In Mouse: P.I. for Hire from Fumi Games and PlaySide, an worn-out private investigator makes his way through a black-and-white cartoon world inspired by 1930s cartoons, full of mice. What sounds like a wild experiment turns out to be a great game!
Players take on the role of Jack Pepper, a former war hero turned private investigator, navigating a dangerous world populated by mice, rats, and shrews. When a seemingly simple missing persons case becomes embroiled in a web of intrigue, corruption, kidnapping and murder, players must unravel the conspiracy buried beneath the surface and uncover the truth.
This action-packed, first-person shooter draws inspiration from classic 1930s cartoons. Its striking vintage aesthetic is created using hand-drawn, black-and-white rubber-hose visuals with partially over-the-top animations ranging from brutal to humorous. Homages to iconic pop culture, films and cartoons are also scattered throughout. All of this is accompanied by an original big band jazz soundtrack and a fully loaded arsenal of cartoon sounds. This style works wonderfully well in a first-person shooter game, although players may need some time to adjust to the contrast between the character and enemy designs and the environment design. Nevertheless, the end result is truly unique and excellent. It remains to be seen whether the developers will release a colour update later on!
Mouse: P.I. For Hire © Fumi Games and PlaySide
Yet, beyond its excellent atmosphere and presentation, the game is also a fully fledged, fast-paced, single-player shooter in the classic 'run and gun' style of the '90s — think Doom (2016). Constant movement is essential as players navigate more than 20 fairly linear, handcrafted levels. The campaign features a central hub to which Jack Pepper regularly returns: his detective office. From there, he drives to the next location via a map. Sometimes, players can choose where to go first. During missions, however, there's plenty of shooting in arenas and in the spaces between them. Each level has a few branches and hidden corners where secrets, as well as money, upgrades and collectables, await.
Mouseburg has a variety of levels, including the rundown port and dock district, a film studio, a casino, opera houses, marshlands and an underground network of subway tunnels and sewers. Weapons include the extremely effective James Gun (actually a Tommy Gun), the Freeze Gun (which may cause accidental shattering), the Conscious Gun (which makes heads explode) and the Turpentine Gun (which burns the skin off enemies, leaving only skeletons behind). It sounds macabre, but it's all done in a comic-book style. Melee combat can be enhanced with a can of Spike-D Spinach, which transforms Jack Pepper into Popeye the Sailor Man. The selection of weapons grows at a satisfying pace, and they can be upgraded using blueprints found in the levels. The gunplay and controls are precise, but the hit feedback could be more satisfying. This may be due to the 2D design of the enemies, however. The boss battles are fantastic, although the game could benefit from more diverse enemies over time. Aside from new weapons, the Metroidvania-inspired level traversal abilities, such as double jumps, wall runs, grappling hooks, and propellers, gradually introduce new ways of moving around.
Mouse: P.I. For Hire © Fumi Games and PlaySide
Although the plot is rather clichéd, it is presented well and is surprisingly serious. However, this doesn't quite fit with the fast-paced action. Instead, there are plenty of cheesy puns and exaggerated, cartoon-style violence, as well as consistently funny scenes throughout the levels. Not to mention the strong English voice acting. However, the detective gameplay falls a little short. This is because the clues, such as documents, journals or photos, are hard to miss and are pinned to an evidence board in the office. Players then click on them to link them together, thereby unlocking new levels. There is also a special tool (Detective's Brush) to help players if they get stuck, as well as a lock-picking feature. In a mini-game, Jack uses Pepper's mouse tail to pick locks and manoeuvre cylinders into the correct position.
Mouse: P.I. For Hire was developed by Fumi Games, which is based in Warsaw, Poland. This is the studio's first game. According to LinkedIn, it has around 30 employees. The publisher is PlaySide Studios, an independent video game developer and publisher based in Melbourne, Australia. The company is behind games such as Age of Darkness: Final Stand, the Dumb Ways to Die franchise, Kill Knight, and the upcoming RTS Game of Thrones: War for Westeros. In addition to Mouse: P.I. For Hire, they have released Thrive: Heavy Lies the Crown in 2025.
"When we first shared the concept video of a 1930s cartoon video game that was also a first-person shooter, we had no idea that it would resonate so much with players and eventually turn into what MOUSE: P.I. For Hire has become. With over 1.7 million wishlists, we are extremely excited for you to finally play the game we have worked so hard on. A handcrafted tale born of ink, sweat, and stubborn dreams. From the bottom of our grinning hearts, thank you for supporting us. We hope you enjoy your time in Mouseburg." - CEO and Founder of Fumi Games, Mateusz Michalak
Mouse: P.I. For Hire was released on 16 April 2026 for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S for €29.99. A Digital Deluxe Edition is also available for €39.99. This includes the base game, access to the first DLC expansion (to be released at a later date), the full original game soundtrack (OST) and a digital comic book.
Mouse: P.I. For Hire combines the aesthetic of classic black-and-white 1930s cartoons with film noir action and fast-paced shooter gameplay. This blend of 'Disney and Doom' is a real blast and hits the spot! In fact, it's one of the most creative and best shooters in recent years.
