The Hidden Meaning of Stray 

The voice actress for the cat, a grey tabby named Lala did a great job. I nominate her for best voice actor.

Spoilers for Stray As we find out later in the game, our companion B-12 was a human that transferred his consciousness into the system via a pod. We find a pod later in the game in the tree house section as well. There are also other clues that lead to believe that a lot of the robots in the city are former humans that didn't transfer to their units successfully. When you free B-12 at the start of the game he says, "I can't remember my name, my memory is corrupted." There is no telling how many pods are located throughout the city and this was a way to survive the plague that affected them.

What I loved most about the father/son reunion is that there's no way they're actually related, not being biological. But the bond between them is just as strong and I find that poetic.

I finished this game and immediately texted my roommate: "I just finished Stray and it's surprisingly an anticapitalist masterpiece."

Only on Wisecrack I come to learn that the cutest kitty cat is actually a secret Marxist agent..

Love this: Understanding humanity by trying to be a cat while robots are trying to be human.

Stray is a freaking masterpiece. Pure art. People out there that keep saying that video games don't count as art have absolutely no idea what they talk about. Stray is pure art.

Awesome video with very nice explanations. I hope my footage helped. Thank you for the credit Wisecrack. You rock!

This makes me happy the game starts with such wholesome, community oriented activities like cuddling and play-fighting. It's an idealistic state of nature.

2:23 You’re discussing a concept that lies parallel to the idea of “umwelt”, or consciousness that is formed by the unique environmental and physiological factors that shape an organism’s unique experience! Love that you mentioned Thomas Nagel to do a brief aside about our disconnect to other organisms despite our anthropomorphic tendencies to desire to know them!! I hate how we’ve adopted “animals” as a frame of reference to compare “what defines humanity” bc it is innately reductive to the vast array of consciousness available in the animal kingdom that is forever skewed through a decidedly human lens that views it!! Fuck Plato for saying animals are automata. *gasps for air after saying all of that in one frenzied, hyperfixated breath*

The sound the robots make reminds me a lot of the sounds the creatures make in the Chibi Robot games on the 3DS.

I just spent my first summer on my own after teaching this last year and the instantaneous come-down from nurturing community member to isolated sad-sack made me come to the same conclusions as Honneth. The Maslow hierarchy is a codified disaster, I think it's one of the prisms through which ignorance and suffering is justified to continue.

it be crazy if this game doesn't win some awards, it's so good in every aspect from story, subtext, to gameplay and the music and the visuals, this video barely showed the most visually beautiful part of the game which is the community between the slums and midtown where they live in like a giant tree. The vibe there is similar to the slums so I guess philosophically it could be grouped in together with the slums. Stray is definitely my favorite game that's come out this year, so far. It's one I'd recommend to everyone, controls are very easy, even if you don't play video games at all you can still pick it up and enjoy it.

I loved this take on the videogame, a well thought-out, serious analysis! Bravo!

Stray does do a great job showing what societies form based on the systems of control that surrounds them, doesn't it?

Very well done video! I now appreciate and love Stray even more, which I didn't think was possible but here I am!

I really enjoyed this episode. Very interesting breakdown. Keep them coming.

"When others misrecognize you, it can make you misrecognize yourself. " WOW

"#pspspspspapspsps" I'm dead 🤣

Thought provoking commentary... great essay!

Problem: Robots, not needing to eat or sleep (or see doctors? I haven't played the game yet), can find meaning in the slums because basic survival isn't locked behind a paywall. It's not the lack of fancy things that make human poverty a problem, it's the sleeping on the street and the starving to death. Which is to say, capitalism terrible, but opting out is not a choice that can be made as an individual.

Only played the game because of this video & Dunkey's review. Yes, we force human characteristics onto the cat, but the world of "Stray" explores humanity despite the absence of flesh & blood humans. The gameplay is not especially innovative but it does enough to make you think. The themes aren't always subtle, but it's refreshing to play a philosophical thought experiment through such a unique perspective. Some rough edges are still in there, but the reflection in playing the game made it worthwhile. Also, I take it Helen didn't go for the speedrun achievement given @10:30.

... and this why allegorical story telling is important: It sparks reflection.

most beautiful video on wisecrack to date.🙂👍

Never in my life have I needed something so much and never known until I received it

How have you not done a video on the AppleTV+ show, Severance yet? It takes the concept of a separate work/life balance to the extreme. I'm sure there's some French or German Philosopher that predicted this very thing, there always is.

Hey, Helen! Hair looks great. Nice cat video ;-)

I went to New York, taking the train from Western New Jersey which is the countryside. Ive been there many times. When I was a kid I gave money to grifters thinking I was giving to charity. In Penn Station a homeless man came to me, he looked like he wanted to cry, he saw a man from New Jersey and figured he could get some money. I was looking at my phone. He tried to get my attention, I simply took a side step and never took my eyes off my phone. It took him a few seconds to realize that I had given what I now realize is called non-recognition. Whether or not his original ask for cash was based in genuine need and emotion, I saw from the corner of my eye real emotion from his face as he realized my disinterest was intentional and there was no point in talking again, I would simply step away. The police stationed there laughed, a pan handler defeated by a country rube. Looking back I dont know what I should have done. Ive been taken by scam artists too many times...did I finally break a scammer's facade and strike at his core? Or was that a man genuinely in need who was just told, by my actions, that he might as well not exist?

Unlike humanity, there seems to be no “bad actor” personalities in robot society e.g. those individuals who poison society and community, yet are almost impossible to remove due to ethical considerations of advanced society.

Awesome review!

HO'DUP that "scientist robot" is hugging on a robot in a red "life preserver" looking jacket--- Robot Doc Brown and Robot Marty, that makes my day and makes me feel oddly hopeful XD

How dare you title the video this way. I came here expecting the triumphant return of Garrex Wormuloid. My disappointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined.

I've never heard of this game but I totally want to play it

to think a game like this would have better social commentary than most media

Wouldn't it be nice for them to add all the books or authors they referenced on the description. One can dream.

I always thought that Stray was a lot like Nier Automata, except you're playing as a cat as oppose to a military style android who's constantly in battle against alien machines.

i love the cute kitty!

As a lifelong cat owner, I find the idea of cats having their own consciousness less of a "theory" and more of a "fact". I've owned and fostered cats (and kittens) that imitate humans, find their own unique ways to communicate with us humans, and even express understanding of some pretty complex concepts, like empathy, grief, and a desire to communicate with us. My previous cat even used to come to me and "ask" me to catch flies and other bugs for her.

there is a big posibility than the robots are actualy humans that upload their memories to robots like b12

That animorphs cover.... *chef's kiss*

Fun Fact: We are playing in the years inside 2015-3500

I believe or more hope that being human is more lke an idea of virtues we strive for or to be than anything else.

Can you do one about Cult of the Lamb? Thanks!

It could go unnoticed by an untrained eye but if you take step back, think about the Annapurna’s old games,look at the way side character’s interaction with you and how every one of them, even though they are robot, makes you feel like they feel, let the game wash over you after finishing the storyline and you will come to realize that the main antagonist of the game is a cat.

You must read the game on the work of the philosophy of Diogenes. Humanity is insane on the eyes of animals

Speaking of games by Anapurna, could y'all do a video on What Remains of Edith Finch?

I have no idea about this game but the story seems very interesting

Do Philosophy of "A Hat in Time"!!!

Great video.

Brilliant!

Awesome, another Helen video. That game is awesome.

Pouncin on that like button. Thanks for the analysis of such an awesome game.

This game is just so cute! And makes you think...

Look, all I know is throughout the entire game I wasn't fed once! As a cat I would have expressed my displeasure at the lack of transaction by pooping on something. Hell I'm surprised that by the end of the game I didn't fall over from starvation.

Thanks for this video! Have you ever played/read the visual novel, “The House In Fata Morgana”? I’d love a video on that incredible story :)

These hashtags pspsps to my heart.

So far this seems less like a reflection of reality and more like the same takes on life that people have. There isn’t a lesson in the game because it’s all written in a manner to reflect someone’s opinion of society. In reality it’s not that different from the upper aspects of society and the “lower” ones. Like…whoever made this has no idea what it’s like to live in the slums.

How has wisecrack not done an indepth look at how dota dragons blood is a great allegory for vary's power riddle.

3:00 Take this sound bite out of the context of this video and it goes to help explain a lot of ignorance and biases in the world.

Who else saw the references to the Philip K Dick short story Autofac in this game?

Cats either in internet and now game give new way to think.

Reminds me of watching irl streams of degen nights and seeing the cat changes the atmosphere, thats what sold me from buying the game.

I didn’t realise this game was so based

Someone said they found stuff that suggests the robots in the game are humans downloaded into robots.

And just like in the real world, the way out may just be to make like a cat and break stuff.

very good cat

An Animorph reference! 😁

Pls pls pls do a deep or dumb for Death Stranding.

Shocked. You can take sponsor dollars from so many companies. How could you take money from Full Sail “University”?? Higher education in the US is fked up enough without encouraging impressionable young people to go into debt over a for-profit “school” like that. You guys need to do better research on your sponsors and not just your scripts.

We love you Helen ❤

It's Helen again, yay!!!

She’s so cute 🥰

Woah

Thank for the philosophy. But the robots in Stray actually had human consciousness transferred to them like Momo.

BUT it's another piece of art that reinforces the idea that "poor people are nice" AND that you can feel morally righteous for being a lower class citizen. but also you get to be a cat and I still want to play it.

I'm pretty sure all orange cats are destined to be evil

You can meow at will, GOTY!

12:51 Spoiler warning ⚠️ (not mentioned in video) just a heads up. Regarding Games DEEP story.

So! Full sail is a terribly reviewed organization. Pretty ironic of a philosophy channel to promote this while critiquing capitalism. Why care about the people's time/money/mental health you're trashing when you can make more yourself? 🤷‍♂😘

This version doesnt work. Working one is on my channel!

I genuinely don't know how to feel about this, but well I also don't how to feel about the current state of affairs... Guess that means something

Wait a robot barber shope ight bet

@Helen

Stray players reading 9,000,000 dialogue boxes: "wow, great gameplay!"

"cat fandom" lol. It's much more than a fandom.

Imma lean on the latter

Makan til vås.

Is it just me or doesn’t stray remind me of murder drones

You guys should be more careful about who you let sponsor your shows. Full Sail is a slightly better version of University of Phoenix, and its accrediting body is for exclusively private online colleges. Full Sail has a graduation rate of 39%, and after ten years Full Sail students don't make anymore than workers with just a high school diploma. FS is just taking peoples' money.

"Nature is a morally neutral place where people generally act towards self preservation and compassion" ROFL

#pspspspspspsps let's definitely make it a thing.

Can't wait for somebody to turn these cats into wolves. Again.

Yay! I've been waiting for someone to do a video analysis on the themes behind the story. (SPOILERS) Before watching this, I saw the cat representing nature, B12 representing the last vestige of human consciousness, and the companion robots as the legacy of mankind. In the end, the tough truth is that human consciousness won't be able to outlast nature in the long run. And like our children before us, the robots will have the tendency to outlast each of our individual life spans as well. Meanwhile, I feel like there's another theme in regards to mankind's relationship to nature and how there's a loose thread in the end on how our legacy would continue this interrelationship. While mankind has had a tumultuous relationship with nature throughout its history (via eras of survival, commensalism, and exploitation), the teamwork between the cat and B12 demonstrated the most invaluable relationship between us, which is companionship. As the companion robots have never met nature until they met the cat (as the walled city represents everything unnatural including the artificial plants and the zurks), the companionship between B12 and the cat could probably be seen as an example that the robots should follow once the human's legacy (the robots) finally meet the outside world of nature. In a way, this is another one of B12's last gifts to the robots.

Or, perhaps it is just a game?

The robots are humans. Game Theory.

it doesn't JUST apply to interspecies mentality... I think the "BLACK EPISODE" of Always Sunny in Philadelphia highlights this very well. Sure, the gang "KNOWS WHAT IT IS LIKE TO BE BLACK FOR A DAY" but nothing can replace the collective experiences of living that way *FOR AN ENTIRE LIFE* ...walking a mile in another person's shoes cannot TEACH you anything, it can only *SHOW* you. ...just like no amount of "I love butt stuff" can give a straight (but not narrow) man the same life experience as actually being GAY.

HELEN!!

sweetheart

Cats affirm their nature; increasingly we humans affront ours to a damaging degree. The robots are the apotheosis of this increasing adrift, they represent the insidious creep of relativism, subjectivity and illiberal transcendence.

I really want to minimize human interaction as much as practically possible.