Monkey Paw: What to Do?

The Monkey Paw is one of the most polarizing events in Mewgenics. It dangles incredible rewards in front of you — powerful abilities, game-changing mutations, stat boosts, rare items — but every single offer hides a brutal catch. This guide breaks down each option, what can go wrong, and how to make the smartest choice for your run.

How the Monkey Paw Event Works

During exploration, your cat can stumble across a strange disembodied hand with its fingers raised. This is the Monkey Paw — a reference to W.W. Jacobs' classic 1902 horror story about a cursed artifact that grants wishes in the worst possible way.

If you choose to examine it, the paw presents you with a set of deals phrased in grand, tempting language — things like "strength beyond your wildest dreams" or "learn unfathomably powerful abilities." You pick one, and the paw grants your wish. But there's always a hidden penalty you won't see coming.

Each time you accept a deal, one of the paw's fingers curls down. You may encounter the Monkey Paw multiple times in a run, each time with fewer fingers remaining. Once they're all down, its power is spent.

Every Option Explained

The Monkey Paw's deals fall into four categories. Here's what each one actually does and what it can cost you.

Genes (Best for Breeders)

Reward: Grants the "Tainted Genes" passive. After every battle, the affected cat gains a random mutation.

Risk: The cat is essentially marked for death — if it gets downed in combat, it dies permanently instead of being revivable.

This is the highest-ceiling option in the event. Random mutations after every fight means this cat becomes a mutation factory, which is extraordinarily powerful for breeding programs. If you can keep the cat alive through careful play — keeping it out of dangerous frontline positions, healing proactively, and pulling it from fights that look dicey — the payoff is enormous. A single Tainted Genes cat can generate more breeding material in a few areas than you'd normally see in an entire run.

Take this if: You're building toward long-term breeding goals and can afford to play carefully around one fragile cat. This is the pick for players who are comfortable managing risk.

Abilities (Safest Strong Pick)

Reward: Your cat learns powerful new abilities that it wouldn't normally have access to.

Risk: The hidden penalty can slash a key stat — Intelligence is a common target. If the stat that gets cut is one your new abilities scale with, you may end up unable to effectively use what you just gained.

Abilities is generally considered the most consistent option. Even in the worst case where a relevant stat gets halved, the abilities themselves are still learned permanently and can become useful again once you compensate for the stat loss through equipment or leveling. Unlike Genes, there's no death sentence attached — the downside is painful but recoverable.

Take this if: You want immediate combat power with a manageable downside. This is the safe pick and a good default if you're unsure.

Strength (Stat Trap)

Reward: Raw stat boosts to your cat's attributes.

Risk: The hidden penalty can reduce other stats, and the stat system has a hard cap of 7 for bred or found cats.

This is widely considered the weakest option. The stat cap of 7 means the ceiling on what you gain is low, and the hidden penalty can easily negate or exceed the benefit. Stat points are also something you can acquire through normal progression — breeding, equipment, and leveling all contribute stats without the gamble. There's very little reason to risk a Monkey Paw wish on something the game already gives you reliably.

Take this if: Honestly, you probably shouldn't. If none of the other options appeal to you, it's usually better to walk away from the paw entirely.

Items (Fragile Gamble)

Reward: Your cat receives powerful items.

Risk: Items can break or be lost entirely when you lose battles, so the reward is inherently temporary and unreliable.

Items feel great in the moment but age poorly. A single bad fight can strip away everything the paw gave you, and unlike abilities or mutations, lost items are gone for good. The hidden penalty on top of this built-in fragility makes Items the least reliable of the four options.

Take this if: You're in a desperate spot mid-run and need an immediate power spike to survive the next area. Otherwise, skip it.

Quick Tier List

1. Genes — Best long-term value if you can keep the cat alive. Unmatched for breeding.
2. Abilities — Most consistent pick. Great reward, survivable downside.
3. Items — Situationally useful but fundamentally unreliable.
4. Strength — Low ceiling, easily replicated through normal play. Avoid.

Should You Accept a Deal at All?

You can always walk away. The paw gives you a "Leave" option that ends the encounter with no consequences. If none of the available deals align with your current run goals, walking away is a perfectly valid choice — and often the smart one.

That said, if you're offered Genes and you have a cat you're planning to breed from anyway, or you're offered Abilities on a cat whose stat spread can absorb a hit, say yes. The Monkey Paw's upside is real and can genuinely carry a run. Just go in with your eyes open: the paw always collects.