Edmund McMillen dropped an extended Mewgenics gameplay walkthrough yesterday, giving fans their first real look at how the long-awaited cat breeding tactics game actually plays. The footage shows roughly 50 minutes of early-game action right after the tutorial ends.
The reveal confirms Mewgenics as a turn-based tactical roguelike where you breed cats, build synergistic teams, and fight through grid-based combat encounters. McMillen describes it as “XCOM meets D&D meets Darkest Dungeon meets Pokémon,” with Final Fantasy Tactics Advance and Magic: The Gathering serving as major influences.
The gameplay footage showcases the core combat loop. Players control parties of cats with distinct classes, spells, and passive abilities on tactical grids filled with obstacles and line-of-sight considerations. Between battles, you draft new abilities, manage mutations, and collect items that wear down over time. The roguelike structure means failed runs still contribute to overall progression through unlocks and meta rewards.
What sets Mewgenics apart from other tactics games is the persistent house hub that appears later in the video. Here you manage long-term progression by upgrading your home, interacting with NPCs, and most importantly, breeding cats. The DNA and breeding systems from the original 2013 prototype remain intact, allowing players to create increasingly powerful and bizarre cat bloodlines across multiple generations.
McMillen and programmer Tyler Glaiel built some interesting balance mechanics into the game. While items can be extremely powerful, they’re limited by rarity and wear systems that prevent infinite abuse. Spells have no rarity tiers at all. Instead, their power comes from how well they synergize with your build. McMillen notes that “bad” collarless spells can become unstoppable in the right combinations.
The endgame vision sounds appropriately chaotic for a McMillen game. Players will manage heavily upgraded houses packed with rare items, commanding rosters of mutated cats with complex bloodlines and multi-class abilities. The game includes content filters ranging from “Safe” to “Not Safe” modes, and yes, your cats can die. McMillen wants everyone to remember they’re not real cats.
Your Steam Deck is ready for cat warfare
Platform plans are now concrete. Mewgenics launches on Steam with full controller support and Steam Deck compatibility from day one. Console ports are either already in development or starting soon. Mobile versions won’t happen due to the dense UI and reliance on tooltips. The game runs on the same custom engine as The End Is Nigh, which means modding should be possible with a similar format to that game.
One notable decision: There won’t be a demo. McMillen explained they don’t have time to create one that properly showcases the game’s best features. He points to Steam’s refund policy as an alternative way for players to try before committing. The team is also adding accessibility options, including the ability to reduce or disable the vintage film filter effect that some players find uncomfortable.
