Mouse: P.I. For Hire - I Smell A Rat

Storyline

• You play Jack Pepper, a noir-style mouse private investigator (“Mouse: P.I. For Hire”) in a monochrome, cartoon-animated world, where interactables/targets stand out with lighter-color highlights.
• A magician, Steve Bandal (the “Magnificent Bandal”), vanishes mid-performance, sparking a chain of criminal actions involving the local underworld and political figures.
• In the opera/dressing-room area, you learn Steve was tied to major events and may have helped plan violence connected to Cornelius Stilton, a mayoral candidate.
• You push through staged sabotage and disguised enemies (“extras”) to reach a backstage confrontation. Additional intel points to a secretive lead: Steve’s mansion on the outskirts of “Mouser.”
• The case evolves into a new objective: track Steve to the mansion based on information from the stage designer, while the broader plot suggests Steve’s disappearance is connected to something bigger—possibly a secret lab beneath the mansion.

Gameplay highlights

Combat (fast-paced, gun-heavy)

The game emphasizes:

• Dodging that works independently of facing direction (including dodging backward).
• Prioritizing ranged/gun users first, since melee threats are typically more manageable with positioning and dodges.
• Headshots, which are often instantly effective.
• Cover-and-peak tactics: enemies can spawn from doors, so you repeatedly pop out to shoot and duck back in.

Environmental interaction & weapons

Key mechanics and tools include:

• Lockpicking and exploration: drawers/diaries/address books provide clues.
• Explosives: dynamite and explosive barrels can be kicked/picked up and used creatively.
• Rope/wire/lever-style routes: wires and switches open paths; some doors/walls only become passable after combat.
• Monochrome visibility mechanic: lighter objects stand out to help you visually track where to go.

Health, armor, and resources

• Health pickups can appear alongside ammo and safe points.
• Cheese functions as a pickup resource that can act like med/booze depending on context (noted as “booze in-universe”).
• Money and upgrades/cards act as progression items back at the office/safe areas.

No-damage learning beats / mechanics

• The game teaches mechanics indirectly through moments like:
  • trap doors
  • explosive timing
  • boss dodging
• A boss sequence introduces a midair traversal technique (a “double-jump” style trick) learned via a stunt guru/tips: jump, forget midair, jump again to cross pits and reposition aggressively.

Strategies / key tips mentioned

• Chase flow
  • Follow targets, but use the gun sparingly until you identify ranged threats.
• Combat prioritization
  • Always target gun/ranged enemies first, since melee is easier to handle via dodges and kiting.
• Movement
  • Dodge rapidly to maintain spacing—avoid staying in open areas when enemies spawn from doors.
  • Use jump generously to reposition around hazards/obstacles.
• Resource usage
  • If ammo is low and you can’t backtrack, use melee/punching temporarily while searching for the next resource room.
  • Use explosive barrels/dynamite to clear enemy clusters efficiently and to breach blocked routes.
• Boss / advanced traversal
  • Learn and use the jump-again-in-midair trick for longer-than-normal leaps.
  • In boss fights: repeat shotgun → dodge → reload in a rhythm; dodging functions like a “roll” that keeps you alive.

Gamers / sources featured

• “Many a True Nerd” (narrator/host referenced in the intro)
• John (mentioned as “I’ve been John”)

Note: Story details and mechanics are presented as summarized highlights.