【fingering videos】

It's not just humans who are fingering videosinto Stray. Cats seem to love it too.

From French developer BlueTwelve Studio and Annapurna Interactive publishing, Strayis a new game out this week on PlayStations 4 and 5 and PC (through Steam) which allows you to play as a cat living in a dystopian, cyberpunk world.

One of the most anticipated games of the year (and, for that matter, the year before), the release has been generating a lot of interest around the ways you're rewarded by simply existing as a cat — meowing, sleeping, scratching furniture, knocking things off tables, getting severely into cardboard boxes, strutting across keyboards at inopportune times. And it's the game's appreciation of classic cat behaviour which has gamers finding their screens blocked by unlikely enthusiasts: their real cats.

Twitter account @CatsWatchStray is currently collating and retweeting a stream of photos and videos from Strayplayers whose cats can't seem to get enough of the game. They're pawing at the screen, immovably fixated. And it's an absolute delight to watch.

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This clearly adorable reaction is down to Stray's attention to feline detail, how specifically it gets cat things right. As Mashable's Alex Perry writes in his review, "This game makes the most out of its material by fully grasping what it is that makes these enigmatic creatures so beloved as pets and internet icons."

• 5 ways 'Stray' absolutely nails what being a cat is all about
• 11 video games we can't wait to play in 2022
• Cats have separation anxiety, too. Here's what you need to know.
• The 5 stages of experiencing 'Cats' the movie
• I listen to podcasts while I game because there's only so much time

It's the cutest (probably) accidental marketing campaign I've ever seen. I've reached out to Annapurna Interactive about it, and I'll update this story if I hear back.

So, now you've seen the Twitter account, read up on exactly why Strayabsolutely nails what being a cat is all about.