# The making of Mewgenics: How Edmund McMillen kept his pet project alive for 13 years

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/the-making-of-mewgenics-how-edmund-mcmillen-kept-his-pet-project-alive-for-13-years/
- Published: 2026-11-08T14:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-08T15:41:45+00:00
- Original publisher: GamesRadar+
- Original article: https://www.gamesradar.com/games/adventure/the-making-of-mewgenics-how-edmund-mcmillen-kept-his-pet-project-alive-for-13-years/
- Topics: Gaming

## Key points

- Mewgenics began with a 2012 game jam prompt about 1,000 kittens.
- Team Meat put the project on hold to focus on Super Meat Boy Forever.
- McMillen kept developing the idea, which later sold one million copies in a week.

## Summary

Edmund McMillen’s cat-breeding game began as a prototype inspired by the least popular theme in a 2012 game jam. Despite his enthusiasm, the project was put on hold after Team Meat co-founder Tommy Refenes decided to focus on a Super Meat Boy sequel, leaving McMillen to keep trying to find a way to make it work.

The early version featured an upgradeable house, cat interactions and a Pokémon-style combat mini-game, quite different from the game eventually released. McMillen later explored other approaches, including tactical combat, and continued pursuing the idea after leaving Team Meat. The article says Mewgenics sold one million copies in its first week, following a 13-year path from its initial conception.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.