Stray's language has already been deciphered Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. Stray's language has already been deciphered Claws for thought. News by Victoria Kennedy News reporter Published on 25 Jul 2022 5 comments Stray may have only recently been released, but someone has already deciphered the game's mysterious language. This language uses a substitution cipher to make the world in Stray more cryptic and mysterious. (A substitution cipher is a used to encrypt text by swapping each letter or symbol within said text with a different symbol, that can then be unscrambled with a key.) And now, HalfGlassGaming's Josh Wirtanen has cracked Stray's cipher, and shared how we too can do the same (thanks, RockPaperShotgun). I have embedded some photos from the game within this article, so if you are yet to play or are keen to avoid spoilers, please take this as your cue to read something else on Eurogamer. Watch on YouTube Eurogamer Newscast: Why are video game companies still trying to flog NFTs? Wirtanen kicked off his decoding project with the game's chapter titles, explaining that as these are already written in English as well as Stray's own language, it was "a decent place to start" the decoding extravaganza. However, these didn't always match up verbatim, with Wirtanen revealing, "the chapter subtitled 'The Slums' is actually called 'Home: The Slums Part One'." Stray's chapter titles (via HalfGlassGaming). From there, he went on to take a closer look at the rest of the world's media, including the music sheets (which, if you are currently on the hunt for these yourself, you can check out our guide on where to find them here). With all this information, Wirtanen was then able to create a key for Stray's language (which you can see in the image below) that will enable us all to have a crack at some code cracking. Stray's cracked code (via HalfGlassGaming). Wirtanen says using this code helps to bring the world of Stray to life, although he does note that sometimes the translations can seem a little wonky and not make all that much sense. For example, the below image of the TV translates to "EATHER. In a VIP ticket for. If you want to live in clean city just". Stray's TV has been decoded (via HalfGlassGaming). Others do make more sense, such as this newspaper header reading "Droids News". Given that this is a newspaper for droids, this certainly tracks. Droids have to get their news from somewhere (via HalfGlassGaming). My personal favourite of Wirtanen's translations is the bag that is simply embossed with the words "best bag". We all need a best bag in our lives. It's simply the best, better than all the rest (via HalfGlassGaming). If you are going to have a go at translating some more of Stray's language, however, there are a few instances of the text being rotated. So, that will certainly keep you on your paws (sorry, toes!). Elsewhere in the news, mods have been taking over Stray. There are now options to play as a dog (which my canine pal The Captain and I are both thrilled to see), Garfield or even as CJ from GTA San Andreas (yes, actually). Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 7 Lady Dimitrescu will be a tad smaller in Resident Evil Village's Mercenaries DLC Level the playing field. 1 Overwatch 2 suffers another DDoS attack and character roster bugs Mei Mei. 8 Nintendo Switch firmware update lets you take screenshots in the Switch Online app The app on your console, not your phone. 7 Latest Articles Genshin Impact Path of Gleaming Jade dates, login event rewards Including other anniversary rewards and how to claim them. Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 7 Jelly Deals Logitech's G Pro X gaming headset is its lowest-ever price during Amazon's Early Access sale Prime Members can get it for just £52. Jelly Deals Save over £500 off the retail price on this beefy ASUS TUF Dash gaming laptop from Amazon Under £1080 for an RTX 3070 laptop. Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store