Image of video game characters where one is a robot and the other is a cat

By interacting with nonplayer characters like this robot, the player  learns more about the game’s world.

Courtesy of Annapurna Interactive (all images)

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CCSS: 7.EE.B.4, MP2, MP4, MP7

TEKS: 7.11A, 7.10A

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Playing Stray

This video game is inspiring people to help real stray cats

March 2023
By Jennifer Hackett

In-game movie scenes make for exciting and memorable moments in the story!

Most video game characters are brave humans who set off on daring adventures. But the main character of Stray, which came out last summer, is a different beast—literally! Players control an orange cat that gets separated from its fellow felines. The game follows the cat’s quest through a deserted city to rejoin its family. The city doesn’t have any humans but has plenty of humanlike robots.

From the start, Stray was made as a tribute to stray animals. The main character is even based on a real-life cat named Murtaugh—an actual stray adopted by the game’s creators. Another cat, Oscar, served as model and actor for the digital stray. Thanks to him, the digital cat’s actions are strikingly realistic.

Most video game characters are humans. But the main character of a new game is a different beast! In Stray, players control an orange cat separated from its family. The game follows the cat’s adventure to rejoin them. He travels through a city full of humanlike robots along the way.

Stray is a tribute to stray animals. The main character is based on a real-life cat named Murtaugh. He was adopted by the game’s creators. Another cat named Oscar was a model and actor for the digital stray. The digital cat’s actions are realistic thanks to him.

Oscar was the model and voice actor for the cat hero in Stray.

Because Stray places you in the paws of a cat, it’s hard not to want to help real-world cats after playing it. That’s why Annapurna Interactive, the publisher of Stray, knew it had to do something special for the game’s release. The company rented out Meow Parlor, a cat café in New York City. Then they invited people to play the game while hanging out with real cats up for adoption.

“We wanted folks to be mindful of the fact that there are animals out there looking for homes, and it would be awesome if folks could take them in and give them a loving place to live,” says Jeff Legaspi, Annapurna’s marketing director. The team also helped the Nebraska Humane Society raise almost $8,500 by raffling off copies of the game.

Many players want to help real-world animals after playing Stray. That’s why the game’s publisher held a special event for the game’s release. Annapurna Interactive rented out a cat café called Meow Parlor in New York City. They invited people to play the game while hanging out with real cats up for adoption.

“Animals out there are looking for homes,” says Jeff Legaspi. He’s Annapurna’s marketing director. “It would be awesome if folks could take them in and give them a loving place to live.” The team also raffled off copies of the game. They raised nearly $8,500 for the Nebraska Humane Society.

Since its debut, the game inspired other people to help real cats as well. On Twitch, which lets viewers around the world watch gamers play, players turned their streams of Stray into fund-raisers. They donated the money they raised to local shelters and larger  groups, like the North Shore Animal League of America. According to Legaspi, “Folks playing have some sense of empathy or compassion in terms of connecting with the character of this stray cat.”

The game inspired other people to help real cats, too. Players asked for donations when streaming Stray to viewers around the world. They gave the money they raised to local shelters. They also donated to larger groups like the North Shore Animal League of America. “Folks playing have empathy or compassion after connecting with the character of this stray cat,” says Legaspi.

SOLVING ALGEBRAIC INEQUALTIES

An inequality compares quantities. Instead of an equal sign, inequalities are indicated by the symbols >, ≥, <, or ≤. Sometimes variables in inequalities have coefficients or are paired with another number. These inequalities require addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division to solve. You can use inverse operations to isolate and solve for the variable. If you multiply or divide by a negative number, you must flip the inequality.

EXAMPLE

Twitch streamer TreyDay1014 held a charity stream where all of the donations, d, were $25. Trey donated $50 himself. His total donation goal was $1,500. How many of $25 donations would he need to raise more than his goal?

STEP 1

Identify your known information and write an inequality with the known information.

STEP 2

Undo the addition by subtracting 50 from both sides.

25d + 50 > 1,500
        – 50     – 50
         25d > 1,450

STEP 3

Undo the multiplication by dividing both sides by 25.

25d > 1,450         
÷ 25    ÷ 25
    d > 58 donations

So Trey needed more than 58 donations.

SOLVING ALGEBRAIC INEQUALTIES

An inequality compares quantities. Instead of an equal sign, inequalities are indicated by the symbols >, ≥, <, or ≤. Sometimes variables in inequalities have coefficients or are paired with another number. These inequalities require addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division to solve. You can use inverse operations to isolate and solve for the variable. If you multiply or divide by a negative number, you must flip the inequality.

EXAMPLE

Twitch streamer TreyDay1014 held a charity stream where all of the donations, d, were $25. Trey donated $50 himself. His total donation goal was $1,500. How many of $25 donations would he need to raise more than his goal?

STEP 1

Identify your known information and write an inequality with the known information.

STEP 2

Undo the addition by subtracting 50 from both sides.

25d + 50 > 1,500
        – 50     – 50
         25d > 1,450

STEP 3

Undo the multiplication by dividing both sides by 25.

25d > 1,450         
÷ 25    ÷ 25
    d > 58 donations

So Trey needed more than 58 donations.

Write and solve algebraic inequalities to learn more about Stray and related charity events. Record your work and answers on our answer sheet.

Write and solve algebraic inequalities to learn more about Stray and related charity events. Record your work and answers on our answer sheet.

Each copy of Stray costs $30. At launch, Stray made more than $1,800,000. How many copies of Stray, c, were sold at launch?

Each copy of Stray costs $30. At launch, Stray made more than $1,800,000. How many copies of Stray, c, were sold at launch?

To rent out Meow Parlor, Annapurna bought all of the day’s reservations to spend time with cats. Each time slot is for 5 people and costs $16 per person. Annapurna spent at most $1,280 on the event. How many people, p, could attend based on their budget?

To rent out Meow Parlor, Annapurna bought all of the day’s reservations to spend time with cats. Each time slot is for 5 people and costs $16 per person. Annapurna spent at most $1,280 on the event. How many people, p, could attend based on their budget?

During their fund-raiser, the Nebraska Humane Society sold raffle tickets for $5 each. Annapurna donated $1,000. How many raffle tickets, r, did the Society have to sell to raise at least $5,000?

During their fund-raiser, the Nebraska Humane Society sold raffle tickets for $5 each. Annapurna donated $1,000. How many raffle tickets, r, did the Society have to sell to raise at least $5,000?

Streamer Elizabeth McGill held a Twitch charity event where she gave her cat, Zoey, a treat for every $100 donated during the event. McGill also donated $75 of her own money. She raised less than $775 during the stream. What is the maximum number of treats, t, that McGill gave Zoey?

Streamer Elizabeth McGill held a Twitch charity event where she gave her cat, Zoey, a treat for every $100 donated during the event. McGill also donated $75 of her own money. She raised less than $775 during the stream. What is the maximum number of treats, t, that McGill gave Zoey?

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