Ylem's Cat Targets 2028 With a Shape-Shifting Cat at the Heart of Combat and Puzzles

Ylem's Cat (伊始之猫) has provided a much clearer look at its gameplay through its first trailer and a hands-on session at Bilibili Game First Look. Developed by Diamond Cat Studio (钻石猫), the game combines action, exploration, puzzles, and knowledge-driven progression around the relationship between a girl and a mysterious cat named Mio.

The team is targeting a 2028 PC release through Steam and estimates that the main adventure will take roughly 15–20 hours. Nearly everyone on the development team reportedly owns a cat, and those real-world feline habits have been turned directly into puzzle clues and mechanics.

Quick Summary

• Title: Ylem's Cat
• Chinese title: 伊始之猫
• Format: Video game
• Official Steam genres: Action / Adventure
• Concept: Knowledge-driven action-adventure
• Developer: Diamond Cat / 钻石猫
• Publisher: Diamond Cat / 钻石猫
• Studio base: Guangzhou, China
• Team size: Six according to the latest interview
• Platform: Windows PC via Steam
• Target release: 2028 according to the developer interview
• Steam status: Coming soon
• Price: Unannounced
• Release model: Buy-to-play single-player game
• Protagonist: Molly in the official English Steam description
• Name discrepancy: AUTOMATON's Japanese hands-on refers to the protagonist as Jasmine
• Main companion: Mio
• Premise: Search for Molly's missing mother across a dying planet
• Central mysteries: Mio's identity, the giants, the Sentinels, and the state of the world
• Inspirations: Outer Wilds and TUNIC
• Design focus: “Knowledge unlock”
• Combat vs. exploration/puzzles: Roughly 1:1 according to the developer
• Mio's forms: Large, medium, and small cat
• Large Mio: Works as a mount and wide-area combat presence
• Medium Mio: Assists combos, parries, recovery, and puzzles
• Small Mio: Rides inside Molly's hood as a transitional form
• Mio stamina: Recovered by recalling the cat
• Molly's weapon: A bow usable for both melee and ranged combat
• Combat builds: Skill trees support several attack and dodge styles
• Cat-focused combat: Mio can handle much of the fighting while Molly stays at range
• Puzzles: Built around Mio's behavior and reactions to the environment
• Major exploration goal: Locate the Three Great Giants
• Estimated playtime: 15–20 hours
• Special NPCs: Roughly 10–15 with their own stories
• Multiple endings: Not planned
• Character customization: Molly skins are planned
• Cat customization: Available / planned
• Steam languages: English and Simplified Chinese
• Japanese: Not currently listed
• Steam features: Achievements, Cloud, and Family Sharing
• Minimum memory: 8 GB RAM
• Minimum GPU: RTX 2060 SUPER 8 GB / Radeon RX 6600 8 GB
• Recommended memory: 16 GB RAM
• Recommended GPU: RTX 3060 Ti 8 GB / Radeon RX 6800 XT 16 GB
• First trailer: Published through Bilibili on August 25, 2026

First Trailer, Steam, and Gameplay

Mio Can Become a Giant Mount, an Active Partner, or a Hood-Sized Cat

One of Ylem's Cat's central systems is Mio's ability to change size.

In its large form, Mio becomes a mount for Molly while also sweeping through wide areas and disrupting enemies. The medium form acts as a more active partner, assisting follow-up attacks, parries, recovery after Molly is knocked away, and environmental interactions.

The small form sits inside Molly's hood and functions as the transition between the other states. Recalling Mio is also part of resource management because doing so restores the cat's stamina.

Feline Behavior Becomes a Puzzle Language

Diamond Cat does not simply make Mio look like a cat. Actual cat behavior is used as gameplay information.

Mio can chase a point of light into spaces Molly cannot enter, scratch at a wall to suggest a hidden route, or react differently when danger is nearby.

When Molly rides the large form, even the direction Mio pays attention to may help indicate a path forward. That design philosophy fits a development team where almost every member reportedly owns a cat.

Combat Is Not Built Only for Action Experts

Molly carries a bow that can also function in close-range combat. Skill trees cover light attacks, heavy attacks, ranged shooting, and dodging.

Players are not required to stay on the front line, however. The developers actively support a style where Mio handles much of the direct fighting while Molly remains farther away and attacks with her bow.

The idea is to give players who primarily came for the cat—but may not be highly skilled at action games—an effective way to progress.

Chasing the Moment of Discovery Found in Outer Wilds

The game's more ambitious idea is its knowledge-unlock structure.

Diamond Cat says it is a major fan of Outer Wilds and wants to recreate the feeling of suddenly understanding how a world works, then using that understanding to access possibilities that were technically there all along.

TUNIC is another stated influence. In Ylem's Cat, knowledge about the giants, Ylem, Sentinels, the environment, and Mio's capabilities is intended to matter in both exploration and combat.

A Six-Person Guangzhou Team Is Building a 15–20 Hour Adventure

Diamond Cat is based in Guangzhou and currently consists of just six developers, according to the interview. The studio itself was established in October 2025, although development on Ylem's Cat began earlier.

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Several members previously worked together on a live-service project, and much of the team has action-game development experience. The finished game is planned as a 15–20 hour adventure with around 10–15 special NPCs that have their own stories.

Steam still displays Coming soon, while the developers told AUTOMATON that they are targeting 2028.

Why This Matters

1) The cat is part of almost every system

Mio's size, stamina, behavior, combat assistance, and instinct to chase light all function as mechanics rather than cosmetic flavor.

2) Progress is not limited to stats and upgrades

The knowledge-unlock approach encourages players to understand the world's rules and use that knowledge to gain access or advantages.

3) Combat supports different skill levels

Players can actively build combos with Molly or shift much of the pressure onto Mio, reducing the game's dependence on high-level action execution.

Game Information

Additional confirmed information currently includes:

• Ylem's Cat is developed and published by Diamond Cat / 钻石猫
• the studio is based in Guangzhou, China
• the team currently consists of around six people according to AUTOMATON's interview
• Diamond Cat was established in October 2025
• the Ylem's Cat project predates the formal establishment of the studio
• several members previously worked together on a live-service game project
• much of the team has action-game development experience
• almost every team member reportedly owns a cat
• the Steam App ID is 5123770
• PC is currently the only announced platform
• PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and Switch 2 versions have not been announced
• the developer is targeting 2028, while Steam currently lists only Coming soon
• pricing remains unannounced
• no public Steam demo is currently available
• a multiple-ending structure is not planned
• the team wants players to focus on the main-story experience
• additional Mio techniques and forms can be discovered through knowledge-based progression
• certain later enemies will react directly to Mio
• cosmetic options are planned for both Molly and Mio
• Mio's dynamic fur uses LOD technology to scale with hardware load
• Steam English calls the protagonist Molly, while AUTOMATON's hands-on uses Jasmine
• English and Simplified Chinese currently support interface text, subtitles, and full audio
• Japanese and Indonesian are not currently listed
• minimum CPU is Intel Core i5-8400 / AMD Ryzen 5 1600
• recommended CPU is Intel Core i7-9700 / AMD Ryzen 5 5500
• both minimum and recommended configurations list Windows 10 64-bit
• wishlisting is available through Ylem's Cat on Steam
• the first trailer is available through Bilibili
• the hands-on report and developer interview are available through AUTOMATON

Closing

Ylem's Cat is building the relationship between a girl and her cat into almost every layer of the game, from combat and traversal to environmental puzzles that depend on observing Mio's behavior.

Diamond Cat currently targets a 2028 release and estimates 15–20 hours for the main adventure. The exact date, price, platforms beyond PC, and any additional language support remain unannounced.