Stray launched on PC alongside PlayStation consoles just a few weeks ago. This means that there are already countless mods waiting for you to install them. To help narrow down your options, we’ve rounded up some of our favorites for you.
Of course, first things first: you need to know how to install Stray mods. Fortunately, it’s a pretty simple process. Once you understand that, the world of Stray mods is your oyster. Or something more cat-friendly, like a juicy dead mouse.
There’s a lot to read, from putting your own cat in the game or trading it for Spyro, to playing split-screen multiplayer. Some Stray mods are bordering on the creepy, so of course we’ve included them.
Before you start fiddling around, you might want to double-check where to find the location of the Stray save file on your PC. Once you’re ready, dive into the mod list below and enjoy the benefits of playing Stray on PC.
If you’re on PS4 or PS5, you might be missing mods, but there’s a PS Plus cheat that lets you play Stray for free, which you should take advantage of if you can.
Stray Mods: Best Community Mods
CJ from GTA: San Andreas
Yes, you read that right. You can transform Stray’s cat into CJ from GTA: San Andreas. Why you would want to do this are your reasons and your reasons only. I don’t think we need – or want – to dig any deeper. But it is possible, thanks to Sirgalahad172 on Nexus Mods.
O Stray CJ mod page (opens in new tab) states that this is “intended as a joke, as CJ needs to be modified in any game that exists”. And we applaud anyone taking that responsibility, no matter how frightening the outcome. We are still waiting for the Stray Thomas the Tank Engine mod…
Litter choice
There are several mods that allow you to swap Stray’s red-haired protagonist for a cat of a different color or breed. litter choice (opens in new tab) is one of them, and currently includes alternative hand-painted textures for black, white, brindle, gray, ghost tabby, and tuxedo cats, as well as a brown dot Siamese.
Of course, you can browse the mod pages for individual features, but the creator of SpaceD0lphin it says (opens in new tab) its comprehensive mod is for your convenience. The page says they will add more variants in the future, and people in the comments are taking the opportunity to make specific requests based on their own cats. So if you’re struggling to find one that perfectly captures your feline friend’s likeness, you can always ask too.
Garfield
Stray’s cat is transformed into the lasagna-loving, sarcasm-spitting Garfield, courtesy of Chris Rubino (opens in new tab) in Nexus Mods.
This iteration of the mod is dubbed the ‘cartoon edition’. Chris it says (opens in new tab) they’re working on a high resolution ‘movie edit’, but it’s going to be GPU-intensive. While we wait for that, Garfield fans will be ecstatic to find that the character’s “adult voice” has been added; but it comes with a warning to avoid it if you have young children.
What could be so egregious – besides his attitude and non-stop comments? Chris lists “funny adult conversations” and fart sounds, to name a few. Its “lazy meow” subscription is another optional extra you can choose to try if you want to commit to the bit.
happy puppy
Do you like cats, but are you more of a dog person? Chris Rubino is coming to the rescue with yet another mod, just for you. nicknamed ‘happy puppy’ (opens in new tab), the mod swaps Stray’s cat for (what I’m pretty sure is) a French Bulldog. And I have to say, it looks incredibly adorable with her little backpack.
ONE pinned publication (opens in new tab) suggests that Chris did not trade meowing for barking. But they’re probably too busy mediating the comments section, which has turned into cat people and dog people going to war. Because this is the internet, after all.
If French Bulldogs aren’t your cup of tea, there’s a Disney’s Bolt Mod (opens in new tab) which turns the cat into the titular Bolt. It still hasn’t been hit with a cease and desist, so enjoy it while you can.
Decipher Stray’s language
Some people might like the idea of decoding Stray’s android language now that the code has been largely deciphered. But others prefer to skip the noise and have the translations appear in the game, as if by magic. And that’s just what it is Latin alphabet mod (opens in new tab) claims to do.
“This mod replaces the seemingly unreadable characters in the game with Latin characters,” reads the description. a poster (opens in new tab) doesn’t seem to have been successful, while the other seems to have had a pretty smooth experience.
Obviously the mod will only change the font on chapter titles and the like. But you can translate game resources like graffiti etc using original source file like awberry mod maker points (opens in new tab).
first person POS
This one Lost first-person POV mod (opens in new tab) by Jessica Natalia does exactly what it says on the tin. And she even gets an entire trailer to sample before downloading. It will make the game more immersive for sure.
Sure, it can be a little jarring, operating at the cat level and the change in POV. Especially when it comes to platforming gameplay. But, as Stray developer BlueTwelve revealed, “all jumps will work and you can’t fall into the game.” Otherwise, where’s the fun in playing like a cat?
PC gamers are spoiled for choice when it comes to Stray mods, but there are a few we haven’t included that are worth highlighting. This one Jason mod (opens in new tab) replaces the meows with the infamous “Jason!” from Heavy Rain. A Sean mod hasn’t appeared yet, but it’s only a matter of time.
O minecraft pig mod (opens in new tab) receives honorable mention. And if you prefer your cat to be natural, the invisible backpack and drone mod removes all the paraphernalia. They’re still there, they’re just turned off.
Stray’s cat is also appearing outside of its own game. This Stray Doom mod turns Doomguy into a cat kicking ass, for example.