The First Person Shooter genre is one of the biggest and most popular types of games out there. The genre is known for a heavy multiplayer emphasis with games like Call of Duty, Battlefield, and Overwatch dominating the genre. This definitely causes fatigue for the average player as the genre feels far too samey. Even single player FPS games are few and far between, and most still feature a similar type of setting as the popular games. However, Fumi Games and Playside are entering the space with their upcoming shooter MOUSE: P.I. For Hire which feels nor looks like any other FPS out there. We got to go hands-on with the game recently, so let’s dive in on our thoughts about it.

For those unaware, MOUSE: P.I. For Hire is a detective noir FPS full of anthropomorphic mice, and shrews, and features a black and white art style reminiscent of cartoons from the 1920s and 1930s. Think of Who Framed Roger Rabbit sans the humans. You play as private investigator Jack Pepper, who is voiced by Troy Baker, as he tries to solve cases and uncover the mysteries happening around town. The demo we got to play had Jack discovering a secret laboratory in a secluded area under an outhouse and searching for clues on the whereabouts of a particular character.

Pepper explores the lab and encounter a hostile cult as well as robots that try to stop his progress through the area. Combat is straightforward FPS fare. In the demo, Jack had access to a slew of weapons including his fists, a handgun, a shotgun, a tommy gun, and finds the acidic Devarnisher that literally melts the paint off the bones of enemies.Throughout the level, Jack also runs into multiple versions of a robotic replica of the mouse of interest’s deceased lover, as he jinxes himself by mentioning the “rule of three,” that gets tougher as he progresses and culminates in the demo’s only boss fights.

Then, there’s the level design. The lab itself was a self contained area that, while mostly linear in how you explore it, still has plenty of nooks and crannies to find secrets and clues. There are safes to crack using Jack’s tail to push the lock pins in. They can be easy to crack or a bit tougher due to spikes in the locks. However, Jack’s tail is only so long so you have to get through the maze the most efficient way possible or you will have to undo your moves to give his tail more slack. Safes usually just had coins or upgrade materials, but there are other secrets to discover such as newspaper clippings and baseball cards. After completing the lab, we drove back to to Jack’s office, but the drive back gave a glimpse of how traveling around town works. Jack literally drives to different areas on the map and, while you couldn’t access any other areas in the demo, we did see some locked off areas where other missions take place. Then, there’s the hub area in the game that features Jack’s office, the bar Little & Big, a place to upgrade his weapons, and a shop we couldn’t access yet.

What really caught my about the game was the writing. Since the game is styled after old timey cartoons, the writing is actually pretty funny. The aforementioned “rule of three” line gave me an audible chuckle. Plus the few characters we met have their own charm. The lab assistant Igorrr (Not Igorrrr!) is humorously written. In the hub area, we met the reporter Wanda who Jack gives updates on his cases to, the barkeep at Little & Big who gives Jack a history lesson on shrews, and the tinkerer Tammy who will upgrade Jack’s arsenal and has a preexisting relationship with Jack as maybe his adoptive daughter as Jack had arrested her father in the past.

Overall, the demo gave us a positive outlook on how the game is shaping up, and we can’t wait to see more. MOUSE: P.I. For Hire is set to release on all platforms next month on April 16, 2026. You can check out some of our time with the game below: