The Cat’s Out of the Bag: Mewgenics Delivers Chaotic Tactical Brilliance

Edmund McMillen’s long-awaited cat breeding roguelike has finally arrived, and it’s every bit as bizarre and brilliant as promised.

A Decade in the Making

Originally announced in 2012 as a follow-up to Super Meat Boy, Mewgenics experienced a protracted development cycle that led to cancellation before being reacquired by McMillen in 2018. Now, after years of anticipation, the game is finally scheduled for release via Steam on February 10, 2026. The wait has been worth it. This brainchild of Edmund McMillen and Tyler Glaiel is an incredibly complex roguelite that might just be one of the best games in the genre in recent years, owing to its unparalleled depth.

Breeding Chaos and Combat

At its heart, Mewgenics is two games in one. The core gameplay loop involves managing your ever-growing clowder of cats, before sending a team of up to four felines on adventures across multiple zones filled with events, random rewards, battles, and boss fights. But here’s the twist: once the day has ended, any cats that survived the adventure are considered “retired,” and you’re no longer allowed to bring them on future runs, forcing you to rely on new characters in succeeding days. This is where Mewgenics’ breeding system comes into play: your new characters are the offspring of your previous party members.

Turn-Based Tactical Mayhem

Combat is a turn-based affair, taking place on isometric, tile-based maps, much like Final Fantasy Tactics. Cat collars grant access to classes and their respective abilities, from a Tank that can bear the brunt of damage to a Hunter that snipes enemies from afar. The game carries forward the same love of randomization and emergent drama as The Binding of Isaac, with countless different elements coming together in every run to create new combos you’ve never seen before, as your cats level-up, fall afoul of random events, and suffer the effects of forbidden magic.

Not for the Squeamish

Fair warning: Mewgenics doesn’t pull its punches. This is an unflinchingly and unapologetically off-putting game that isn’t afraid to roll around and play in the muck. The game’s crude humor, especially its emphasis on fecal humor, can be one of the biggest obstacles for some players, coming across as juvenile and gross. Yet beneath this controversial surface lies something special. It possesses a level of game design intelligence that commands respect, fusing the controlled randomness of a roguelite, the depth of a tactical RPG, and the obsessive management of a life sim.

Critical Acclaim and Obsession

Early reviews have been overwhelmingly positive. Critics describe forming “deeply unhealthy relationships” with this bizarre roguelike strategy game, with ‘obsession’ not being a strong enough word to describe their experience. Many reviewers are already calling it one of the best games of the year. The consensus is clear: while criticisms exist, the fact that players are itching to hop back into the game dozens of hours in is a great omen. The game is confirmed to be Steam Deck Verified from day one, perfect for those who want to breed mutant cats on the go.