Video games and old cartoons have a rich and mixed history. Classic gaming mascots like Sonic the Hedgehog and Crash Bandicoot have drawn inspiration from Mickey Mouse and Looney Tunes, while more contemporary titles like Cuphead have recreated the grainy, expressive style of the animated theatrical shorts of yore. From this mix comes Mouse: P.I. For Hire, a cheddar-fueled blend of Steamboat Willie and Casablanca that takes players on a trip through the seedy underbelly of a Disney-like world of mice and shrews.
Developed by up-and-coming indie studio Fumi Games and published by PlaySide Studios, Mouse: P.I. For Hire aims to mix first-person shooter mechanics with the humor and visual style of the classic rubberhose Mickey Mouse cartoons of the 1930s. It is set to launch across all current-gen systems on April 16, with a last-gen release coming on a later date.
Key Details
- Developers: Fumi Games
- Publishers: PlaySide Studios
- Platform: Nintendo Switch 2, PS5, Windows (via Steam), Xbox Series X/S (April 16, 2026), Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One (TBA)
- Price: $29.99+
- Review Code Provided: Yes, For Steam
Always Som’thin’ In This Town
In keeping with its retro aesthetic, Mouse: P.I. puts players in the role of Jack Pepper, a hard-boiled rodent gumshoe tasked with solving a variety of cartoony cases in the city of Mouseburg. His latest big leads involve a missing stage magician, mysteriously vanishing shrews, and a recently deceased actress. These all lead him down a rabbit (or mouse?) hole of corruption and conspiracy where anything can (and will) happen.
The game’s writing is quite clever, filled with the dry wit you’d expect from a story in this genre, and even a few modern references you wouldn’t expect. I do hope you aren’t put off by cheesy puns, though. As in puns about cheese.
Visually, Mouse: P.I. features a mix of cel-shaded 3D environments and impressively hand-drawn 2D characters in an old-fashioned black-and-white package. Character designs are clearly inspired by Steamboat Willie, and enemies suffer appropriately cartoonish deaths like being burnt to ash or having a hole blown in their chest. The occasional cutscenes are also well-animated and feel like they were pulled straight from the Golden Age of cinema.
Play It Once, Jack, For Old Times’ Sake
The voice acting is solid, with the ever-prolific Troy Baker lending a withered growl to Jack Pepper’s old-school monologues. The rest of the cast is great as well, featuring talents like Camryn Grimes, Fred Tatasciore, Frank Todaro (who voiced Mugman in The Cuphead Show), and Florian Clare.
Likewise, the music is filled with catchy jazz (courtesy of Electo Swing band Caravan Palace) that adds to the old detective caper atmosphere, and the onscreen action is punctuated by fittingly cartoonish sound effects. There’s even a record scratch whenever you pause the game.
Quick Wits And A Quicker Trigger
Mouse: P.I.’s core gameplay should feel readily familiar to anyone who’s played an FPS. You move Jack with one joystick, aim with another, and fire his gun with the trigger. Players can jump, interact with certain parts of the environment, kick enemies to stun them (or barrels to send them flying), crouch to get under certain obstacles, and dash in a quick burst toward their destination. If you get lost, you can call on a magic brush that will show you toward your objective by pressing the Down directional button, which is very helpful in the more maze-like stages.
Jack Peeper’s arsenal is a mix of classic detective firearms like pistols and shotguns, and more outlandish weapons like the ‘toon-disintegrating Devarnisher. Levels also contain things like exploding barrels and anvils that can be triggered or dropped on enemies by shooting them.
The player has a limited amount of Health, which they can restore by drinking potions or eating cheese found throughout the levels. If Jack’s health runs out completely, he will have to either start over from the last typewriter he used to save or respawn at the beginning of the level. Jack can collect Armor Packs that will give him extra protection in the form of a second meter. There are also other power-ups that give Jack fire shots, higher melee damage, or unlimited ammo for a brief time.
Another Evening Drive
Between levels, Jack can freely roam the area near his detective office, where he can buy ammo at the Ammo Store or upgrade his weapons by giving any blueprint schematics he finds to his mechanic friend Tammy Tumbler. Sometimes his associates will give him optional side quests to perform. When he is ready to embark on his next mission, Jack will need to drive to the scene, which is played out through an isometric map of Mouseburg.
As part of his investigations, Jack will come across various minigames and other tasks that test his detective skills, like picking locks with his tail, searching for clues, taking photos at crime scenes with his trusty camera, and most of all, piecing together the clues he’s gathered on his Crime Wall. Once a certain number of clues have been connected, Jack will figure out his next destination.
In between cases, Jack can play a game of Baseball cards at the local tavern. This card-based minigame is split into two “Innings” (rounds) where Jack and his opponent take turns Pitching and Hitting by matching player cards with special Tactic cards to see who has the higher rank number. The objective for the Batter is to score as many Runs as they can in a given round, while the Pitcher has to stop them. It’s a simple but surprisingly gripping side activity, but be prepared to lose or draw a lot at first.
There are collectibles to find, like old-style comic strips, newspaper headlines (which add more details about the world of Mouse P.I.), baseball cards, and even Funko Pop-like minifigures (which you can also buy in real life).
Final Score – 8/10
Overall, Mouse: P.I. For Hire might not break the mold in terms of gameplay, and certain sections drag on for a bit too long. Still, it carries plenty of charming humor and a unique art style that make it worth checking out for fans of Disney or old noir films. I, for one, would like to see Jack Pepper take on another zany caper one day, as his first outing feels like the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
**Bonus Action was provided with a Steam Code of Mouse: P.I. For Hire for the purpose of this review**
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