In The Binding of Isaac, there are currently 716 items. Keep in mind this was over the course of 10 years and 3 DLCs, but still, that's a number not rivaled by many games out there these days that don't just randomly generate their items.
Currently, Mewgenics has well over 450, and there is no doubt in my mind that by release we will have well over the number in Isaac. But how do items work in Mewgenics? Well, that's what I'm here to explain to you, silly! First, let's break all the items down into categories!
Weapons:
Weapons in Mew fit into your "weapon slot" and allow you to activate them once a turn. Most items have a number of uses before they are depleted but essentially allow for a full bonus attack for any cat holding one. Weapons can range from rocks to sniper rifles, but here are a few examples of some.
Lil Slugger: A melee weapon that, when used on an enemy, knocks them back a max of 10 spaces directly away from you.
Obsidian Chunk: Another melee weapon that gains +2 damage each time it's used and starts with 5 uses, slowly growing sharper with each attack.
Text Book: Use it on yourself and gain +2 Int till the end of the match! Use your brain as a weapon!
Trinkets:
Trinkets fit into your cat's trinket slot and come in 3 forms.
Passive Trinkets:
These trinkets act like bonus passive effects on your cat. Their effects are all over the place but designed to support a huge range of archetypes.
The D6: When this cat levels up, you may reroll their level-up choices once.
Multi-use Trinkets:
These trinkets can be activated much like weapons, once a turn.
Pawn: When used, move 1 space towards the closest enemy.
Consumable Trinkets:
These trinkets have 1 use and are consumed when used.
Large Catnip Baggy: When used, gain +10 mana.
Armor:
Armor comes in 3 categories: Head, Face, and Neck, and has a giant range of properties attached.
Cool Hat: +2 cha (raises your starting mana and max mana), fragile (fragile items break when the cat wearing it is downed)
Cat Hide Mask: +1 shield, regen 1 HP at the end of each of your turns, and gain a 5% chance to spawn a charmed flea at the end of each of your turns.
Barbed Wire Necklace: +1 thorns (melee attackers take 1 damage), +1 damage, and -1 con (lowers your max health).
Most armor in the game is also part of a set, and completing a full set of armor will yield a bonus!
Full Cat Hide Bonus: +5% bonus chance to spawn a flea at the end of each round (bringing that chance up to 20%) and all familiars you spawn gain +1 damage and +1 movement (this goes beyond the fleas you spawn and also combos with any other familiars this cat spawns/controls).
But what are the odds of finding a full set in a run? And what happens to the items when a run is finished? Well, that's where another key aspect of the long play comes into the picture.
When you complete a run in Mewgenics, your cats may come back with some items, and those items will be saved in your house inventory for later use. This allows you to save up items for set bonuses or combos and lets you travel further into the unknown. But if your cats all die, their items go with them. Don't worry, though! There will be mailboxes here and there on your quests that will allow you to send back a few items for safekeeping!
But where the hell do you find items?
Items in Mew are found in a few ways:
Shops: Shops are rare, but each chapter usually features one. They vary in what they carry but usually feature one rare item at a high price and 2-4 other medium to low-cost items. So be on the lookout for coins! They are quite useful here.
Loot Boxes: Treasure boxes are also placed around the map. The harder the branching path, the more loot boxes you may find. These boxes will feature uncommon to ultra-rare items. Your cat's luck and the paths you take will become a factor here.
End of Combat: Each time you complete combat, you will be ranked behind the scenes on how well you did and also factor in the luck of your cats. You will then be given a grip of coins and random loot depending on how well you did and if you killed any "birds."
Items are cool. If you have played Isaac, you know how much I love them. In Mew, they are total game-changers. In fact, they are such game-changers that you may go in search of an ultra super duper legendary item... a unique item so rare that only one exists in your game. And once you lose it, it's gone forever! Will you be lucky enough to find one of these items? And will you have the courage to take it out on an adventure, knowing you could lose it FOREVER? I guess we will see next summer!
See you guys in 2 weeks! Help spread the word!
-Edmund