Mewgenics Has Its Own Mr. Resetti Who Will Curse Your Cats

The roguelike Mewgenics, from the developers of The Binding of Isaac, includes a character designed to deter players from quitting the game to avoid negative outcomes. This character, named Steven, functions as an anti-save-scumming measure. He appears if a player quits without using the proper save function, particularly during combat.

The concept is similar to the character Mr. Resetti from the Animal Crossing series, who would berate players for similar actions. Steven, however, operates with less restraint than his Nintendo counterpart. His design is a cameo, referencing a boss of the same name from The Binding of Isaac, and the character also appeared in other games like Time Fcuk and The End is Nigh. Information about this mechanic was detailed by YouTuber SlayXc2. When Steven appears, he directly addresses the player.

"Oh hey! It's me! Steven! You may know me from such games as Time Fcuk, The End is Nigh or The Binding of Isaac! But from here on out you're probably going to remember me as that Mr. Resetti guy. Yeah, I'm here because I can see you are fcuking with the game save. Or maybe you just 'accidentally' exited during combat. Suuuure. Sadly there are consequences to messing with fate… and I'm here to dish them out."

— Steven

His threats escalate from there, moving into dramatic and surreal territory. He claims to issue real-life curses and threatens to "start coming through the monitor making a brain slushie." I see this is meant to be a humorous deterrent. The game does provide one chance to avoid punishment, which Steven calls an "oopsie do-over," in case of an accidental closure like a power outage. After that single chance, the consequences begin.

The YouTuber SlayXc2 tested the limits of this system. The first punishment involves Steven cursing one of the player's cats with a "Deja Vu" disorder. If the player quits without saving again, the response becomes more severe. Steven then applies the curse to all of the player's cats. He exclaims his frustration at the player's repeated attempts to cheat the system.

On the final offense, the character takes control away from the player entirely. This final phase gives all the cats "Severe Deja Vu." This disorder means that Steven himself will control the cats during battles. He does so with little concern for their well-being, potentially leading them into dangerous situations. I do believe this is a creative way to handle the issue. The penalty system is an interesting feature in a game that has been received very well. It is considered one of the best roguelikes in recent memory, earning our love in a Mewgenics review here.

Read also, the cat breeding tactics game from Edmund McMillen and Tyler Glaiel launched and immediately became the number one global top seller on Steam. The game recouped its entire development budget just three hours after its release. This success placed it ahead of major titles like Counter-Strike 2, PUBG, and Helldivers 2, showing a significant level of player interest after 14 years in development.