Thirteen Years Later, ‘Mewgenics’ Is Back With a Trailer as Bizarre as You’d Expect

It’s been more than a decade since Mewgenics first peeked out from the shadows. Now, against all odds and timelines, the game is back—and it’s weird, wild, and very, very McMillen.

Originally teased in 2012 as a hybrid of The Sims, Pokémon, and Tamagotchi, the game seemed like a fever dream of feline chaos. But after years of silence and development hell, Mewgenics has re-emerged with a new identity, a new trailer, and a scheduled launch window.

From Dead Project to Devoted Revival

The idea for Mewgenics wasn’t just left on the cutting room floor—it was buried. Back in its original form, it sounded like something cooked up in a lab: cat breeding meets life simulation, sprinkled with oddball charm. But after Team Meat—of Super Meat Boy fame—started teasing it, the game was suddenly benched.

Why? Creative differences. McMillen and his then-partner Tommy Refenes decided to part ways professionally.

That could’ve been the end of it.

But McMillen isn’t the type to let a bizarre idea die quietly.

In 2018, he announced that Mewgenics was back in development. Solo this time, with a fresh team and an even stranger vision.

A Genre-Mashing, Tactical Cat RPG Now?

Yep. Mewgenics is no longer just a quirky pet sim. According to McMillen, the game has shifted dramatically.

It’s now a tactical RPG. With turn-based combat. And breeding mechanics. And mutant cats with stats, traits, and full family trees.

Let that sink in.

If the original pitch sounded a bit out there, the current version is straight from another planet. It’s got combat, but also generations of cats you can breed and evolve. Strategy matters. So does timing, and apparently, so does your cat’s ancestry.

Oh—and there’s a campaign. It’s weird. But it works.

The Trailer? Pure Chaos and Somehow Heartfelt

The new trailer dropped this week, and calling it “unusual” doesn’t really do it justice.

It’s a live-action short that tells the oddly touching story of a drifting couple brought together by—you guessed it—cat breeding. Add a catchy tune and flashes of gameplay, and you’ve got something that feels more like an indie short film than a game promo.

And it works. Weirdly well.

McMillen posted the trailer with a development update on Steam. His message? They’re close. The game’s in its polishing phase. It still looks raw in places, but the spirit is unmistakably there.

So, What Actually Is This Game Now?

McMillen calls it a “cat-based tactical RPG roguelike.” That’s a mouthful. Let’s break it down:

• Tactical Combat: Like Final Fantasy Tactics, but with cats. Think grid-based battles.

• Breeding System: Traits pass through generations. Some cats are agile. Others puke on command. No, seriously.

• Permadeath: Your cats can die. And they stay dead.

• Procedural Generation: Levels, cat stats, items—all randomized to some extent.

There’s no traditional leveling up. Your progress comes from the bloodlines you create. It’s Darwin meets Dungeons & Dragons.

The Wait Isn’t Quite Over, But We’re Close

No firm release date yet. McMillen’s being cautious. But he’s promising more news next month, alongside a bigger gameplay reveal.

What we do know: the game is PC-bound first. Wishlist it now, he says. And honestly, thousands already have.

Here’s a quick glance at what’s been confirmed so far:

One sentence here—just to keep it light.

Why People Still Care After All This Time

You’d think a 13-year delay would’ve buried this thing. But fans never really let it go.

McMillen’s reputation helps. The Binding of Isaac is beloved. Super Meat Boy is a classic. And even his smaller projects like The End Is Nigh and The Legend of Bum-bo have cult followings.

So, when he says Mewgenics is real and coming soon, people listen.

The trailer alone has sparked a flurry of online chatter. Reddit threads. YouTube reactions. Twitter buzz. The fans are there. And so are the skeptics.

But it’s finally happening.

What Comes Next?

Next month’s big showcase will be key. That’s when McMillen says more gameplay will surface. Maybe even a proper launch date.

Until then, it’s wishlist-only. No pre-orders. No demos. Just cat-based anticipation.

There’s a sense of full-circle closure here. An idea born in 2012, lost in the fog, now clawing its way back with style, humor, and some surprisingly dark depth.

It’s weird. It’s risky. But it’s also very Edmund McMillen.

And it might just be worth the wait.