that, you can make them look pretty unique. It’s otherwise not exceptionally unique as far as farm sims go, but if that’s your bread and butter, might as well add some jam to your diet, too.
Goat Simulator
To be real, I kinda hate these “Simulator” games, but that’s just because unstructured chaos isn’t my thing. If you want to play as an agent of chaos, in goat form, then you’re really doing yourself a disservice by not playing this game.
It’s just Tony Hawk Pro Skater, but totally open-world, and. You know. Goat. The top Steam review says, “please add sex,” but don’t despair, there is no goat sex. Thankfully.
Jaws Unleashed
This might be the oldest title on this list, but damn, does it hold up. Jaws Unleashed is a ridiculously violent and trippy game where you play as Jaws, making his way through the world and escaping all the humans’ attempts to subdue him.
It’s the inspiration behind the newer sharklike title, Maneater, but I’ve gotta rank this one above it because it’s a classic. The aquarium level in particular is iconic, and hey, I’ll level with you: I just really, really like sharks and may be the only person who wants to play as them more often than I want to play as surly tough-guys.
Wolf Quest
If you also played Wolf Quest as a kid, then you’re automatically my friend. This game was developed to raise awareness of wolf conservation in Yellowstone, but it became a cult classic amongst all the weird kids who had a Lisa Simpson-esque adoration for wild animals.
In Wolf Quest, you assume the role of a mature wolf (fully customizable!) who must survive in Yellowstone. This means hunting, marking territory, and yes, starting a family with cubs. Am I still a little traumatized after losing one of my cubs to the winter elements? Yes … rest in kibble, Puppy2. But the game is otherwise very much worth it.
The Sims 3
While TECHNICALLY, you need a human Sim in a household at all times, you can still primarily play as an animal in The Sims 3. And it’s great. You can hassle people on the street for kibbies and cuddies, and you’re just a lil guy, what are they gonna do to you? Call the cops? You wish you could call the cops on a lil guy like me!
Best of all, if you can cozy up to the local unicorn, you could even start a family of unicorn-horse hybrids. Ever seen a unicorn with spots? It’s the sort of thing that’ll make a cowboy weep.
Star Stable
Okay. Okay, hear me out. Hear me out. Once upon a time, I only played animal games, and horse games were my absolute favorite. In real life, horses are expensive as hell, and the idea of simply “owning a horse” is more outlandish than people in their twenties being able to afford a house.
But in Star Stable, you can own multiple horses. And best of all, there’s lore in this franchise. All the old games are available for free on your browser, and they involve aliens, anti-government conspiracies, and strong themes of environmentalism. They’re dope! And the horses look so silly! Until we get a proper game where you can play as a horse and do horse-things, Star Stable is the closest thing we have to a horselike Straylike.
(featured image: Annapurna Games)
