What is Mouse: P.I. For Hire?

Taking inspiration from the 1930’s animation style of Walt Disney’s Steamboat Willy and Max Fleischer, Fumi Games‘ Mouse: P.I. For Hire gives gamers a blend of noir storytelling and visuals, “rubberhose” animation, and the first-person shooter style of Doom.

Mouse P.I. For Hire gets almost everything right. Though it’s bigger battles may prove difficult for players who need accessibility options that were not available in the version of the game available during the review process.

Developer & Publisher // Fumi Games & PlaySide Studios
Platforms // Steam (Steam Deck Verified), Playstation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2
MSRP & Release Date // $29.99, April 16, 2026
Reviewed On // Steam

This Is The City

Mouseberg is a sprawling city fashioned after the fog-filled cities made famous in stories like Dashiell Hammett’s “The Maltese Falcon.” You’ll take on the role ofJack Pepper, a Private Investigator who starts out investigating the disappearance of his friend and magician Steve Bandel.

As the investigation continues, Jack finds himself being drawn into a web of conspiracies, crooked cops, and murder.

While you work your way through the game, it’s fun to spot or listen for the numerous pop culture references sprinkled throughout. From the 1930’s to modern-day Hollywood, there’s a lot of “If You Know, You Know” sprinkled into the fabric of the game without being distracting.

Steamboat Willy Meets Doom

The overall playstyle of Mouse: P.I. For Hire feels like Doom: The Dark Ages. At its core, it is a first-person shooter on rails. As you work through the levels, you will acquire a variety of weapons that can be upgraded by collecting blueprints and spending them at the B.A.NG. terminal (Ballistics, Augmentation, and Noteworthy Gains).
Throughout the levels, you will also find armour pieces and power-ups that provide a temporary boost, accordingly.

The weapons are (mostly) the standard fare for games of this ilk. You start with a pistol called a mouser, your standard six-shooter. As you progress, you will find bigger guns such as the James Gunn and the Boomstick (Hail to the chief, baby!). The fully upgraded James Gunn (machine gun) is my weapon of choice.

Level Maps Are Expansive and Varied

Each level you explore in Mouse: P.I. For Hire is beautifully designed. They are highly detailed and surprisingly large. You can tell that the folks at Fumi Games put a lot of thought into level design. No location feels like a basic copy of another (except where it’s by design). Even when you get sent back to the same location, you will end up in a new, unexplored section.

Just like the level designs, each boss battle in Mouse: P.I. For Hire is different from the last. Each requires a different strategy to get by, and some are more difficult than others. That being said, I had fun with each one, even the ones I had to repeat a lot.

HINT: Thoroughly search everywhere for collectible Newspapers, Baseball Cards, Comic Strips, Secret Areas, and Bobble Heads. Once you leave an area, there is no going back.

Note on Safes: Some of the safes seem to be a single try to open; once failed, they are jammed, and you will be unable to try again.

The Boss That Got Me

Far Wetlands is the 7th area in the main investigation I opened (it can vary). The boss fight here is where I hit a wall. It seems to require quick reactions and the ability to look, adjust, and fire your weapon at a constantly moving target, all while moving from surface to surface to avoid taking constant damage.

With my dexterity and motor control issues, this is the first battle in the game that I have not been able to overcome on my own.

Editor’s Note: I had a friend help me get past this boss, the final boss, as well as a couple of platforming sections that I was unable to complete on my own.

An important note: once you leave a location to return to town, you will be unable to return to that location to collect items or open safes you missed. So, the best practice is to take your time, complete side quests, and look for those secrets.

Back At The Office

When you aren’t out investigating, you will find yourself in central Mouseburg. The locations in this area are where you will:

• Organise clues on the board in your office.
• Upgrade your weapons by using the B.A.N.G. Console
• Purchase ammo, newspapers, baseball cards, and comics
• Play the mini-game at the bar
• Pick up main quests and side quests from the townsfolk

HINT: Make sure you check around town for any available sidequests before you head to the next level. There are no second shots at them in this game.

There are areas sprinkled throughout the map where you can purchase ammo and collectibles, as well as play the mini game, but they seem to share inventory. It doesn’t seem to differ from spot to spot.

Sights

The visuals of Mouse: P.I. For Hire really nail the 1930s noir look. Black & White, soft focus, grainy. The graphics setting options are robust and can be adjusted by the player. Other minor bugs include some weird clipping issues and a minor animation issue where a mob mook was frozen in place after killing it.

Sounds

On the surface, the audio of the game seems straightforward. As is common with the noir style, dialogue is relatively sparse and to the point. The music is a terrific mix of 1930s-era jazz that really helps set the scene. The audio can also be adjusted, from really clean to audio reminiscent of an old 78 album or audio cylinder (removing bass and adding static).

The in-game soundtrack, overall, is a great mix of original music performed by a talented jazz ensemble and licensed music. This includes artists such as Gene Krupa, Glenn Miller, and Dizzy Gillespie.

A vinyl LP that contains 18 original tracks is available HERE,

As someone who plays games with headphones, the mix of the environmental sounds is noticeable and appreciated. I noticed some little details that other games might miss.

The voice acting, led by Troy Baker, fits the game that Lumi Games has created. The dialogue may sound cheesy (see what I did there?) and forced, but if you watch some of the old movies, they sound just like that.

On Accessibility

As mentioned above, I had difficulty and needed assistance with two of the bosses and two of the trickier platforming sections. A couple of small additions would alleviate those issues for me. The game also lacks any consideration for sight-impaired and sightless players.

Final Thoughts on Mouse: P.I. For Hire

Mouse: P.I. For Hire is a fun, visually exciting ride that you won’t want to end. Lumi Games put their heart and soul into putting this game together, which shows in the attention to detail present throughout. The amount of pop culture easter eggs, both visually and in the dialogue, shows that they did their homework. Even with the minor issues I experienced, I would recommend this game to anyone.

Final Score: 8.5/10

This game was reviewed using a copy provided by the publisher.

Pros:

• Visually Pleasing
• Fun Gameplay
• Varied Boss Battles
• Great Soundtrack
• Customizable Controls

Cons

• Minor Graphic Issues
• Limited variation of enemies
• Lack of Accessibility Features
• No Game+ Mode
• No Way To Go Back For Missed Collectables, etc.

Mouse: P.I. For Hire Releases on April 16, 2026, On All Platforms
Go HERE for my earlier impressions and overview of the Mouse: P.I. For Hire