How a real-life bedbug infestation inspired a robotic apocalypse
In short: In the walled city of Walled City 99, mutant bacteria called Zurks devour everything in their path. While the game's aesthetic draws from the dense Kowloon Walled City, its most visceral enemies were born from a much more domestic nightmare: a real-life infestation suffered by the game's creators.
Developed by BlueTwelve Studio starting in 2015, Stray was designed as an independent project following the founders' time at Ubisoft Montpellier. The studio intentionally kept its team small to prioritize direct communication and creative freedom. This lean structure meant the game's scope was carefully curated, focusing on high-quality artistic design and specific gameplay elements rather than massive scale. A key aesthetic pillar was the Kowloon Walled City, chosen for its organic construction which provided a 'perfect playground' for a feline protagonist.
The experience of being a cat was researched through both observation and personal ownership. The studio's own cats—Murtaugh, Riggs, Oscar, and Jun—served as primary references for movement and animation. To ensure the gameplay felt authentic yet accessible, the team developed a guided movement system to prevent players from missing jumps, which they felt 'didn't feel cat-like.' This feline perspective also allowed for a lower camera angle, offering deeper environmental observation than a human character would experience.
The narrative centers on a stray cat and a drone named B-12 navigating a world where humans were wiped out by a plague. The city is populated by 'Companions'—robots that gained self-awareness in the absence of their masters. While the game features robots inspired by films like Blade Runner, its most dangerous threat, the Zurks, was a creative choice by founders Koola and Viv as a form of revenge for a real bedbug infestation they endured during development.
The game concludes with B-12 revealing it was originally a human scientist attempting to upload their consciousness into a robot body. In a final act of sacrifice, B-12 overrides the city's network to open the blast doors. This exposes the underground city to sunlight, which serves as the ultimate weapon: it kills the Zurks and deactivates the security drones known as Sentinels, allowing the cat to finally reach the surface.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Stray (video game)
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