Mewgenics: a distinctive tactical roguelike with cat breeding at its core

GAMING NEWS Fyra Frost - about 1 hour ago

After years of anticipation, Mewgenics, the long-gestating project from The Binding of Isaac creator Edmund McMillen and developer Tyler Glaiel, is finally nearing release, and early signs point to a major indie success. This turn-based roguelike experience has already secured a strong pre-release Metacritic score, reflecting enthusiastic early reviews that praise its depth, originality, and sheer volume of content.

A cat with countless lives

Mewgenics is a hybrid experience that blends tactical, grid-based combat with life simulation and genetic progression. Players control teams of cats, each defined by stats, abilities, and personality traits, and guide them through dangerous, procedurally generated encounters. Positioning, turn order, status effects, and ability synergies all play a critical role, giving combat a deliberate, strategy-focused pace that contrasts sharply with the real-time chaos of McMillen's earlier work.

Combat plays a key role in the game, but Mewgenics offers much more. Its breeding and legacy system offers endless possibilities and boosts replayability. Cats that survive expeditions can return home, form relationships, and produce offspring that inherit a mix of traits, mutations, strengths, and weaknesses. Over time, players build entire bloodlines, shaping future runs through genetic decisions rather than simple upgrades. This system adds a long-term strategic layer, turning failure and death into meaningful progression rather than pure loss.

The game's scope is intentionally massive. Mewgenics features hundreds of enemies and bosses, an enormous pool of items and abilities, and countless possible builds. Randomness plays a role, but success is largely driven by informed decision-making and careful planning, rewarding players who invest time in understanding the game's systems.

Those who loved The Binding of Isaac, will be glad to know that Mewgenics carries the unmistakable signature of its creators. The art style is grotesque and cartoonish, mixing cute animal designs with dark humor and unsettling imagery. It is a deliberately exaggerated aesthetic that reinforces the game's irreverent tone and sets it apart from more polished or realistic strategy titles. The visuals may not be everyone's cup of tea, but they are undeniably distinctive and cohesive.

The game's strong pre-release Metacritic score highlights how well these elements come together. Mewgenics has been praised for its ambition, depth, and replayability, with many calling it one of the most complex and rewarding roguelikes in recent years. The consensus is that the game delivers a unique experience for players willing to engage with its systems.

The game promises counteless hours of fun after it's released on PC tomorrow. It has the potential to become the first big indie hit of 2026, and if you want to get your copy at the best price, use our comparator to check out the best deals for Mewgenics. You can even play the game on your Steam Deck!