Hello, I wrote to the developers of MOUSE: P.I. For Hire to support them and offer a few cool ideas, but the team does not open their email or LinkedIn messages at all... forget it, I am just not popular, why would they read my email anyway? So instead, I will make a review of the game for you.
What Makes This Game Interesting?
Let's discuss:
The developers chose a 1930s style that people love and unexpectedly created a hit.
Doom as a tribute to a beloved game.
Positive and negative player reviews.
How much recognition and sales the project may have achieved.
A Polish Team and a Classic Animation Style
The Polish team Fumi Games developed a game inspired by classic animation from the 1920s and 1930s. As we know, Cuphead became a huge success using a similar style. It was released in 2017 and generated approximately $100-160 million in revenue according to various estimates, DLC.
I know that the project developers of Cuphead later invited my favorite Canadian artist, Nicholas Kole, to work with them after a project he had been working on was canceled.
The story goes that Fumi Games had been creating animated shorts in this style in Warsaw for years and accumulated a great deal of experience.
Art Director Michał Rostek saw fan art that combined the style of Bioshock, or simply FPS games, with Steamboat Willie and rubber hose animation.
At first, they created only a prototype in Godot, a lightweight engine for game development.
Why Did the Prototype Become Popular?
The formula looked simple:
Dark atmosphere,
A little horror,
Gangsters,
1930s firearms,
Hand-drawn artwork.
After posting the prototype on TikTok, the team received millions of views and publishing offers. What started as a hobby project after work became a full-time production. The team expanded and joined the publisher.
The Doom Influence
The references to Doom are a deep part of the development process, not just marketing. Fumi Games wanted to create a classic boomer shooter inspired by Doom, Quake, Blood, and Doom Eternal. In my opinion, even though the developers are clearly Doom fans, these are very different genres and approaches to storytelling.
Yes, both are shooters, but they target different audiences. Doom is a heavy 3D game about terrifying demons and ruined worlds. MOUSE is satire. It reflects the spirit of 1930s America, when the country experienced economic depression and stock market crashes. People often used self-irony to cope with fear and uncertainty.
Doom places the player in brutal military conflicts.
MOUSE is a satire about gangsters, corruption, police forces, and an America where organized crime and authority often fought or cooperated for profit. As a result, the audience the developers expected and the audience they actually attracted may be very different. When you compare a military action game to a cartoon-style game, many players will not understand the connection. People came for the spirit of Cuphead, not Doom.
What Are Players Saying?
And here I found what I think is the first mistake by the developers. They may be expecting a different audience from the one that has already arrived and purchased the game.
This creates a trap:
"We brought you a pizza with tomatoes and sausage."
"Um... but I ordered a salad and a steak."
No? Okay, let's talk about reviews.
Positive Reviews
The game has around 94% positive reviews on Steam.
Everything looks great. The Titanic has left the harbor. The music is playing. The ballroom is full. The oysters are served.
Players praise:
Animation, Visual style, Atmosphere, Humor, Characters,Jazz music, Gameplay, Investigation story elements.
For $30, many players consider it an excellent indie project.
Negative Reviews
Players also mention:
- Repetition.
- Chaos at the beginning.
- Arena balance issues.
- Some encounters being too easy.
- Levels feeling too long.
- Too many lengthy dialogues.
Many comments can be summarized as:
Style: 10/10.
Gameplay: 7/10.
This raises an interesting question. Does the development team want to create a deeper and more challenging shooter? Or should they focus more heavily on style, variety, and entertainment?
Sales and Future Development
The game reportedly generated around $21 million. That is an outstanding result. I suspect the success may have surprised even Fumi Games. The question now is what comes next. Should they continue supporting and expanding the project? If so, how? Or should they leave while they are ahead?
We will see.
Final Thoughts
This is Punni the artist. A game is more than visuals and actions.
You need to see yourself from the outside, analyze your decisions, think critically, not be afraid of making mistakes, and always try to understand what your most active fans actually want.
I also accept game design and visual development commissions.
Work with me!