When PlayStation launched Stray earlier this year, they knew what they were doing. They took the internet’s obsession with cats and turned it into an adorable and heartwarming video game, and it has been a huge success. The game was PlayStation’s number one seller of digital downloads in July. One thing they didn’t think about was how much our pets would love the game as well. According to a post on their blog, PlayStation enjoyed the reaction videos of some curious dogs and cats that thought Stray‘s MC was very well done. In this case, MC means both main character and main cat.
PlayStation enjoyed your videos so much that they decided to contact the ASPCA and work out a proper donation amount they could make in the name of their new game. You probably recognize the organization from their legendarily sad videos featuring Sarah McLachlan’s Angel, but the full name of the organization is the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The two organizations agreed on a donation amount of $25,000 dollars! That generous donation will hopefully help a few more animals escape their inhumane situations.
The donation will also be accompanied by a social media event dubbed Stray Reactions. The best reaction videos and photos will be compiled into a digital photo book that PlayStation will give the ASPCA when they send in the donation. PlayStation will also be curating their own reel of favorites that they will post on their blog and their social media channels. Maybe your pet will make it onto the blog for all to see.
So how do you participate? From today until September 23, do what you normally do when your cat or dog is being adorable. Share it on Twitter or Instagram. This time use the hashtag #StrayReactions to enter your video or photo in the event. The only limitations are that you have to be a U.S. resident and at least 18 years old. If you win, they will be sharing your images publicly, so just keep that in mind before you hashtag.
If all of this is going completely over your head because you’ve never heard of this game until now, we admire your ability to filter news so impressively. Stray is a third-person perspective adventure game where you play a stray house cat lost and alone in a mostly abandoned cybercity. Along with your little flying bot companion named B-12, you will do what cats do best while stranded in a decaying, futuristic city. You’ll climb and stealthily hop while you explore the seedy underbelly of the city, annoying the new inhabitants as much as possible along the way. The cat has plenty of silly adventures and is even tasked with being a DJ.
Stray deserves all of the love it has gotten. You can find it on PC, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4 today.
