Does ‘Stray’ have a happy ending?

Stray, the video game where you get to play as a cat, captured our hearts last year upon its release across various gaming platforms. If there’s one thing the internet can agree on, it’s that we’re obsessed with cats. Now that Stray is gearing up to launch on Xbox One and Xbox Series X in just a few days, even more gamers could experience the joy of exploring the world through the eyes of an adorable feline.

Developed by BlueTwelve Studio and published by Annapurna Interactive, Stray follows a lone cat after it gets separated from its cat family and finds its way into an underground city. What starts off as a cat simulator soon becomes a post-apocalyptic cyberpunk delight when the cat discovers the city is unpopulated save for robots and Zurks, bouncy bacteria that have mutated to devour both the robots and organic material.

As the cat, you explore the city, interact with some of the robots, and solve puzzles in an effort to eventually make your way back aboveground and hopefully reunite with your cat family. If you’re considering playing Stray but are unsure whether or not to commit to playing a game that might end with you sobbing uncontrollably into your controller, here’s all you need to know about Stray‘s ending.

Does Stray have a sad ending?

Without spoiling anything, most players find Stray‘s ending bittersweet and complicated rather than just happy or sad. I will let you know that the cat makes it through the whole game unscathed and alive — I don’t think I could play this game if it ended otherwise — so don’t worry about that. If you’re emotionally sensitive, you’ll probably find yourself tearing up regardless (I know I did), but the ending is mostly hopeful.

Here’s how the game ends for potential players who want the specifics. It should go without saying, but stop reading now if you don’t want to be spoiled. Earlier in the game, the cat befriends a robot companion named B-12, who is later revealed to have the uploaded consciousness of a deceased human scientist, making B-12 the last human of sorts. In order to open up the city’s long-sealed main exit, B-12 realizes the effort of hacking/overriding the system will most likely electrocute his robot body to the point of no return. As he predicted, that’s exactly what happens; B-12 and the cat succeed in opening the door to the outside world, but B-12 dies in the process.

Happily, the cat does make it back to the outside world — though it’s never shown if it reunites with its family — and the overall message is hopeful, B-12’s loss does pack a punch. Granted, a final part right at the end seems to imply B-12’s consciousness survived, so it’s not as heart-wrenching as it could have been, but it’s still not entirely a happy ending.

You can play Stray and experience the ending yourself on PS4, PS5, Windows, and as of Aug. 10, Xbox One and Xbox Series X.