Stray Cat Crossing

About

Stray Cat Crossing is a single player puzzle game with horror, fantasy, mystery and comedy themes. It was developed by Jurlo and was released on August 28, 2015. It received very positive reviews from players.

"Stray Cat Crossing" is a horror adventure game with a single-player mode and an intriguing story. Explore a surreal world filled with bizarre creatures, solve challenging puzzles, and uncover heart-wrenching secrets about a little girl named Cat and her family. The game boasts splendid mechanics, wonderful visuals in 16-bit pixel art, and a great original soundtrack, with around 2 hours of gameplay.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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93%

Audience ScoreBased on 978 reviews

story386 positive mentions

grinding50 negative mentions

Beautiful pixel art and a captivating soundtrack enhance the game's eerie atmosphere.
The story is intriguing and emotionally impactful, exploring themes of guilt and loss.
Puzzles are engaging and provide a satisfying challenge without being overly difficult.

The game is quite short, taking only about 2-3 hours to complete.
The final act can feel repetitive, requiring players to redo certain sequences multiple times.
Some puzzles lack clear logic, leading to frustration and trial-and-error gameplay.

story
840 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
51%
3%
The story of "Stray Cat Crossing" is a complex and emotionally charged narrative that explores themes of trauma, loss, and family, often leaving players with a sense of intrigue and a desire for deeper understanding. While many praise its unique art style and atmospheric storytelling, some find the plot convoluted and the gameplay mechanics detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game is noted for its touching moments and rich symbolism, though opinions vary on its execution and clarity.
- “This story means so much to me and it's so goddamn touching I don't think I could ever think of another game that could be any better.”
- “The story is deep and contains a fair share of twists.”
- “There are no words to describe the emotional roller coaster this game will put you through, and I have nothing else to say other than it may very well be one of the best story-based games I have played in a long while.”
- “Stray Cat Crossing tries to tell a simple story, yet ends up bungling it so much throughout with random imagery, unnecessary sequences, and confusing gameplay elements that, by the end, I couldn't really tell you what the point was at all, besides some theories.”
- “The game separates itself so harshly in terms of gameplay and story that any connection to the two is extremely shallow.”
- “But, when a game is this linear and, on top of that, treats its story as unimportant while pushing tedious to accomplish puzzles up until the end, there's no reason for me as a player to care.”
music
394 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
62%
37%
1%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its atmospheric quality, enhancing the overall experience with haunting melodies that fit the game's eerie tone. Many players expressed a desire for an extended version of certain tracks, particularly the trailer song, highlighting the soundtrack's impact on their enjoyment. While some noted occasional issues with volume levels and repetitiveness, the consensus is that the music significantly contributes to the game's charm and emotional depth.
- “The soundtrack in my opinion was absolutely amazing and was one of the big factors that made me play this game.”
- “The music and story overall were just captivating and the ending leaves you with a sense of fulfillment but still makes you want more.”
- “The soundtrack was hauntingly perfect and set the mood for everywhere the protagonist traveled, and as the plot unfolded before my eyes I was surprised in a bittersweet way.”
- “Soundtrack was terrible.”
- “I honestly found myself trying to get through puzzles as quick as possible just so I could leave rooms faster and thereby change the song playing in the background.”
- “It's such a shame the soundtrack was the way it was because the visuals actually had promise.”
graphics
274 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
39%
1%
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their unique and atmospheric art style, which blends whimsical and macabre elements effectively. Many players noted the beautiful pixel art and detailed character designs, praising the visuals for enhancing the overall storytelling experience. The combination of stunning graphics and a haunting soundtrack creates an immersive environment that captivates players, making it a standout feature of the game.
- “The artwork is beautiful and the pacing is just right.”
- “It's surreal and strange but oddly beautiful in both graphics and sound design which perfectly complement the simple yet pretty emotional mystery.”
- “The graphics are beautiful, the story is interesting, and the myriad of characters are unique.”
- “My only critique of the artwork in this game is the main character's sprite.”
- “While this game does break convention on the usual sprite art style seen in RPG Maker games, I would argue that it doesn’t work for the main character.”
- “It's such a shame the soundtrack was the way it was because the visuals actually had promise.”
atmosphere
200 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
40%
2%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its captivating art style, haunting music, and immersive storytelling, creating a unique blend of creepy and whimsical elements. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to evoke a sense of suspense and emotional depth without relying on jump scares, instead fostering a surreal and unsettling environment. Overall, the combination of well-crafted visuals and sound design contributes to an engaging and memorable experience that resonates with players.
- “Everything asset in the game has been wonderfully drawn to establish the atmosphere of a Ghibli-esque nightmare that obscures a deeper and more emotional story about overcoming past trauma underneath.”
- “The game does a very good job building a creepy yet alluring atmosphere using art, music, and surreal imagery.”
- “Stray cat crossing places nearly all of its strength into its presentation and atmosphere, and boy does it ever perform this well.”
- “It starts out really good and interesting but halfway through the backyard level it starts to bear out its flaws (lousy puzzles, little interaction, no real threats, etc.) and the creepy/bewildering atmosphere really begins to wear down, and it's downhill from there. By the time you reach the attic, the characters and setting start to go all over the place and many things go unresolved. It's as if the game itself is dying to get its act together by throwing the twist at your face and making its symbolic nature painfully notorious so you can stop caring about the world of the game and just concentrate on watching the end.”
- “They could have combined much more smoothly, but this lack of synchronicity between them causes the story to simply drag the atmosphere down.”
- “Sure, the atmosphere is quite gloomy but I honestly could not have felt any true horror.”
gameplay
192 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
76%
2%
The gameplay of "Stray Cat Crossing" is primarily puzzle-based, with a mix of easy to medium difficulty challenges that some players found engaging while others deemed repetitive and lacking depth. Many reviews noted the short gameplay duration of around 2-4 hours, with some frustrating segments that could detract from the overall experience, yet the game's atmosphere and story were often praised as compensatory elements. Overall, while the gameplay mechanics are simple and sometimes unengaging, the artistic presentation and narrative elements provide a compelling backdrop for players who appreciate indie horror games.
- “Watched PewDiePie play this years ago, finally got to play it myself... lovely gameplay and story!”
- “Multiple endings make for interesting gameplay, and puzzles are constructed in such a way that they're not overly difficult, even for players new to adventure/exploration games.”
- “I really liked the puzzles and the mechanics were very easy to pick up.”
- “Stray Cat Crossing tries to tell a simple story, yet ends up bungling it so much throughout with random imagery, unnecessary sequences, and confusing gameplay elements that, by the end, I couldn't really tell you what the point was at all, besides some theories.”
- “The story and gameplay constantly bickered with the latter claiming these tasks were important to the characters, and the former showing they rarely made any sense.”
- “Unfortunately, the gameplay and story are greatly lacking.”
emotional
98 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised, with many players expressing that it delivers a profound and touching narrative that resonates deeply, often leading to tears. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to evoke a range of feelings, from joy to heartbreak, through its storytelling and character development, despite some critiques regarding its brevity and character investment. Overall, it is described as a meaningful experience that artfully explores themes of love, trauma, and memory, making it a standout in emotional storytelling within the gaming medium.
- “There are no words to describe the emotional roller coaster this game will put you through, and I have nothing else to say other than it may very well be one of the best story-based games I have played in a long while.”
- “Everything in the game has been wonderfully drawn to establish the atmosphere of a Ghibli-esque nightmare that obscures a deeper and more emotional story about overcoming past trauma underneath.”
- “With emotional lines and capturing the feelings of love between family members and friends, Stray Cat Crossing has a theme of love and never forgetting your past, even if it gives you some of the greatest pain you can ever endure.”
grinding
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews highlight a significant issue with grinding in the game, particularly in the latter stages, where puzzles and level design become repetitive and tedious. Many players found the final act to be drawn out, with frustrating fetch quests and trial-and-error segments that detracted from the overall experience. While the story and initial gameplay were generally well-received, the tedious nature of the endgame left a negative impression on many reviewers.
- “However, experiencing the story involves plenty of unimaginative and straightforward puzzles when it's not indulging in tedious mazes or a confusing time loop near the conclusion.”
- “The end of the game becomes very tedious and boring as on your first try you will end up replaying the same segment over and over as it's trial and error based.”
- “This breaks down at the end - the final puzzles are tedious and require a lot of fetch quests and rewatching cutscenes over and over and over without the ability to skip through them or speed up dialogue.”
character development
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
48%
8%
Overall, the character development in the game is highly praised for its unique and striking designs, which are often described as colorful, symbolic, and creatively crafted. Reviewers appreciate how the character designs contribute to the game's atmosphere and narrative, although some feel that the gameplay mechanics and story could be improved. The combination of character design, art, and music creates a captivating experience, making it a standout feature of the game.
- “The character designs are not only interesting, but hold lots of symbolic weight.”
- “The pixel art is used to great effect for detailed environments and striking character designs, the music matches the scenes it accompanies well, and most images at least have some thread that connects to the overall narrative.”
- “It is unique and colorful with stunning character designs.”
- “It outdoes itself in terms of character design, mood, art and music, but falls short when it comes to game mechanics, pacing and a memorable story.”
- “Everything about this game - character design, environment, music, and the overall tone of the story - has the most unnerving, creepy charm.”
- “Instead, it feels more like an original setting, with its Japanese influenced art and cartoonish character designs.”
humor
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as "hilariously horrific," blending creepy and bizarre elements with unexpected comedy, making it more funny than scary. Players appreciate its unique take on RPG tropes and time travel, finding the game to be a mix of humor and heartbreak rather than a traditional horror experience. Overall, the humor is characterized as unintentionally hilarious, contributing to a memorable and entertaining gameplay experience.
- “This game has the perfect combination of creepy and weird mixed with humor and reality.”
- “It's bizarre, funny, heartbreaking, and overall a fantastic game.”
- “SCC is one of the first times I've never come close to being scared - after an initial surprise, the game's attempts at nightmarish visions and monstrous transformations were just funny.”
replayability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
49%
38%
The game is generally considered to have low replayability, with players feeling that while the initial playthrough is worthwhile, there isn't much incentive to revisit it afterward. Some players found it more enjoyable after the first act, but overall, the consensus leans towards minimal replay value.
- “It was a lot more playable for me after the first act since I'm terrible with horror.”
- “Overall it was well worth the playthrough, though I don't think it has replayability.”
- “--replayability: little to none”
- “I'm not sure what I think about the replay value yet.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews indicate that while the game may not warrant repeated play for some users, it is still recommended to others, suggesting that its optimization may not be a major concern for overall enjoyment.
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game "Stray Cat Crossing," developed using RPG Maker, experiences stability issues such as occasional freezes and crashes, alongside design flaws like problematic escape sequences and looping mechanics. These technical shortcomings detract from the overall gameplay experience.
- “As you can see in the game description, Stray Cat Crossing was made using RPG Maker, and the game has a list of flaws because of it, such as little freezes, crashes, and other poor design choices like the infamous escape from the basement or the loop sequence in the attic.”