The particular language that your robot coworkers use is one of the most intriguing aspects of Stray’s neo-dystopian society. It turns out that a fan has succeeded in translating the cryptic language into English, providing us with a glimpse inside the inner workings of the now-iconic RPG.
Set amid the dreary, rainsoaked streets of a blossoming Cyberpunk 2077-inspired city, BlueTwelve’s animal adventure, Stray, has become Steam’s highest-rated game after having initially been the platform’s most wishlisted game of the year.
With a plethora of puzzles to solve and objects to knock off of tables, players communicate in meows (and can earn an achievement for doing do) while the world’s robotic inhabitants have their own, bizarre language.
Entirely symbolic in nature, to the naked eye the written script simply looks like a collection of shapes, but one fan made it their mission to uncover its secrets – and they’ve succeeded.
After hours labouring over cryptic combinations and bizarre symbols, Half-Glass Gaming’s Josh Wirtanen has managed to crack the code – Enigma style.
Starting out by using the game’s chapter titles, he used the English written below to work out which letter corresponded to which symbol. He coupled these findings with the titles of songs retrieved for The Slums’ local musician, Morusque, who translates the song names on the sheet when you give them to him.
Below are Wirtanen’s findings, showcasing the letter with its corresponding symbol:
stray alphabet language decoded
So, for example, the headline on the newspaper below reads ‘Droid News,’ using Wirtanen’s alphabet.
stray newspaper language code translated to droid news
While the translations aren’t 100% accurate (some words are also flipped versions of other ones, or are the same sequence of letters repeating but with different meanings), this fun little insight adds another element to the game, truly allowing you to explore the bowels of this fascinating new world.
Throughout your journey you’ll likely be looking to pick up the worker’s jacket and hat to break into the factory, as well as recover Elliot’s poncho and fix the broken tracker – thankfully, we’ve got guides for both.