OpenCritic
Steam
An adventure/text game hybrid, in which you help the amnesiac Quinn. The protagonist has been most likely kidnapped and your task is to help him escape.
Videos and Screens
[1:01] STAY trailer #1
Digitally Downloaded: 2.5 / 5
For its escape-room premise, Stay's narrative is surprisingly large in scope, and despite all its shortfalls the eerie atmosphere does linger with you as you play. It's hard to deny that there are some incredible ideas at play here – and even if the execution is lacking in parts, the game's sense of mystery kept drawing me in long after the puzzles and thriller plotline stopped being interesting.
The Digital Fix: 7 / 10
STAY has an interesting storyline that is very relatable and can teach individuals about emotional intelligence, human psychology and mental health. The puzzles are quite frustrating at times but this can be simply overlooked once completed and you continue with the original storyline.
TheSixthAxis: 4 / 10 by Adrian Burrows
STAY can't be faulted for its aspirations and the attempt to make a believable character in Quinn, to create an individual that the player will want to help. However, the result is a near endless stream of lacklustre dialogue that made it incredibly difficult to stay to the end.
STAY Description
STAY is a unique adventure/text game hybrid with a thriller atmosphere. The PC Windows and Xbox One versions were developed by indie studio Appnormals Team, while the PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, and Nintendo Switch versions were created by Ratalaika Games.
Plot
The protagonist of STAY is Quinn, who apparently has been kidnapped. He wakes up in a locked room, unable to remember how he got there. Using a computer located here, Quinn contacts the player, hoping for help. Whether he escapes or not, and which of the seven endings you get to see, depends on the decisions you make during twenty-four chapters of the story.
Mechanics
The gameplay of STAY focuses mostly on talking with Quinn (which you do by choosing your answers in the in-game chat). You can tell him to perform certain actions; you can only directly control him when solving puzzles of varying difficulty.
Such an approach forces you to make the protagonist trust you, at which you can fail if you leave him on his own or if he doesn't like your answers. Quinn's relationship with you (and also his mental state) can be checked by watching him through internet cameras and by carefully reading his responses.
Technical aspects
STAY featured 2D pixel-art visuals. The grim atmosphere is further underlined by the gloomy soundtrack.
Last updated on August 6, 2018
STAY Summary
Platforms:
PC / Windows May 16, 2018
Switch September 12, 2018
PlayStation 4 September 12, 2018
Xbox One May 30, 2018
PlayStation Vita September 12, 2018
Developer: Ratalaika Games
Publisher: Ratalaika Games
STAY System Requirements
PC / Windows
Minimum: Intel Core i3 / AMD Phenom II X2, 4 GB RAM, graphic card 512 MB GeForce 8800 GT / Radeon HD 5670 or better, 1 GB HDD, Windows 7/8/10
Recommended: Intel Core i5-2300 2.8 GHz / AMD Phenom II X4 940 3.0 GHz, 8 GB RAM, graphic card 1 GB GeForce GTX 460 or better, 1 GB HDD, Windows 7/8/10