After emerging from the sewers at the end of Chapter 8, Stray players will find themselves in Antvillage. This aptly named area serves as the second of the game's four safe zones and is quite a bit smaller than the slums despite packing an awful lot of verticality. This makes it easy to navigate and a very short chapter when compared to others.
For those in a hurry, it's possible to complete Chapter 9 of Stray in around three minutes and much of that is taken up by cutscenes and conversations. There are a few side activities available in Antvillage though, including one missable memory, an easy-to-unlock achievement, and a scavenger hunt-style quest.
How to Complete Chapter 9 of Stray
Upon first entering Antvillage at the beginning of Chapter 9, players will see a strange metal tank much like the one found in the scientist's flat in Stray's third chapter. This will trigger one of B-12's five unmissable memories, after which, the cute little companion character will need a few moments. While in this state of shock, it won't be able to translate, so players should focus on climbing up the tall metal structure in front of them.
When they get about halfway up, B-12 will return to normal, after which, players can head back down and interact with some of the chapter's side content if they so wish. As Zbaltazar is meditating on the next floor up though, it arguably makes sense to speak with him first before doing so.
Following a short conversation with Zbaltazar, players will receive a picture of Clementine, after which, they can continue climbing and head to the next chapter whenever they're ready by following the large metal pipes. Before leaving Antvillage though, there are a few things that completionists will probably want to take care of.
Chief among these are scratching the door mat near the gardening robot and triggering the B-12 memory by examining the writing on the wall to the right of the robot sitting on the couch. Additionally, players can get the "Cat-astrophe" trophy by hopping onto the table between the two robots playing mahjong and can also make progress toward the "Cat's best friend" trophy by nuzzling up against Zbaltazar.
In addition to memories and achievements, there's also a badge on offer in Antvillage. To get the Plant Badge, players will need to find yellow, red, and purple plants and give them to a robot named Malo who hangs out on one of the upper floors. The yellow plant is reached via some pipes near where players meet Malo, the red plant is down at ground level outside the village, and the purple plant is accessed via a branch on the level beneath Zbaltazar.
Side Content in Chapter 9 of Stray
- "Territory" Trophy (9/12): Scratch the door mat near where Malo is gardening.
- "Cat-a-strophe" Trophy: Jump onto the table between the two robots playing mahjong on one of the village's lower levels.
- "Cat's Best Friend" Trophy: Nuzzle up against Zbaltazar. It doesn't matter if players miss this though, as there are six more robots that players can nuzzle up against in Chapter 10 of Stray.
- "Badges" Trophy (Plant Badge): Find the Yellow, Red, and Purple plants and give them to the gardening robot Malo to receive the Plant Badge.
- "I Remember!" Trophy (17/27): Enter Antvillage at the beginning of Chapter 9 (unmissable).
- "I Remember!" Trophy (18/27): Examine the writing on the wall to the right of the robot who's sat on the sofa watching television.
Stray is available now on PS4, PS5, and PC.