Stray Paths

Artist Statement:

I chose cats as my obsession because I have an adorable cat myself, and I deeply care about the lives of stray cats. I often wonder what the world looks like from the perspective of a stray cat. Through my Twine game, I invite players to reflect on the uncertainty of life and the meaning of survival. In the game, players take on the role of a stray cat that must navigate a series of choices in order to survive—choices that deal with survival and hope, freedom and belonging, etc. Players will eventually realize that life isn’t always predictable, but every choice and encounter holds unique value. Just like in real life, the choices in the game are neither right nor wrong; players must make judgments in an uncertain environment and live with the consequences.

I set the game’s scenes in a city during a cold season to highlight the difficulties that stray cats face in their fight for survival. The game uses the first-person perspective, which places players directly in the role of the stray cat. This design helps players empathize with the character’s struggles, allowing them to experience the emotional weight and tension behind every decision.

Greg Costikyan’s definition of games had a significant influence on my design. My game offers players choices and encourages them to try different paths. Every choice impacts the cat’s fate and creates emotional tension between freedom and belonging, trust and independence. This interactivity allows players to experience different emotional journeys through multiple attempts, helping them explore their own personal preferences and values.

When designing the structure, I adopted the Key Nodes Structure mentioned in Branching Infinity by Nat Mesnard. This structure allows players to explore various paths while ensuring that they encounter certain critical narrative moments. In my game, no matter which choices players make, they will face the same internal struggle at key points—whether to continue wandering or to seek belonging. This structure offers narrative diversity while ensuring story cohesion and reinforcing the core themes.

During playtesting, I invited not only my peers but also my uncle to try the game. This cross-generational testing gave me a broader perspective on different players’ feedback. I focused particularly on their emotional responses to ensure that players of varying ages and interests could connect with the game. Based on their feedback, I added more detail to interactions between the stray cat and other characters to strengthen the emotional connection between the players and the characters.