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MOUSE: P.I. For Hire - Reviews Thread

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Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Game Information

Game Title: MOUSE: P.I. For Hire

Platforms:
  • PC (Apr 16, 2026)
  • PlayStation 5 (Apr 16, 2026)
  • PlayStation 4 (Apr 16, 2026)
  • Xbox Series X/S (Apr 16, 2026)
  • Xbox One (Apr 16, 2026)
  • Nintendo Switch 2 (Apr 16, 2026)
  • Nintendo Switch (Apr 16, 2026)
Trailer:
Developer: Fumi Games

Review Aggregator:

OpenCritic - 84 average - 88% recommended
Metacritic - 86 average based on 12 reviews (PC Version)


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Critic Reviews


Atarita - Atakan Gümrükçüoğlu - Turkish - 88 / 100
MOUSE: P.I. For Hire offers an incredibly enjoyable experience that draws you in from start to finish with its distinctive noir atmosphere, stylish visuals, and gripping detective story. With its fun gameplay, powerful soundtrack, and memorable characters, it stands out as one of the most notable and absolutely must-play titles of recent times.
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Console Creatures - Bobby Pashalidis - 9 / 10
Mouse: P.I. For Hire features a gumshoe worth his salt. Every time I'd sit down to play it, I'd have a huge smile on my face, just like it was waking up to watch cartoons on Saturday morning (albeit a lot more violent). This game is an elite boomer shooter with witty writing, wonderful characters, and an affinity for the rubber-band style that's, sadly, been left behind by today's animation houses.
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DayOne - Jesse Norris - 8.5 / 10
MOUSE: P.I. For Hire was worth the wait. The team at Fumi Games has matched their fantastic artwork with solid gameplay, great writing, and fantastic audio. Shooter fans are eating Gouda with this one
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Digitale Anime - Raouf Belhamra, Sami Belhamra - Arabic - 9 / 10
"A classic with a modern twist"
Mouse: P.I. For Hire offers a unique FPS experience built on a strong visual identity and fast-paced, enjoyable gameplay. Its success lies not only in its visuals but also in the seamless integration of movement, weapon design, and combat structure. Despite some limitations in variety and linear structure, the experience maintains a good rhythm and offers clear value for those seeking an unconventional experience.
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GRYOnline.pl - Paweł Woźniak - Polish - 8 / 10
Mouse: P.I. For Hire brings us a cohesive world with a unique, mouse-themed noir aesthetic, an engaging detective story, and straightforward but satisfying combat mechanics. Although the gameplay itself lacks a bit of depth, I had a blast playing it.
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GameOnly - Piotr Franciszek - Polish - 4.75 / 5
If I knew what I know now and wanted to buy MOUSE P.I. For Hire at full price, I wouldn't have had to think twice. I'd instantly grab the physical Mouseburg Edition on PC and praise Fumi Games for letting me dive into such an interesting world for so little. Superb game!
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Gameliner - Patrick Meurs - Dutch - 4.5 / 5
It's not always easy to hit a home run but Fumi Games hits the ball right out of the park with Mouse: P.I. For Hire.
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Gamer Social Club - DeMandre Pressley - 8.5 / 10
Mouse: P. I. For Hire is a great send up to old cartoons and detective stories as well as being a pretty good old-school style fps. There's a lot to like here with its fun Gunplay, solid story and characters, funny animations and good soundtrack. Although it's difficulty may not be enough for hardcore fans of the genre and some things hurt it's replay value, it's a great package overall.
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Gaming Boulevard - Nick de Reiger - 9.5 / 10
Mouse: P.I. For Hire is one of those rare games that feels fully formed, not just in its individual parts, but in how those parts come together. It's a shooter, yes, but it's also a character study, a stylistic experiment, and a love letter to a form of animation that rarely gets this kind of attention in games. It feels tailored for me, as a person, and it's well worth the wait. By combining a strong narrative structure with expressive gameplay and a truly unique visual identity, it stands out in an increasingly crowded genre.
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Giant Bomb - Chuck Zimmerheld - 3 / 5
Mouse: P.I. For Hire shows a deep love for animation of the era, but the gameplay and script lack the same level of care. A Gouda attempt, but nothing bleu me away. Cheesy in all the wrong ways.
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Kakuchopurei - 90 / 100
While a few missions may seem a bit same-y and wear out their welcome, you're not going to find any first-person shooter as beautiful, as artistically focused, and thoughtfully laid-out as MOUSE: P.I For Hire.
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MonsterVine - Diego Escala - 4.5 / 5
There's a lot to love with Mouse: P.I. For Hire, from its frenetic gunfights to its endearing characters and wonderful rubber hose animation. If you're looking for a shooter that's likely to entertain, I can't recommend this one enough.
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ReGame It - Taha Omar - Arabic - 9 / 10
One of those rare games that, once you finish it, you realize you won't find anything quite like it. A combination of elements comes together to create a truly unique experience, led by its striking black-and-white artistic direction that perfectly captures the early 1900s aesthetic. It's presented in a way we haven't really seen before, making the game feel like a living, breathing classic cartoon.
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Region Free - Joonatan Itkonen - 3 / 5
Make no mistake: Mouse is a decent and occasionally fun experience. It will have a fiercely loyal cult following one day. It's just that its gameplay never lives up to the potential and superlative visual style.
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TechRaptor - Austin Suther - 9 / 10
Mouse: PI for hire is committed to the bit and executes its cartoonish vision spectacularly. It also has a surprisingly robust narrative, as well as competent, Doom Eternal-like gameplay, even if it's a bit on the easier side.
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The Punished Backlog - Donovan Harrell - 9.8 / 10
Just when I thought the first-person shooter genre had gone stale on me, MOUSE: P.I. For Hire walked in, tipped its hat, and changed my mind. This game won me over with its endless charm, its witty and genuinely cheesy dialogue — the cheese puns never stop, and I didn't want them to — and a level of aesthetic commitment that extends to every corner of Mouseburg.

A few structural quirks in the case sequencing keep it from a perfect score, but MOUSE: P.I. For Hire is a triumph — as close to perfect as it gets. Fumi Games has built a world that deserves to be explored, a story that earns its weight, and a combat system that keeps you coming back for one more run. At $29.99, this game is worth every cent.
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VDGMS - Darren Andrew - 8.5 / 10
When Mouse was first revealed it looked like nothing more than a prototype and a shallow attempt to capitalize on Steamboat Willie entering public domain, which couldn't be farther from the truth of the final product. The art direction and aesthetic do the obvious heavy lifting, but the narrative, writing, performances and gameplay all eclipsed expectations. Mouse PI for Hire is extremely polished, full of originality, and oozing with personality like a cheese fondue.

Falling short of perfection, Mouse falters as the second act lingered too long, which exacerbated the pacing issues as the time between new weapons, abilities and gameplay ideas felt extreme at times. The difficulty was also erratic as it struggled to find the balance between overwhelming and cakewalk, but when you factor in the extremely fluid gameplay, extravagant arsenal, fantastic jazz soundtrack, and excellent performances across the board, Mouse isn't another cliche boomer shooter, it's the new blueprint.
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Been looking forward to this, man lots of games that I'm interested in coming out in too short of a time span.
 
Good reviews. Thanks for compiling them, Adam.

I've been considering the game. The art style is the main draw for me. I'm not much on FPSs, though, which is why I hesitate. Reminds me of Doom meets Mickey Mouse.
 
Surprised at the scores. Awesome style but the gameplay clip I saw was so repetitive with the same enemies you kill in 3 shots. I guess the game has way more variety.
 
Current OC is 83 and MC is 80.

Will update the OP and pictures after a couple of hours when it's settled. the MC has taken a sharper drop but OC seems to be holding with just a one point difference.
 
One of the things that excites me is I see some say it feels like a 360/PS3 era shooter. More linear, with some minor adventure elements and stuff. Man, I miss those style games. We really don't get a lot of them these days, not nearly as many, and I don't get it because the formula works and isn't played out or anything. With too much focus on open world and such it's refreshing to have another game of that style.
 
Sitting at 81 now on Metacritic.

Wtf is that IGN review... ?

Torn between this and Pragmata for my Switch 2 this month honestly.
 
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