Mewgenics is one of the weirdest and most compelling games I have played in recent times. It is the brainchild of the team behind Super Meat Boy and The Binding of Isaac. Super Meat Boy is often remembered as one of the key titles that helped kick off the indie game resurgence and was also featured in a well-known documentary about indie developers. Mewgenics itself has a long and uneven history. It was first announced in 2012, later canceled, and then rebooted and reworked in 2018 into its current form, with a planned launch in 2026.
Mewgenics does not follow a traditional story structure. Instead, it uses a location-based progression system. The core of the game revolves around breeding cats, sending them out to different locations to search for scrap, and then managing them back at a home base where all kinds of strange events take place. While the game clearly appeals to cat lovers, it is also aimed at fans of strategy RPGs and comedy-driven games. Its humor is supported by sharp writing and well-thought-out gameplay systems.
The cats themselves are some of the most oddly designed creatures in the game, rendered in the developers’ signature art style that will be familiar to anyone who has played Super Meat Boy or The Binding of Isaac. On a personal note, I have never been particularly fond of this kind of grotesque, exaggerated art style, yet Mewgenics still managed to impress me with its creativity. The boss fights stand out the most, featuring truly unique monster designs. Even without a traditional narrative, the game never misses a chance to be funny. Each new cat adds its own personality to the experience, helping keep the gameplay feeling fresh.
Scouting locations leads to combat encounters that are often set on an isometric grid, similar to a strategy RPG. Players position their cats on the map and use different abilities to attack enemies or defend their party members. The game uses roguelike elements in its breeding system, meaning each playthrough feels different. At the start, players choose cats from a selection offered by a scientist. Later on, cats begin to arrive at the home randomly. This home acts as the main hub and breeding area for future cats. Each location can be explored with a party of four cats, divided into classes inspired by D&D, such as Fighter, Mage, Cleric, Tank, Hunter, and others.
Combat is turn-based, with each cat having a basic attack and up to four spells per battle. Cats can also have two passive abilities and gain extra bonuses through equipment. One of the more unusual ideas in Mewgenics is that cats used in a single location are retired afterward and cannot be used again. Because of this, players are not managing a fixed party. Instead, new cats are slowly added to the home, either as lost cats or as kittens born to existing ones. These kittens inherit abilities from their parents. This process is depicted through strange cutscenes showing cats mating and giving birth to their offspring.
Players have limited control over how breeding works. Home management mostly involves placing furniture, which affects how cats behave rather than directly changing stats. Cats that are no longer wanted can be donated to NPCs to unlock upgrades or new information. I was impressed by how deep and complicated the breeding system is, with thousands of voice variations for the cats and an extremely complex DNA system that decides how new kittens turn out. The game has strong replay value. Even though each run is fairly short, there is always so much happening that time passes quickly. It is a game that changes over time, and no two playthroughs feel the same.
If you are looking for a game that offers good value for money, this one justifies every cent spent on it. It is easy to lose well over 100 hours just doing runs, managing cats, and collecting items, and even then, it can still be hard to see everything the game has to offer. The non-linear progression system helps keep the gameplay feeling fresh, and there are tougher difficulty options for those who want more of a challenge. If you are easily bothered by body horror, this game has plenty of it, along with a heavy dose of toilet humor. In many ways, it is reminiscent of South Park.
Despite the sheer amount of content, I was not a fan of the user interface. Most of my time with the game was spent on a Steam Deck, where I struggled with the controls. The game clearly works best with a mouse and keyboard. While the Steam Deck touchpad can be used to move the cursor, clicks often do not register properly and are instead tied to buttons or the touchscreen. Text boxes and cats can also sometimes blend together, with elements overlapping or getting blocked, especially when there are many things on screen. This becomes a common problem once the home fills up with cats, making management more difficult than it should be.
In the end, the dark humor in Mewgenics will not appeal to everyone. Some players may find it awkward or off-putting, while others will enjoy it. The roguelike elements can also make the game feel unfair at times, and the cluttered interface can affect controls and responsiveness. It is not an easy game to get into, and the difficulty can feel overwhelming early on. However, if you stick with it, the systems start to come together. The tactical side of combat is not as deep as it could be, and if there is one gameplay element that truly stands out, it is the cat breeding system. Overall, if you are a fan of the developer’s earlier work, this should be an easy recommendation.
Mewgenics Game Information
- Price: $29.99
- Publisher: Edmund McMillen/Tyler Glaiel
- Developer: Edmund McMillen/Tyler Glaiel
- Platform: PC (Reviewed)
- Disclaimer: A review code was given by the publisher
