Biomutant is an action role-playing game set in an open world environment and played from a third-person perspective in which the player takes control of a mammalian warrior in a world filled with mutated animals. Players customize their character including length, body shape and thickness, fur, fangs, and many other attributes that can be tweaked and all have direct impact on the statistics of the playable character during gameplay.
The main plot revolves around the “Tree of Life”, which is struck by a natural disaster and becomes polluted by oil from beneath the soil. The five roots of the Tree, through which it gives life to the whole world, come under threat from five creatures who begin slowly eating away at them, threatening to destroy the Tree before it can heal itself. The situation is further complicated by six tribes, three of which want to heal the Tree of Life and restore the natural balance, while the other three seek the opportunity to expand their territory and power. Tribes can be influenced through the Karma system. The player can ally with a tribe and eliminate other tribes in order to grow the power of the allied tribe in the world, although the player can decide on the Tree of Life’s fate without having to eliminate any of the tribes.