Mewgenics

 
Mewgenics is the long-awaited “cat breeding simulation roguelike” from Edmund McMillen (creator of The Binding of Isaac) and Tyler Glaiel. After a legendary 14-year development cycle involving cancellations and reboots, it finally launched on February 10, 2026. It delivers exactly what was promised: a bizarre, grotesque, and deeply strategic game that hides complex RPG mechanics behind a layer of poop jokes and cartoon violence.
Genetics, Grid Combat, and Grandma: Core Gameplay

The Breeding Loop: The game is split into two distinct phases. In the House Phase, you act as a cat breeder. You pair cats to pass down stats, abilities, and physical traits. The genetics system is shockingly deep—dominant and recessive genes determine everything from a cat’s elemental affinity to whether they have a tail that acts as a third arm. However, inbreeding leads to mutations that can be beneficial (extra damage) or disastrous (your cat explodes on death).
Tactical Combat: You take a squad of four cats on adventures. The combat is a turn-based tactical RPG played on a grid, reminiscent of Final Fantasy Tactics but with physics-based interactions. Fire spreads through grass, water conducts electricity, and knockback effects can send enemies flying into traps.
Classes and Gear: Cats aren’t just animals; they are RPG classes. You equip them with collars that define their role—Mages, Tanks, Healers, or “Tinks” (gadget users). The magic happens when you cross-breed these roles. A cat might have the body of a Tank but the brain of a Mage, allowing it to cast fireballs while soaking up damage.
Legacy System: Death is permanent. When your favorite cat dies in a dungeon, they are gone forever. However, their offspring remain in your house, carrying on their genetic legacy. The goal isn’t just to win a run, but to curate a bloodline strong enough to defeat the ultimate evil over dozens of generations.

How It Stacks Up
Mewgenics is Pokémon for mad scientists.



Game
Key Difference




The Binding of Isaac
Isaac is an action roguelike based on twitch reflexes. Mewgenics is a turn-based strategy game. While both share McMillen’s gross-out aesthetic and item variety, Mewgenics is much slower and more cerebral. A single battle can take 20 minutes of planning.


Darkest Dungeon
Both games involve managing a roster of expendable heroes who suffer permanent death and trauma. However, Mewgenics is lighter in tone (despite the gore) and focuses more on the *creation* of your heroes through breeding rather than just managing their stress.


Into the Breach
Both feature grid-based combat where positioning is key. Into the Breach is a puzzle game with perfect information. Mewgenics embraces chaos and RNG—attacks can miss, mutations can trigger randomly, and stray cats can wander onto the battlefield to ruin your plans.



Key Details

Developer: Edmund McMillen & Tyler Glaiel.
Publisher: Edmund McMillen.
Platforms: PC (Steam).
Release Date: February 10, 2026.
Genre: Tactical RPG / Simulation.
Vibe: Saturday morning cartoons directed by David Cronenberg.

Who It’s For

Must-play for theory-crafters. If you love spending hours in spreadsheets calculating stat growth or maximizing inheritance probabilities, the breeding system is an endless playground.
Perfect for Isaac fans who grew up. The humor and art style are pure McMillen, but the gameplay is deeper and more mature, rewarding long-term planning over fast thumbs.
Skip if you get attached. You will spend hours breeding the perfect cat, naming it after your real-life pet, and then watch it get decapitated by a mutant rat in turn one. If you can’t handle tragic loss, stay away.

Why It Works
It works because of the emergent storytelling. You don’t just remember the runs where you won; you remember the run where “Whiskers IV” inherited his grandfather’s laser eyes but also his grandmother’s narcolepsy, causing him to fall asleep right before delivering the killing blow. The genetics system ensures that no two cats—and no two stories—are ever quite the same.