Combining classic 1930s “rubber hose” animation, explosive gunplay and an unrelenting cartoon world, MOUSE: P.I. For Hire is shaping up to be a truly unique treat – but there’s much more to this game than first meets the eye.
Shortly after announcing a March 19, 2026 release date, we were treated to a deep dive into the game at the ID@Xbox Showcase, directly from the developers at Fumi Games in Warsaw, Poland. You can watch the full deep dive below, or read on to find out all the new details we learned along the way:
“More Than Just an Old-school Shooter”
If there’s one thing to take away from today’s documentary, it’s that MOUSE: P.I. For Hire is far more than just a retro shooter in even more retro clothing. While at its core the game is a first-person shooter (more on that later), there are more layers of gameplay than you might think.
For a start, the main character – war veteran-turned-private investigator, Jack Pepper – is not just running and gunning through the whole game. From the beginning, Jack is presented with not just one, but three separate cases to solve, each of which will take him across the city of Mouseburg to unravel their secrets.
Each case requires you to both take down enemies in your way and also to find clues – whether those are physical objects, information learned by talking to NPCs, or even photographs you might take. Clues can then be taken to a classic string-adorned corkboard in Jack Pepper’s office, located in the HUB, where each piece of evidence must be placed in the correct place to unlock new revelations and destinations.
With a range of levels to explore, this game is not just a simple Point A-to-Point B shooter.
The Hub
At the core of all that sleuthing and exploration is the game’s hub world, which is set roughly in the middle of the city of Mouseburg. The hub contains three key locations: Jack’s office, the local pub, and Tammy’s workshop. But there’s more here than just a series of menus. NPCs offer conversations with tidbits and clues, weapons can be upgraded at the workshop, and minigames provide players with more gameplay experiences. Once you’re ready to leave, heading to the next level is as easy as jumping into Jack’s car and driving across the beautiful overworld map of Mouseburg to your next firefight.
Cartoon Combat
MOUSE: P.I. For Hire’s combat draws on classic shooters like DOOM and BioShock, with some added touches to ensure gunplay remains fresh throughout. With a philosophy of “challenging but fun”, you’ll be pitted against waves of enemies and collect an entire arsenal of cartoon weapons, from the expected (like a Tommy Gun) to much more “experimental” firearms (picture a brain in a jar that fires psychic waves, with devastating consequences).
Most guns also come with an upgradable alt-fire mode, requiring you to collect weapon schematics over the course of the game. But beware – enemies will see changes too, with additional types and variants being introduced as you dive deeper into the world.
And to boot, bosses might even throw in whole new mechanics of their own! We even saw a ghost-like creature named the Third Wife, which requires you to weaken her with a flashlight before you can start pumping lead.
Making the Past the Future
And, of course, the cheese in the room – we need to talk about how this game looks. While environments are rendered in 3D, every single character, enemy, UI element and weapon has been painstakingly hand-drawn in 2D and animated to resemble the classic 1930s “rubber hose” animation. The way everything in the world bounces, stretches, and bends is a tribute to that distinctive cartoon art style (even weapons continue to dance and wiggle when Jack remains stationary). As you could imagine, this has taken an enormous amount of work from Fumi Games, reinforcing how much of a labor of love every single frame of this game is for the team.
To add to the challenge, MOUSE: P.I. For Hire is entirely in black-and-white, which had to change how Fumi approached traditional game and level design. Whereas most games can use colour to help guide players, Fumi needed to achieve that goal through use of light and animation, giving the entire game a very unique look from a player’s perspective. Even here, we’re seeing a tribute to classic cartoons, with interactable objects dancing in place, waiting for you to find them.
And to complete that tribute to the past, we even learned that Fumi has added customizable audio filters to the game! You can choose to play with more crisp and “clean” music, or add degradation and other filters to help everything sound as if it’s being played from an old-school phonograph cylinder. This attention to detail – and to how players might want to experience the game – is clear across everything Fumi has touched.
Mouse: P.I for Hire comes to Xbox Series X|S on March 19, 2026.
MOUSE: P.I. For Hire
PlaySide
DEADLY INVESTIGATIONS
Meet Private Investigator Jack Pepper, a former war hero-turned-detective in a world where danger lurks even in the smallest mouse hole. Uncover the truth when a simple missing persons case quickly escalates into a complex web of intrigue, with corruption, kidnapping and murder all on the docket. Investigate the seedy underbelly of Mouseburg, battle heavily armed gangs and crooked cops, and discover clues to reveal the conspiracy buried underneath the surface.
LOCK, LOAD & LAUGH
From crackling machine guns to explosive firepower, each weapon in Pepper’s arsenal is designed to deploy non-stop cartoon chaos. Arm yourself with an array of classic, creatively twisted and experimental firearms, and consume powerful upgrades when you need that extra spinach-loaded punch! Lethal encounters and manic boss battles await in this boomer shooter-inspired, retro-vibed adventure – and the denizens of Mouseburg never go down without a fight.
A CITY OF SECRETS
Explore a diverse city playground, from dark streets to classic film studios, opulent opera buildings, poisonous swamps and underground sewers. With a myriad of cases to solve and collectibles to find, Mouseburg is truly a detective’s delight! Use every tool at your disposal to wall-run, grapple-hook and double-jump through this unrelenting cartoon world.
FEATURES
– Black and white, hand-drawn rubber hose animation, inspired by cartoons of the 1930s
– Fast-paced FPS combat, where constant movement is key
– A thrilling single-player campaign that unravels a complex web of crime and corruption
– Over 20 noir-infused levels, teeming with mice, rats and shrews
– Fully-loaded arsenal of over a dozen unique weapons and equipment – with a cartoon twist
– Devastating consumable power-ups, capable of turning the tide of any battle
– Unlockable movement abilities and Metroidvania-inspired level traversal
– Original jazz soundtrack, featuring a big band orchestral ensemble
The post Mouse: P.I. for Hire Is Much More Than It Appears appeared first on Xbox Wire.
