Everyone’s official orange tabby cat is officially a winner – Stray has officially won the award for Best Debut Indie at The Game Awards 2022. Stray, developed by Annapurna Interactive, has risen to insane levels of popularity after its release only a few months ago, no doubt thanks in part to its adorable furry protagonist.
Released in July 2022 for PC, PS4, and PS4, Stray is a 3rd Person RPG game that lets players play as an unnamed orange cat who gets lost in a futuristic, run-down city where humans have mysteriously disappeared. Life has been taken over by Companions, android-like robots who long to experience life outside their city. Accompanied by B-12, a pocket-sized drone, the player can explore the entire world in the game levels of Stray, collecting items like badges, music sheets, and flowers while evading the mutated Zurks and trying to find a way back to the outside world with the help of the Outsiders, a group of outcast Companions who have previously launched an expedition to the outside but ultimately failed.
‘Stray’ Claws at High Acclaim and Best Debut Indie Award
After its release, gaming critics called Stray “A touching tale on the importance of pets, hope, and friendship – set in a purrfect playground,” according to VG247, and filled with “eerie, atmospheric exploration” like Half-Life but with the same sense of whimsy of a Studio Ghibli film, per Ars Technica. The Washington Post calls Stray “a master class in environmental story telling and level design” and “a meow-sterpiece.”
As a contender for Best Debut Indie at The Game Awards 2022, Stray was up against Neon White by Angel Matrix, Norco by Geography of Robots, Tunic by Andrew Shouldice, and Vampire Survivors Poncle, which were all highly successful games this year, but Stray ultimately came out on top, becoming the 2022 pick for Best Debut Indie, per Inverse. In addition, it’s also been named Best Independent Game at TCA 2022 and Playstation’s Game of the Year at the 2022 Golden Joystick Awards.
What did you think of Stray’s winning Best Debut Indie at TGA 2022? Who did you vote for in Best Debut Indie? Let us know below!
