Gamete

The Gamete is an enemy found in The Lab that acts as a biological spawner. It poses little direct threat on its own — it deals no damage and has only 8 HP — but its primary role is to inflate over one turn and then release a random Alley-tier enemy on the next. If destroyed while inflated, it explodes and deals knockback and Wind-element damage to adjacent units.

The enemies the Gamete can spawn include Mangy, Lil' Rat, Leaper, Pooter, Kitten, Tom Tom, and Cat Caller — a spread that covers both ranged and melee threats. Multiple Gametes on the field simultaneously can flood a room with extra enemies before the player has a chance to respond. While inflating, the Gamete tries to flee; once ready to spawn, it moves toward enemies.

Always kill Gametes as the top priority before engaging other enemies. A single ignored Gamete can add two or three extra enemies to the fight in just a few turns, quickly overwhelming a party already managing normal combat pressure. If you cannot reach it immediately, be cautious about its death explosion when inflated — killing it at range sidesteps the knockback damage that would hit adjacent cats.