Developer: Edmund McMillen, Tyler Glaiel
Platform: PC (Reviewed)
Genre: Adventure, RPG, Simulation, Strategy
Publisher: Edmund McMillen, Tyler Glaiel
Mewgenics is a roguelike where the majority of the experience revolves around its combat and breeding the cat population, and I genuinely found it extremely amusing. Mewgenics is a tactical role-playing roguelike developed and published by both Edmund McMillen and Tyler Glaiel. The game is currently only available for Windows.
When you first start the game, you are met with this animated intro sequence that perfectly sets the tone. Thomas A Beanies, a mad scientist, expresses his great interest in science, of course, and introduces the player to the idea of breeding cats to genetically modify their traits. You are taught to breed cats, take care of them, and most importantly, send them out into chaotic, brutal battles. It is weird, slightly unhinged, yet completely on brand. Even the tutorial has that classic ridiculous humour running through it.
As someone who has played a lot of Edmund McMillen games, you already know he has a talent for turning the most absurd ideas into actual works of art. And honestly, who would have thought that breeding cats for specific traits would somehow create the perfect army to fight off a bunch of baddie cats? Yet here we are, and it works!
The art style has so much personality and definition. The map where you choose your path, enter battles, unlock chests, go to the shop and encounter events has this hand-drawn look that feels raw yet intentional. Each location is named, and there is a strong contrast between the minimalist black and white map with roughly coloured in cats and icons. The map for the Alley, Sewers and other areas you unlock is all heavily detailed to signify each location. I thoroughly enjoyed the simplicity, yet its complex art style. The animations are cute but also disturbing (in a good way). That balance between adorable and concerning is kind of the game’s whole vibe.
Even when you’re just sitting on the map screen, little cats pop up at the bottom of your screen. The game is filled with small details like that. As a cat lover, I genuinely loved the variety of cats you encounter in the game. Some are deformed, some look cursed, but they are all weirdly beautiful in their own way. Additionally, the soundtrack for this game is outstanding. Each area has its own track, and it shifts dynamically depending on what is happening. When you fight an area boss, the song is even more exciting to play in, and it always makes the fight so much better. The sound design overall is so well done, too, from the different meows to the environmental sounds and the little groans cats make when they get hit. It all adds to the chaos in the best way.
The battles are the heart of Mewgenics. You control four cats of different classes in turn-based encounters across rougelike runs. Usually, I’m not huge on turn-based games, but this one hooked me immediately. The fights take place on a grid-like arena where positioning actually matters. You move your cats closer for melee attacks, adjust for better range, or reposition to avoid incoming damage. It’s strategic without feeling overwhelming.
Each cat starts with random new abilities, which forces you to experiment with builds and team compositions every single run. Between items, passive abilities, moves and even field events that change how battles play out, no run ever feels the same. That unpredictability is what makes it so addictive.
Environmental effects are also wild. When I reached the sewers, not only did the cats look absolutely disgusting (which was fitting), but there were effects during battle I had not expected at all. For instance, ‘waves’ crashing could damage your cats or move them farther away from enemies. I mean, I was shocked that a lightning effect I had cast electrocuted anyone who was sitting in the water. The arenas feel alive, and not just like flat battle boards, which makes it more exciting.
You can also damage your own team, so as I said, positioning is everything. Some abilities cover multiple tiles, so you really have to think before acting. You can pick up money mid-battle, use rocks and boulders as cover, gain shields, heal, and manage mana carefully. Each cat also has passive traits that create even more build variety.
The attack animations are brutal. Watching your cat ‘die’ is actually disheartening (but then again, you can always just make more). Their broken little body, dragging into the next battle, is both sad and darkly funny. It’s that uncomfortable humour that Mewgenics thrives on. Boss fights also deserve a mention. The names alone are ridiculous, and the dialogue during those encounters is packed with absurd jokes. After winning battles, you earn food, money, items and experience. Levelling up lets you choose new abilities and increases stats like strength, range, health and luck. It honestly gave me Binding of Isaac vibes with how state-focused and build-dependent it feels. And the little victory dance your cats do after a successful fight? I love it every single time.
You can think of Mewgenics as two main parts: the combat and the breeding/home management system. The game intertwines these surprisingly well. Back at your settlement, your cats live together, and at the end of each day, you need at least one food per cat. They may or may not breed, producing kittens with random traits, unless you use specific housing to influence outcomes. This makes long-term planning super important if you want stronger cats for future runs.
Retired cats can not go back out on adventures, which makes breeding for better stats and traits essential. Collars act as classes, changing a cat’s role and stat distribution. For example, earning something like a cleric’s collar can completely shift how a cat functions in battle.
There is way more depth than I expected. Characters unlock throughout gameplay and sometimes request cats with specific traits in exchange for rewards. And then there are weirdos, like Frank, the guy who lives under your house and talks about the Rain Man watching him. Not weird at all. But he does help you build more houses to expand your cat population, so I guess we trust him. Managing your cats can sometimes feel bleak, especially if breeding does not give you what you were hoping for, but it makes the stronger generations feel earned and gives you better ideas for battle compositions.
If you lose a run, you lose your cats. But even that feeds into the game’s strange meta elements. At one point, you even meet a character who is literally you. The game constantly throws surprises at you in these funky, unhinged ways. I easily found myself sinking several hours into this game without realising it. The variety in cat compositions, abilities, and builds keeps everything fresh. No run ever plays the same, and experimenting to create the ‘perfect’ cat army is ridiculously satisfying.
Mewgenics is weird, strategic, gross, funny, and unexpectedly deep. The humour is chaotic, the soundtrack goes harder than it needs to, and the combat is engaging. You can play for hours straight, take a break, and come back without feeling lost. Whether you are carefully breeding the next generation or surviving a sewer battle with electrocution hazards, there is always something happening. So be sure to check out Mewgenics!
Overall: 10/10
This is S & S. We are world game explorers. We play games. We have played over 10,000+ games! We travel, we write reviews AND we play more games!!!!
