Mewgenics Glossary
Master the language of Mewgenics with our comprehensive glossary. From breeding terminology to combat mechanics, understand every aspect of this complex cat-breeding roguelike.
Core Mechanics
One-Adventure Rule
The fundamental mechanic that makes Mewgenics unique. Each cat can only go on a single adventure before retiring to a comfortable life on the couch. This forces players to focus on breeding stronger cats rather than grinding the same powerful units, creating a deep meta-game of genetic planning and long-term strategy.
Meta-Game
The overarching progression system that spans multiple adventure runs. While individual cats retire after one adventure, their genetic legacy lives on through breeding, creating a persistent sense of progress and development that transcends single runs.
House Management
The central hub activities between adventure runs. Players decorate rooms, manage cat relationships, plan breeding combinations, and prepare for the next expedition. House management is where long-term strategic decisions are made.
200-Hour Campaign
The estimated length of Mewgenics' complete story mode according to the developers. This massive scope includes multiple storylines, dozens of areas, and extensive breeding requirements to build cats capable of the deepest challenges.
Retirement System
The process by which cats transition from active adventuring to permanent house residence after their single run. Retired cats can still breed and contribute to the meta-game progression.
Breeding & Genetics
Breeding Compatibility
The system that determines which cats can successfully produce offspring together. Factors include personality types, relationship status, room decoration, and genetic diversity. Compatible cats will breed overnight when placed in appropriate conditions.
Genetic Traits
Inheritable characteristics that pass from parent cats to their offspring. Traits affect combat abilities, personality, appearance, and breeding preferences. Strategic trait management is essential for creating powerful bloodlines.
Mutation Events
Random genetic changes that can occur during breeding, potentially granting offspring abilities their parents didn't possess. Mutations add unpredictability to breeding programs and can create unexpectedly powerful combinations.
Bloodline
A family tree of related cats bred for specific purposes, such as combat effectiveness or genetic diversity. Successful bloodline management involves planning multiple generations ahead to achieve desired trait combinations.
Inbreeding Penalties
Negative consequences that occur when closely related cats are bred together repeatedly. While inbreeding can preserve desirable traits, it comes with increasing costs and risks that must be carefully managed.
Room Decoration
Environmental modifications to house rooms that influence cat behavior and breeding success. Proper decoration is essential for encouraging compatible cats to produce offspring.
Combat & Tactics
Turn-Based Tactics
The combat system where each cat takes individual actions in sequence. Players must consider positioning, ability timing, mana management, and enemy behavior patterns to succeed in tactical encounters.
Positioning Strategy
The tactical placement of cats on the battlefield to maximize effectiveness and minimize vulnerability. Proper positioning is crucial for protecting fragile units and maximizing damage output.
Mana Management
The resource management system for casting spells and abilities. Players must balance powerful high-cost abilities with cheaper options to maintain effectiveness throughout lengthy encounters.
Ability Synergy
The interaction between different cat abilities that can create powerful combination effects. Discovering and exploiting these synergies is key to creating effective team compositions.
Line of Sight
The tactical visibility system that determines which targets can be attacked with ranged abilities. Obstacles and positioning affect line of sight, adding strategic depth to battlefield movement.
Pestilence
A signature necromancer ability that deals one damage to every space on the board simultaneously. Useful for softening enemy groups, breaking corpses for loot, and even intentionally weakening your own cats to trigger certain item effects.
Team Composition
The strategic selection of four cats for an adventure team, balancing different classes, abilities, and tactical roles to handle various encounter types effectively.
Boss Mechanics
Special encounter rules for major enemies that require unique strategies. Bosses often have multiple phases, environmental interactions, and specific weaknesses that must be exploited for victory.
Classes & Abilities
Class Collars
Colored collars that determine a cat's role and abilities. Red collars create Fighters (melee specialists), Green collars create Hunters (ranged specialists), with additional colors for Mages, Tanks, Clerics, and Necromancers.
Fighter (Red Collar)
Melee combat specialists who excel at close-quarters combat. Fighters are frontline units with high durability and powerful melee attacks, designed to engage enemies directly and protect more fragile allies.
Hunter (Green Collar)
Ranged combat specialists who attack from a distance. Hunters excel at eliminating threats before they can close to melee range, but are vulnerable if enemies reach them.
Necromancer
Death magic specialists with unique abilities like Pestilence, which damages every space on the battlefield. Necromancers manipulate corpses, decay, and dark magic to control the battlefield.
Items & Equipment
Set Equipment
Items that provide additional bonuses when multiple pieces are equipped together. The Transmitter set, for example, hinders individual wearers while providing team-wide benefits. Finding complete sets requires strategic item management.
Limited Storage
The constraint system that prevents hoarding items between runs. Storage space is limited, forcing players to make strategic decisions about which equipment to keep for future adventures.
Consumable Items
Single-use items that provide temporary benefits during combat or exploration. Players must decide whether to use consumables immediately for short-term gain or save them for critical situations.
Locations & Areas
House Defense
Special boss encounters that attack your home base directly at various story points. These fights require different strategies than dungeon runs and often reward unique items needed for story progression.
Dungeon Areas
The various combat zones where adventure teams explore and fight. Each area has unique enemy types, environmental hazards, and rewards. The main story features dozens of areas beyond the initial three-area sequence.