Mewgenics

I poured many hours into Mewgenics for a previous feature on the game (which you can read here), so I already know I’ll enjoy this unique spin on turn-based strategy. The brainchild of Super Meat Boy and The Binding of Isaac creator Edmund McMillen and his partner Tyler Glaiel, who previously worked together on The End is Nigh, this cat-breeding adventure is equally bizarre, hilarious, and engrossing.

Mewgenics tasks players with breeding and raising cats possessing a randomized mix of physical advantages and defects and sending them on roguelike runs to gather resources to expand a home base. My favorite aspect of Mewgenics is the turn-based battles, which evoke games like Final Fantasy Tactics but are much more systemic. The highly reactive combat encounters encourage you to creatively combine your varied abilities to take advantage of stage hazards and enemy quirks. Thus, battles never unfold the same way twice.