Ylem's Cat Blends Outer Wilds-Style Discovery With Cat Behavior Puzzles
The development team's stated ambition is to translate The Outer Wilds' knowledge-unlock feeling into a combat-focused action game, a genre blend that few titles have attempted.
Key Facts
- Diamond Cat announced Ylem's Cat for Steam on August 25, 2026, with a release date listed as 'coming soon.'
- Ylem's Cat is scheduled for release on PC via Steam in 2028.
- The game's development team consists of six members based in Guangzhou, China.
- Expected playtime to clear Ylem's Cat is about 15 to 20 hours.
- The game does not currently support Japanese, according to Denfaminicogamer.
Reporting from 2 sources: Denfaminicogamer, Automaton.
Diamond Cat, a Guangzhou-based studio formed last October with six members, announced Ylem's Cat for PC via Steam, targeting a 2028 release. The game is a knowledge-unlock action adventure starring a girl and a cat named Mio. The girl's name varies across sources: Automaton calls her Jasmine, while Denfaminicogamer uses Molly; both agree Mio is a shape-shifting cat. Players explore a dying world, seeking the truth behind the silent Three Giants and a missing mother. Mio has three forms: Big Cat, which acts as a mount and crowd-control fighter; Medium Cat, an agile combat partner and puzzle tool; and Small Cat, which hides in the girl's hood. Puzzles rely on cat behaviors, such as pouncing at invisible objects, scratching hidden doors, and hissing at enemies. Combat blends melee and bow attacks, with skill trees for dodging, strong attacks, and long-range shooting. The team cites The Outer Wilds and TUNIC as inspirations, aiming to recreate the feeling of discovery. The trial version included one boss and a hidden boss, with details under embargo. Expected playtime is 15 to 20 hours. The game currently supports English and Chinese, with Japanese not yet supported.
- Diamond Cat is a Guangzhou studio formed in October 2024 by six developers who previously worked on a live-service game project. The Ylem's Cat project itself predates the studio's founding.
- Mio's fur is rendered dynamically, but the team says the effect is managed with LOD controls so it displays properly even on lower-spec PCs.
- The combat and exploration split is roughly equal in design weight. The team wants players to find knowledge-unlock content through exploration that gives them an advantage in battle.
- There is no New Game+ or multiple endings. The developers want players to follow their emotions and focus on the main story.
- The team is already optimizing ranged attack balance, aiming to let players fight however they like without forcing a style.
- About 10-15 special NPCs appear in the game, each with a dedicated story.
- Cat customization is confirmed, and the protagonist will get alternate skins later.
- Some later enemies will react to Mio as a target, a feature not present in the trial version.
- New cat forms and techniques unlock as part of the knowledge-unlock progression.
- The studio says most members have extensive action game development experience, and they want to explore ideas that were not possible in commercial games before.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 2 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.