Edmund McMillen, the mind behind cult classics The Binding of Isaac and Super Meat Boy, has just announced that the “most important elements” of his new game, Mewgenics, are done.
To prove it, he dropped a massive 50-minute Mewgenics gameplay showcase — a surreal, dark, and oddly charming mix of roguelike cats and tactical chaos.
The game is officially set to launch in early 2026. So, what exactly is Mewgenics, and what can we expect before release?
What Is Mewgenics, Anyway?
At its core, Mewgenics is a strange cocktail of tactical RPG, roguelike mechanics, and life simulation. You don’t just take care of cats — you breed them. But don’t picture a cozy pet simulator. These cats come equipped with special abilities tied to RPG-like classes (think hunter, mage, or healer). Your furry squad ventures out onto randomly generated, isometric battlegrounds where they clash with bizarre enemies in turn-based battles.
Every fight requires careful strategy and environmental awareness. Survive, and your cats level up, unlock new abilities, and even pass those traits down to their kittens. That’s right: you start with four cats, but through breeding mechanics you can create powerful combinations, potentially resulting in an absurd Überkatze.
Outside of combat, the game mixes in house-building for your cats, exploration, heavy inventory management (yes, collars included), and classic RPG stats. In other words, it’s an unusual mash-up — very much in line with McMillen’s trademark style.
A Long, Messy Road To Release
The idea for Mewgenics actually dates back to 2012, when it was first teased by Team Meat as their follow-up to Super Meat Boy. But things quickly fell apart, and development was halted in 2014. In 2016, McMillen officially pulled the plug.
Luckily, in 2018, McMillen revived the project alongside Tyler Glaiel, his collaborator on The End Is Nigh. The game was essentially rebuilt from scratch. By Halloween 2022, a Steam page appeared labeling the game a “turn-based roguelike legacy game” and letting fans add it to their wishlists.
https://twitter.com/TylerGlaiel/status/1958594392245379199
Since then, McMillen has been sharing occasional development tidbits on X (formerly Twitter). On September 3, 2025, he unveiled that hefty 50-minute gameplay video (also on YouTube) with commentary and finally locked in a Mewgenics release date: February 10, 2026, on PC. IGN also shared a teaser trailer earlier this year in April.
That gameplay footage gives us a clear taste of the game: turn-based battles, team-building, ability selection, dungeon crawling, and all the quirky systems you’d expect from a McMillen project.
Why Mewgenics Stands Out
Alongside the gameplay reveal, McMillen confirmed that the game’s core is complete and the team is now polishing and testing. Even better, he promised this video would kick off a monthly series leading up to launch. Both he and Tyler Glaiel plan to keep sharing updates on X and YouTube, much to the community’s delight.
McMillen’s games have always stirred emotions — from the grotesque humor of The Binding of Isaac to the breakneck action of Super Meat Boy. Mewgenics looks equally surreal, grotesque, and thought-provoking. It touches on themes like heredity and difficult genetic traits (for example, autism), not as simple flaws but as sources of strength.
After years of delays, fans are hungry for this bizarre experiment. Many have been hooked by the sporadic trailers and devlogs, which only fuel the hype for February 2026. McMillen and Glaiel are even inviting the community to suggest cat names — some of which may end up in the game itself.
Final Thoughts
Mewgenics is shaping up to be something entirely unique: a roguelike cat-breeding simulator, a turn-based tactical RPG, and a darkly humorous genetic sandbox all rolled into one. It’s about combat, survival, and exploration, but also about inheritance, acceptance, and the weird challenges life throws at you.
If you’re into ambitious, absurd games full of unexpected choices, keep an eye on Mewgenics. Add it to your Steam wishlist, follow McMillen on X, and get ready for more gameplay drops ahead of its February 10, 2026 release. And in the meantime? It’s a perfect excuse to dive into McMillen’s massive back catalog — plenty of which is still free to play in your browser.