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Already a winner in France, “Stray” catches British national media eye as BAFTA Game Awards nominee

By John Freeman on March 31, 2023

God of War Ragnarök, Elden Ring and Vampire Survivors were the big winners at the BAFTA Games Awards last night – but it was Stray, nominated in several categories, that caught the eye of the mainstream media, including BBC News.

The game had already won Best Video Game from Académie des Arts et Techniques du Jeu Vidéo in France, earlier this month, to the delight of developers BlueTwelve Studios, based in Montpelier, France.

In Stray, developed by Lost, alone and separated from family, a stray cat must untangle an ancient mystery to escape a long-forgotten city.

Stray is a third-person cat adventure game set amidst the detailed, neon-lit alleys of a decaying cybercity and the murky environments of its seedy underbelly. Roam surroundings high and low, defend against unforeseen threats and solve the mysteries of this unwelcoming place inhabited by curious droids and dangerous creatures.

See the world through the eyes of a cat and interact with the environment in playful ways. Be stealthy, nimble, silly, and sometimes as annoying as possible with the strange inhabitants of this mysterious world.

Along the way, the cat befriends a small flying drone, known only as B-12. With the help of this newfound companion, the duo must find a way out.

Stray is developed by BlueTwelve Studio, “a small team from the south of France mostly made up of cats and a handful of humans”.

After winning Best Video Game from Académie des Arts et Techniques du Jeu Vidéo, the BlueTwelve Studio team commented “It’s a human, technical, artistic adventure, it’s incredible! It’s a great pride to be part of the French games that shine abroad.”

BAFTA – the British Academy of Film and Television Arts – is a world-leading independent arts charity. In addition to Awards ceremonies, BAFTA has a year-round, international programme of learning events and initiatives that offers access to the world’s most inspiring talent through workshops, masterclasses, lectures, scholarships and mentoring in the UK, USA and Asia.

• Stray on STEAM | Stray on PlayStation

• The full winners and nominees list for Games in 2023 is here on the BAFTA web site

About the Author
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John Freeman

John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.

He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.