Mewgenics savescumming explained

(Image credit: Edmund McMillen, Tyler Glaiel)

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What happens when you savescum once?
What happens when you savescum twice?
What happens when you savescum three times?
What happens when you savescum four times?

In Mewgenics you can't quit and return mid game, as it will entirely reset the battle. Do this and it will count as a save scum, getting you a visit from Steven. Thankfully there are no effects that can stop an entire run right away like I had initially feared, but I still wouldn't recommend annoying Steven.

Savescumming is a natural part of life. Don't lie to me and say you haven't used it to your advantage in a game like Fallout, or used the rewind features on Nintendo Switch Online. And in a game like Mewgenics, where one wrong move can completely derail your run, the temptation is there. But unlike other games, Mewgenics knows when you're being naughty and savescumming, in fact, it's a mechanic built into the game.

What happens when you savescum once in Mewgenics?

The very first time you save scum in Mewgenics, upon returning to the game Steven ("You may know me from such games as Time Fcuk, The End is Night or The Binding of Isaac") will greet you and warn you not to save scum, acting like the Mr Resetti of the world.

However, as much as Steven discourages you, you can savescum once per run in Mewgenics without any consequences. So if you really mess up on a battle and want to give it another go, you can quit and return. This is especially useful in areas where you can build up a ton of status effects with no way to cleanse them, it will allow you to give it another go and try out new strategies. And when you get to the later areas, it's a total lifesaver.

What happens when you savescum twice in Mewgenics?

If you savescum twice, Steven will give one of the cats in your party the Deja Vu disorder, which gives them a 10% chance to cancel actions. This will be removed when you return to the house so the cat will still be fine for breeding (visit our Mewgenics breeding guide to find out more), but it will make the run that much harder.

Although, with one cat afflicted by this, the risk may be worth the reward. The first time I did it, I was on the final boss of a biome and managed to complete it with my afflicted cat, without the disorder happening once.

What happens when you savescum three times in Mewgenics?

If you savescum three times, Steven will inflict all of the cats in your party with Deja Vu, making the run even harder than before.

Obviously, with all of your cats being afflicted, the risk is far greater, and it may be worth abandoning your run the next time you can go home. But I'm sure with the right amount of luck it'll be manageable.

What happens when you savescum four times in Mewgenics?

After a fourth time, Steven will realise you are ragebaiting him and tells you to give him the controller. Every single battle from here on out in a run will be controlled by Steven (or rather, the AI). He will then either complete it, you'll die, or you can abandon the run - killing off all your cats, losing your items and returning home.

After this, Steven doesn't care if you savescum, because it's his run now, not yours.