Wookash Podcast Tyler Glaiel & Edmund McMillen | Endless Design Space in Mewgenics
Nov 15, 2025
In this conversation, Edmund McMillen, the creative mind behind Super Meat Boy and The Binding of Isaac, teams up with programmer Tyler Glaiel, known for his work on Glaiel Games. They delve into Mewgenics, a unique cat-breeding tactical strategy game. Hear about their development process, including turns in cat behavior and environmental interactions. They discuss balancing gameplay, the vast ability pool, and weaving narrative into mechanics, all while emphasizing player creativity. Plus, discover why cats make the perfect thematic choice!
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Genre-Bending Depth
- Mewgenics blends deep turn-based tactics with cat-breeding simulation and emergent systems.
- The game resists simple genre labels and creates unique, layered playloops.
Finish Boring Tasks Intentionally
- Collect and lock down localization strings before sending to translators to avoid costly late changes.
- Tackle late-stage chores (localization, cutscenes, gamepad) deliberately as a finishing phase.
Environment As Combinatorial Resource
- Replacing simple rock-paper-scissors with interacting environmental elements unlocked huge design space.
- Logical chaining of elemental and world interactions created Rube-Goldberg emergent combos.