Mouse: PI For Hire Review: Not Meant For Pretentious Journos

One of the best indie launches of 2026 has slid under the radar for a lot of folks. People are too focused on the big AAA launches (hell, many of them are still mustering courage to try out Resident Evil: Requiem), while the golden indies are launching (almost) silently. Mouse: PI for Hire marks a prominent return to old rubber-hose-styled animations that marked the beginning of a golden era of 5 o’clock cartoons for the boomers who grew up with it. Naturally, for those of us who missed the bus and wanted in, it’s a big treat to fill the large, wobbly shoes of a mouse from the Disney cartoons of the 1930s. Needless to say, this is an indie most of the Gameffine team liked (sadly I’m the one who made it to the end, putting the responsibility of describing the experience on me). But is blind nostalgia really everything that Mouse PI for Hire offers? (Hint: Let’s find out.)

Mouse: PI For Hire is a rubber hose-style boomshoot developed by Polish developer Fumi Games and published by PlaySide Studios. The game was released 16 April 2026 for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, PC, and Xbox Series X/S platforms.

A Detective Who Actually Detects

The last good detective game I played was a while back – it was L.A. Noire. I did play Detective Dotson briefly to try out my Steam Deck, and it was okayish (but honestly I expected more). The Sherlock Holmes games are still in my backlog looking at me eagerly while I play as a tired mouse figuring out the most obscure pro bono cases in a city of mice. Yes, that’s the premise of Jack Pepper, our protagonist – barely surviving on cheap fondue, stacks of cheese, and lots of coffee – as he spends his time “fixing” the city of Mouseburg. Mouseburg is a fictional re-imagination of 1930s Chicago – a city brought to its knees with gang violence, alcohol smuggling, and constant clashes between the police and the gangsters. With the help of popular mouse journalist Wanda Fuller and popular politician Cornelius Stilton, Jack embarks on an epic journey that takes him into the very innards of the city he’s fighting for (and no, it’s nothing like returning the ring to Mordor). There are quite a few cheesy jokes in the writing, but I doubt that’s really an issue. In fact, most of the jokes are so bad they’re hilarious. This may not be everyone’s cup of melted cheese, and I’m (not) fine with it.

Mouse: PI For Hire is a single-player-only game. There never was a vision for coop in this title, and that’s hardly a setback when the remaining parts of your game are good. I’d take my hat off for developers Fumi Games, but unfortunately I’m lacking a trench coat and a hat that masks my face partially. I’m unsure why some people are dogpiling on this – it’s probably one of the funniest and most well-written short games of 2026 so far. But then again, I’m not getting a kickback from the developers – so maybe I’m guilty of giving an honest review more than otherwise.

No Hints. Imagine that

Mouse PI For Hire is a deceptively simple game that has some of the best mechanics I have seen in a linear video game. There are cheesy puzzles, not-so-cheesy murders of fictional mice, and of course – a lot of cheese and baseball! Jack Pepper’s story borrows significantly from other games, and it’s not like they’re even trying to hide that. Jack’s entry into the underground was inspired by one of the pro-bonos he picked up from Wanda – something that takes him to the bowels of the city and then to its heights. This “cheesily” resembles the noir-laden story of Max Payne, an NYPD officer who transfers to the DEA and starts a manhunt for the people who killed his family. I’m a bit surprised that despite Jack having a narrator similar to Max, he doesn’t actually do one of the lines from Max Payne as an easter egg (or maybe I’m too dumb to find one).

The game has some of the most unique gun designs that I have seen. There’s a weapon called a “Devarnisher,” which literally removes the “ink” from enemies and makes them melt (almost as if they’re pieces of moving art – Expedition 33 PTSD, anyone?). There is a weapon called a “Jar Head” (which is literally a brain inside a gun) – a subtle reference to High on Life, which became popular because of its “talking gun” shenanigans. Oh, and did I forget the Hellrazor, a reference to the sword Crucible that DOOM guy takes up against the Titan? My only gripe is that some of the weapons seem to be more powerful to use than others – the Devarnisher seems to take out tough enemies with few shots, while the Jar Head takes a lot of time to do the same. Weapons can be upgraded, yeah, but seeing favorites in the dev team is a bit nonchalant (do it again!).

Mouse: PI For Hire does level design and hidden pathways really well. Exploration is encouraged, because some paths often open up shortcuts that would have taken some time to clear otherwise. Some paths have additional resources like baseball cards, newspapers on the various happenings in Mouseburg, and comic strips that show the entire story in a nutshell (which also comes as a digital deluxe bonus for the game – something that I’d definitely recommend doing). I’m not one for completing stacks of collectibles, but I did go after the baseball cards, as they were usable in a little mini-game of trading card baseball. Being the big trading card nerd that I am, I naturally spent lots of my time in finding these cards (and buying the few that I missed with cash) to grind out the mini-game. There’s a sweet reward for 30 wins – an additional weapon! I doubt impatient people are going out of their way to look for that additional weapon (which is quite strong, of course) – but then again, not everyone likes “cheesy” jokes, do they?

The best part of the game was the easter eggs and references. Like I already said, I’m really disappointed there wasn’t a Max Payne easter egg – considering Jack’s journey in Mouseburg was quite similar to Max’s rampage through New York. The Tommy Gun in the game is called a James Gun (yeah, it’s a nod to popular filmmaker James Gunn). There is a section in the game that “welcomes” Leon, a clear reference to Resident Evil. The starting cinematic references Steamboat Willie, the episode that marks Mickey Mouse’s first appearance in Disney’s cartoon universe. The official Jack Pepper theme sees Jack wade through notes with a cup of coffee in his hand – a style similar to the Lofi Girl tracks that most of my coworkers use to relax while they’re deep in work. Oh, and there’s literally a level in Hell, referencing Doom. The cheese references and bad humor can feel a bit repetitive, but it’s not going to take away from the glory of the Easter eggs (or the highlight from someone who shamed the game and needs a walk of atonement themselves).

If You Notice, It Works

Mouse: PI For Hire’s palette is one of the reasons most people picked up the game. The rubber hose-style animations from the 1930s recreated with modern technology allowed many of us Millenials and Gen Zs to experience what it really felt like to watch the beginning of a legacy that has lasted for the better part of almost half a century. All characters are hand-drawn and animated painstakingly from scratch (with some references, of course), and the unique 2D sprite style for all characters is also what made a lot of folks interested (including myself). Even the backgrounds and objects are drawn with such details – it feels surreal, almost as if I’m partly inside a Disney cartoon that never launched before the public.

Mouse: PI For Hire has some of the best music I have ever experienced in an indie video game. Jack Pepper’s theme has already become my go-to track for working out (and even for deep work at the office). The lively jazz soundtrack is what made the level traversal so easy. Oh, that and Troy Baker’s phenomenal voice acting – he nailed Jack Pepper’s character. I’d want to fall asleep listening to Jack Pepper’s smooth, deep voice narrate one of the bedtime stories from the mighty collection of Disney Tales, but that’s a fetish for another time.

Not a 6/10? Who Would’ve Thought?

Mouse: PI For Hire is an indie that breaks boundaries in terms of graphics, sound, and even level design. The narration and story feel a bit less looked into as compared to their remaining aspects, but I don’t think it’s bad. In fact, it’s so “cheesy” it’s good! I’d definitely recommend people to ignore everyone (who may or may not rhyme with HighGN) and try this game out (I’d recommend the Digital Deluxe edition for the comic and the soundtracks, but that’s just me).

FINAL SCORE: 90/100