The adventure game Stray has you playing as an adorable ginger cat separated from its friends after becoming stranded in Walled City 99. During your journey to find a way back to the Outside, you encounter a range of characters that assist you in your escape.
The Companions are robots living within the walls of the city and your main source of company in the game, helping you to solve puzzles and make it out of tense situations with Zurks right on your tail (literally). Despite their robotic appearances, the Companions have developed human-like emotions and you experience many touching moments with them throughout the game.
Updated on August 19, 2023 by Casey Foot: Although Stray is set in a futuristic world where humans have been wiped out, it still has lots of characters for its feline protagonist to interact with. Much of Stray’s charm comes from the cat’s interactions with the robotic Companions of Walled City 99, with a lot of Companions having developed different personalities based on the remnants of humanity. Some companions enjoy playing music, whereas others have become defenders of the city. There are a lot of interesting Companions who you meet on your journey to reach The Outside, so we’ve updated this list to include a couple more.
10 Love In Every Stitch - Grandma
Grandma is a kindly Companion who can be found in her shop Grandma Clothing, where she expertly knits clothes for the other Companions using electric cables. You can even see Grandma’s work on some of the Companions you meet.
Grandma clearly values her work and says she has “knitted 478 miles of scarves,” which helps her to keep busy while living in the Slums. She will even knit a poncho if you give her an electric cable, which you can give to Elliot, who is shivering from the cold. Grandma’s nurturing personality makes you instantly warm up to her, and she’s an example of how kindness continues to exist, even in Stray’s post-apocalyptic setting.
9 Protector Of The Slums - Guardian
When the cat and B-12 attempt to enter the Slums at the beginning of Stray, the Companions, unaware of what a cat is, are understandably vigilant and hide. Guardian, the Slum’s protector, approaches the cat and says that it’s welcome in their village as long as it doesn’t “eat anyone.”
Guardian shows incredible bravery, being willing to defend the Companions in the village from possible Zurk invaders. Though Guardian might appear intimidating when you first see him, he is caring too and displays a heart on his screen, similar to other Companions, when nuzzled by the cat.
8 On The Big Screen - Zbaltazar
Zbaltazar is part of the Outsiders, having left the Slums with Clementine, hoping to reach The Outside. Unfortunately, he never made it and settled in Ant Village instead. However, he finds solace in “transcendental meditation,” though he does acknowledge that he misses his “old friends” in the Outsiders “all the time.”
Visually, Zbaltazar is one of the more unique companions. He has connected himself to multiple monitors, with lots of Lucky Cats decorating them. When Zbaltazar shows emotions, it’s displayed on every screen, which is particularly sweet when it displays love hearts while he’s being nuzzled by the cat.
7 Musical Maestro - Morusque
Despite playing a small role in the game’s story, Morusque’s musical talents make for some of the most charming sequences in the game, filling the desolate Slums with the sounds of his gentle guitar playing. To unlock all eight of Morusque’s melodies, you’ll want to find the corresponding music sheets scattered across the Slums and take them to Morusque.
As Morusque plays his music, you’re able to curl up beside him, having a short nap while the relaxing music plays. These small moments are a much-welcomed reprieve from the otherwise action-oriented sections in the more dangerous areas of the city.
6 Family Reunion - Seamus
-Cropped.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=740&dpr=1.5)
The son of Doc, Seamus lost all hope that he'd ever see his father again after he left on a dangerous mission to test his invention against the Zurks. After discovering Doc’s secret lab, Seamus has a renewed hope that he will see his father once more.
The parental bond between Doc and Seamus is one of the most heartwarming parts of the game, culminating in these two characters’ long-awaited reunion. In Stray, the smaller things matter just as much as the big ones, as you can bring this family back together while showing the other Companions that there’s a way to defeat the Zurks.
5 1.21 Gigawatts?! - Doc
The inventor of the Zurk-destroying Defluxor, Doc left the Slums and his son, Seamus, behind to test his invention on real-life subjects. Sadly, the Defluxor runs out of power, leaving Doc stranded and unable to return home in the fear that he’ll be killed by the Zurks roaming the area.
It’s up to you to rescue Doc and reunite him with his son, freeing him from the Zurk-infested prison. Doc also bears a striking resemblance to Doc Brown from the Back to the Future movies, and definitely shares this character’s zany personality and love of inventing.
4 Prison Break - Clementine
As a member of the Outsiders, a group dedicated to reaching the Outside, Clementine plays a pivotal role in your escape, helping you to get the Subway working again so that you can leave Midtown. Following Clementine’s cryptic clues and busting her out of the prison are some of the most enjoyable parts of the game, as you feel you are truly helping her on her noble mission to see the Outside again.
A friendly face on your journey, Clementine remains steadfast in the face of adversity and is willing to put herself at risk to help you open the city. Her strong determination pushes you through the last parts of your journey and towards finally achieving the Outsiders’ dream.
3 Hoping For A Brighter Future - Momo
A member of the Outsiders, Momo became separated from his comrades after staying behind in the Slums, while the rest of the group left to try to find a way out of the city.
When you first meet Momo, he's disheartened by the supposed loss of his friends; however, once you find a way to communicate with the rest of the Outsiders and prove they’re still alive, Momo becomes a helpful ally to you as you venture out of the Slums and explore the rest of the city. Momo represents a hope for those still living in the Slums, as they can put aside their fears and march forward into danger, believing in a brighter future.
2 I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends - B-12
Your small companion throughout Stray, B-12 helps you on your journey across Walled City 99, assisting you and translating the language of the Companions so that you can uncover more about the city and its robot inhabitants. In the game, you can also find B-12’s memories, discovering more about the city’s forgotten past, and who B-12 might have been.
As a video game companion, B-12 is a helpful and an intriguing character in their own right. If you want to unlock all the secrets in Stray, and learn about what happened to humanity, you’ll want to make sure to collect all of B-12’s forgotten memories.
1 Purrfect Protagonist - Cat
An adorable main character, Stray’s leading feline starts the game by getting separated from its cat companions, falling into Walled City 99. Throughout the game, you must help the cat to escape the city and reunite with its friends on the Outside, helping the robot residents of the city along the way.
As far as main characters go, this cat is fun to play as because of its four-legged perspective. Alongside your mission to get to the Outside, you partake in many cat activities, such as scratching various walls and doors, and rubbing against the Companions’ legs. Stray’s main character evokes the nature of real-life cats, enjoying the simple things and destroying furniture whenever it can.