Cat caper indie Stray shows off new gameplay during Annapurna showcase

Stray is the indie game that has cat fanciers everywhere purring with anticipation, and in the Annapurna showcase, we got to see a load of new gameplay with robots, enemies, and your new drone BFF B-12.

The new footage gave us some idea of how we'll interact with the locals, and what that cute cat vest is for. You play as the titular stray in the adventure game, exploring a grimy cityscape inhabited by droids with screens for faces.

Our fuzzy hero navigates the city in the traditional cat way, leaping from barrel to barrel across an ominously green canal of sludge, using a paw to push a paint can through a window, and carrying a bucket in its mouth before dropping it into the whirring blades of a fan to clear a path. There's even a scene where you're riding a cart, which is surely just a vet bill waiting to happen. Because it's a cat, they also scratch the hell out of a sofa and rub up against a droid as a sign of affection.

"Running fast, jumping, and using stealth to avoid dangers will all be vital if you want to escape this city and be reunited with family," says producer Swann Martin-Raget of BlueTwelve Studio.

"Of course a cat will always be a cat, and his adventures will be filled with playful and friendly interactions with his new world."

Our cat is also joined by a drone called B-12 which allows it to interact with the droids and the world. We see the cat using this connection at a vending machine to purchase a speed-boosting energy drink, and emitting a strange purple light that seems to kill the ugly little doughballs with glowing eyes that swarm out of the shadows. Clearly, that cute vest isn't just a fashion statement.

Stray will be released for PS4, PS5, and PC in early 2022.

Want more PlayStation flavored goodness? Here's our guide on upcoming PS5 games.