An Indie Backlog curated overview. We round up the best indie games on PS5 and how professional critics and players received each one — the scores below are theirs, linked to the source.
You play a stray cat lost in a dying neon city of robots — the cosy, melancholy adventure that became one of the PS5’s defining indie hits.
At a Glance
| Developer | BlueTwelve Studio |
| Release year | 2022 |
| Platforms | PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch |
| Subgenre | Atmospheric adventure |
| Length | ~6 hours (main story) |
| Metacritic | 82 / 100 |
| Steam rating | Overwhelmingly Positive (~97%, 170,000+ reviews) |
| Steam Deck | Verified |
| Languages | 16 |
About the Game
Stray, from BlueTwelve Studio (published by Annapurna Interactive), lets you play as an ordinary stray cat that tumbles into a sealed, decaying underground city populated entirely by robots. Separated from its family, the cat must navigate this neon-soaked, rain-slicked world and, with the help of a little drone companion called B-12, find a way back to the surface.
The magic is in the cat-ness. You knock objects off ledges, scratch furniture, curl up for naps, and meow on command — and the animation captures feline movement so precisely that it became a cultural phenomenon. The city itself, a moody Kowloon-inspired sprawl, is dense with atmosphere and quiet storytelling.
Beneath the charm is a tight, mostly relaxed adventure with light puzzles, gentle stealth, and a genuinely affecting story about loss and connection. It’s short and linear, but its mood and sense of place linger. As a PlayStation Plus headliner at launch, it became one of the PS5’s signature indie moments.
Screenshots
Screenshots: official Steam media for Stray.
Why It Made the List
Stray makes the list as one of the PS5’s defining indie experiences — a game that turned “be a cat” into a genuinely moving, atmospheric adventure. It’s the kind of short, singular game consoles do brilliantly.
What the Critics Say
Stray holds a Metacritic score of 82. Critics praised its atmosphere, art direction, and the novelty of its feline hero; the main caveat is that the gameplay itself is fairly light and linear.
What Players Say
On Steam it’s rated Overwhelmingly Positive across more than 170,000 reviews — about 97% positive. Players adore the cat, the world, and the story, even as some note its short length.
Praise & Criticism
Praise
- Wonderfully authentic cat movement
- Gorgeous, atmospheric cyberpunk city
- Affecting, well-paced story
- A truly unique premise
Criticism
- Short and linear
- Gameplay is fairly light
- Some stealth sections frustrate
Games Like This
- Hyper Light Drifter — atmospheric, melancholy adventure
- Gris — a wordless, mood-driven journey
- Cocoon — serene, alien-world exploration
Where to Buy
Plain store links for now — swap in your affiliate-tagged URLs once you’ve joined Amazon Associates and the eBay Partner Network. (Steam and the PlayStation Store have no consumer affiliate program; those links are for convenience.)
← Back to Best Indie Games on PS5