Understanding Stats in Mewgenics

Stats affect everything your cat does — from how hard they hit, to how many tiles they move, to whether they survive a skill check in an event. Stats can be increased throughout a cat's life, but for breeding purposes only the stats a cat started with can be passed down to their children, with the room's Stimulation determining whether the higher or lower parent stat is inherited. Stray cats arriving at the house have their stats determined by the Appeal statistic, with higher Appeal giving them better stats.

Each of a cat's base stats will be either a 3, a 4, a 5, a 6, or a 7, with 3s and 7s being less common than the other possibilities in strays (with zero Appeal). A value of 5 is considered "neutral" for skill checks in Act I, with a roughly 50% chance of getting a good outcome. The difficulty of skill checks increases in later acts.

Core Stats

Strength (STR)

Determines how much damage your cat deals with melee attacks and abilities. 1 point of Strength will typically equal 1 point of melee damage.

Strength also affects the Strength option in events — for example, pulling out something's eye or opening a rusted toilet.

Dexterity (DEX)

Determines how much damage your cat deals with ranged attacks and abilities.

5 Dexterity is neutral. Every 2 additional points equals 1 extra point of ranged damage for most attacks and abilities, and vice-versa. So a cat with 9 DEX deals +2 ranged damage compared to baseline, while a cat with 1 DEX deals -2.

Dexterity also affects the Dexterity option in events — for example, avoiding a mouse trap or climbing a fence.

Constitution (CON)

Determines Max HP and post-combat regeneration. The formula is:

Max HP = CON x 4

The lowest possible value is 1 HP at 0 CON or lower.

At the end of battles, cats typically heal for an amount of HP equal to their Constitution, though certain factors can reduce this by one or two points, or even nullify it.

Constitution also affects the Constitution option in events — for example, surviving poison or eating a really big poop.

Intelligence (INT)

Determines how much mana you regenerate at the end of your turn. Negative Intelligence cannot cause mana to deplete over time, but will have other effects.

If a cat has 0 Intelligence or less, event text gets transformed into "cavespeak."

Intelligence also affects the Intelligence option in events — for example, reading a book or solving a puzzle box.

Speed (SPD)

Determines how many tiles you can move on a turn, as well as when you take your turn in turn order. Faster cats act earlier each round.

Speed also affects the Speed option in events — for example, running from something (and running from something else).

Charisma (CHA)

Determines how much max mana you can have, how much mana you start each combat with, and how skilled you are at breeding. The formula is:

Max Mana = CHA x 3

Charisma also affects the Charisma option in events — for example, charming a monster or being really good in bed.

Luck (LCK)

The primary modifier to much of the randomness within Mewgenics, as well as the main determinant behind an attack's critical hit chance.

All displayed odds in the game assume a "neutral" Luck stat of 5. Each point away from the baseline adds a 10% chance for the game to roll an extra die when it calculates an outcome.

• Extra rolls from high Luck take the best result of what was rolled for that outcome.
• Extra rolls from low Luck take the worst result.
• Additional dice stack at higher magnitudes: +1 roll at -5 and 15 Luck, +2 at -15 and 25 Luck, and so on.

Additionally, each point of Luck adds 2% to the base critical hit chance of physical attacks, before extra rolls are applied.

Luck also affects the Luck option in events — for example, surviving an impossible battle or winning the lottery.

Derived Stats

Derived stats are calculated from your core stats rather than being set independently.

Health (HP)

Calculated as CON x 4 (minimum 1). Having 0% of your max Health remaining results in being downed. A downed cat cannot regain Health or Shields until the condition is removed, except through certain abilities.

While many downed units immediately die, your cats and several others then go off of Corpse Health — a measure of how many hits can be taken before the body is destroyed. Corpse Health is restored by 1 point for each instance of healing or Shielding they would otherwise receive.

At the end of battles, cats typically heal for HP equal to their Constitution. Outside of battle, your cats' Health can never be lower than 1; downed cats regain a minimum of 1 HP at the end of each battle, and events can never actually reduce HP to zero.

Mana (MP)

Mana is required for using most active abilities, known in-game as spells. It is never necessary for a unit's primary action (their basic attack).

• Cats start each battle with Mana equal to their Charisma.
• At the end of each turn, they gain Mana equal to their Intelligence.
• Max Mana equals CHA x 3.

Downed cats still have and gain Mana, but most don't have abilities that can be used while downed, so they skip their turns automatically.

Other Stats (Uninherited)

These stats are not passed down during breeding.

Shield (SH)

Shield functions as temporary Health attached to the end of a cat's health bar, which disappears at the end of each battle. Any passive effect that provides Shield does so at the start of each battle.

Units still require actual Health (more than 0% of their max HP) to avoid death or being downed. This matters because Poison, Bleed, and certain attacks bypass Shields entirely.

Age

Each time a new in-game Day starts, all your cats age by 1. Freshly-born kittens start at age 1 (born at night) and grow into full-grown cats at age 2. All stray cats you acquire start at age 2.

Once a cat's age is over 20, there is a small chance they become Old as an overnight event. An Old cat:

• Accrues Exhaustion starting at Round 5 instead of Round 10
• Has a small chance to die of old age as an overnight event (which can happen the same night they become Old)
• Is affected by their room's Health stat, which modifies the chance of either event occurring

Certain events (such as the "Mysterious Fountain") can revert cats into kitten form. Kittens cannot become Old, but NPCs like Butch and Frank will not accept them until they become full-grown cats again.

Other Stats (Inherited)

These stats are passed down during breeding and are primarily important in the House section of the game.

Inbredness (IB)

Inbredness modifies the chance for a cat's children to have Birth Defects or Disorders. It functions similarly to the real-world inbreeding coefficient (COI). Inbreeding is not guaranteed to result in cats with higher Inbredness, however.

Inbredness indicators are unlocked by getting Mr. Tinkles to Favor level 3. The Family Tree option reveals that Inbredness only considers the cat's previous five generations of ancestors.

Libido (LIB)

Libido primarily impacts the chance for a cat to initiate breeding, and secondarily impacts the chance for a cat to accept breeding.

While Comfort is very important for whether breeding occurs in a room, Libido acts like a weight system determining who initiates. The initiator's Charisma and the target's Gayness play bigger roles in whether the target will oblige. Typically, males initiate with females. In pairings with ?-sex ("Ditto-gender") cats, either one is equally likely to initiate.

Libido indicators are unlocked by getting Mr. Tinkles to Favor level 4.

Gayness (GAY)

A number between 0 and 1 determining whether a cat will initiate and/or accept same-sex intercourse, and whether they will accept opposite-sex intercourse:

• Gayness is the ratio of whether a cat will initiate breeding with a cat that isn't the opposite sex.
• If the initiator is the same sex as the target, the target's Gayness partially determines whether they accept.
• If the initiator is the opposite sex, the target's Gayness partially determines whether they reject.

Cats develop "favored partners," so a cat who engages in same-sex intercourse is less likely to pursue opposite-sex intercourse later.

"Ditto-gender" cats are technically neither the opposite nor the same as either regular sex. They also ignore their own Gayness when they are the target, though not when they are the initiator.

Gayness indicators are unlocked by getting Mr. Tinkles to Favor level 4. The game uses Pride flags as indicators (rainbow = high Gayness, magenta-blue = medium Gayness).

Aggression (AGG)

Aggression primarily impacts the chance for a cat to initiate cat-fights, as well as how violent those fights may be.

While Comfort is very important for whether fighting occurs in a room, Aggression acts like a weight system determining who initiates. A cat's Aggression also appears to increase the likelihood of their opponent dying if they win the fight.

Injuries

Injuries are permanent stat decreases applied to a cat whenever they are downed or from other unique events such as cat fights in the House. Some effects can heal injuries, provide immunity to some or all injuries, force all injuries to convert to a specific type, or trigger unique bonuses based on possessed injuries.

Basic Injuries

These injuries can be applied by any event that chooses a "random" injury (such as being downed), but can also be chosen non-randomly from certain events.

• Broken Paw — -1 Strength
• Torn Tendon — -1 Dexterity
• Broken Rib — -1 Constitution
• Concussion — -1 Intelligence
• Disfigured — -1 Charisma
• Broken Leg — -1 Speed
• Jinxed — -1 Luck

Special Injuries

These injuries can only be obtained from specific events, not as a "random" injury.

• Immolated — -1 Charisma, -1 Luck. Obtained by being downed by Burn damage.
• Exsanguinated — -1 Strength, -1 Dexterity. Obtained by being downed by Bleed damage.
• Poisoned — -1 Constitution, -1 Intelligence. Obtained by being downed by Poison damage.
• Cursed — -1 Luck.
• Radiated — -1 Constitution.

Unimplemented Injuries

These are referenced as "todo" injuries in the game data but do not currently exist as distinct injuries. They may be added later.

• Cracked Tooth — Intended to be -1 melee damage, but currently just gives -1 Strength (not as the "Broken Paw" injury).
• Broken Jaw — Intended to be -1 damage and unable to eat food, but currently just gives the "Disfigured" injury.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best stats in Mewgenics?

There is no single best stat — it depends on your cat's role. Strength is essential for melee fighters, Dexterity for ranged attackers, and Constitution for any cat you want to survive. For spellcasters, both Intelligence (mana regeneration) and Charisma (max mana and starting mana) are critical. Speed determines turn order and movement, making it universally useful. Luck is the only stat that influences nearly every random outcome in the game, including critical hit chance.

How is max HP calculated?

Max HP equals Constitution multiplied by 4 (CON x 4). The minimum is 1 HP at 0 CON or lower. At the end of each battle, cats heal HP equal to their Constitution, though some effects can reduce or negate this recovery.

How does mana work in Mewgenics?

Mana fuels your cat's spells (active abilities) but is never required for basic attacks. Cats start each battle with mana equal to their Charisma and regenerate mana equal to their Intelligence at the end of each turn. Max mana is CHA x 3. Even downed cats continue to accumulate mana, though most can't use it while downed.

What does Luck actually do?

Luck modifies almost all random outcomes. The baseline is 5 — each point away from 5 adds a 10% chance the game rolls an extra die. High Luck takes the best result from multiple rolls, while low Luck takes the worst. Extra dice stack at larger distances from the baseline (+1 at 15 or -5 Luck, +2 at 25 or -15, etc.). Each point of Luck also adds 2% to the base critical hit chance of physical attacks.

What happens when a cat is downed?

When a cat reaches 0% max HP, it becomes downed and cannot regain Health or Shields normally. Your cats then rely on Corpse Health — a count of how many more hits the body can absorb before it is destroyed. Corpse Health recovers by 1 point per instance of healing or shielding. Outside of battle, downed cats always regain at least 1 HP after each fight.

Can stats go negative?

Stats can be reduced below zero through injuries and other effects. Negative Constitution still results in a minimum of 1 HP. Negative Intelligence won't drain mana over time but has other consequences — notably, cats with 0 INT or less have their event text transformed into "cavespeak."

What are injuries and can they be healed?

Injuries are permanent stat reductions applied when a cat is downed or during events like house cat-fights. Each basic injury reduces one core stat by 1 (e.g., Broken Paw gives -1 STR). Special injuries from elemental deaths reduce two stats. Some abilities and effects can heal injuries, grant immunity to certain injury types, or convert all injuries into a single type.

How does the Age stat work?

Cats age by 1 each in-game day. Kittens are born at age 1 and become adults at age 2. Once past age 20, cats have a small nightly chance to become Old, which causes earlier Exhaustion (Round 5 instead of 10) and a small chance of dying of old age. The room's Health stat modifies the probability of both events. Some events can revert cats to kitten form, pausing the Old mechanic.

Which stats are inherited through breeding?

The seven core stats (STR, DEX, CON, INT, SPD, CHA, LCK) are inherited based on the room's Stimulation — only the stats a cat was born with count, not any gained during their life. The inherited "other" stats are Inbredness, Libido, Gayness, and Aggression. Shield and Age are not inherited.

Does Charisma affect breeding?

Yes. Charisma determines how skilled a cat is at breeding, in addition to its combat role of setting max mana and starting mana. During the breeding process, the initiator's Charisma influences the chance of the target accepting.