MOUSE: P.I. For Hire

MOUSE: P.I. For Hire is a first-person shooter styled after cartoons of the 1930s. Its black and white rubber hose animation is drawn by hand, frame by frame. The single-player campaign follows Jack Pepper, a former war hero who works as a private investigator in Mouseburg, a city inhabited by mice, rats and shrews. A missing persons case develops into a larger conspiracy involving corruption, kidnapping and murder, and the player investigates by fighting armed gangs and crooked police and finding clues.

Combat is fast-paced and built around constant movement, with influences from boomer shooters. Jack has access to more than ten weapons and items, ranging from machine guns to explosives, many with a cartoon twist. Consumable power-ups can be used during fights, and the game includes boss battles. Movement options include wall-running, grapple-hooking and double-jumping. Some movement abilities are unlockable, and level traversal draws on Metroidvania design.

The campaign has over 20 levels, with settings that include dark streets, film studios, opera buildings, swamps and sewers. Players can solve a variety of cases and look for collectibles across these areas. The soundtrack is an original jazz score performed by a big band orchestral ensemble.