Mouse: P.I for Hire is not exactly a shooter that asks a lot from players upfront, making it easy to overlook some of the game’s mechanics if you’re jumping in blind. We’ve assembled a guide with some helpful tips for playing Mouse P.I. for Hire, along with how long it’ll take you to finish, the best weapons to use, and more.
If you’re picking up Mouse: P.I. for Hire expecting a pure first-person shooter, you’ll quickly realize there’s more to it than simply blasting through enemies. While gunfights are a major part of it, the game has serious elements of detective work, exploration, environmental puzzles, and story-driven progression.
Players familiar with FPS games will likely feel at home during combat, but knowing where to go next, how to investigate crime scenes, and which clues matter can be less intuitive.
Best tips for playing Mouse: P.I for Hire
Mouse: P.I. for Hire is easy to pick up on, even if you don’t have much experience with first-person shooters. Unless you’re completely new to action games, it’s worth skipping the easiest difficulty and starting on Detective. It provides the intended gameplay experience without feeling overly punishing.
Here are some tips and tricks to help you work your way through the bigger challenges in the game.
Follow the pipes
Unlike many modern shooters, Mouse: P.I. for Hire doesn’t rely on a detailed minimap or waypoint system to guide you from one objective to the next. Instead, you’ll navigate using a traditional compass and environmental cues. This can feel disorienting at first if you’re used to games that mark every destination on your HUD.
One of the most useful navigation tools the game gives you is its pipe system. Many of the trickier objectives and less obvious paths are subtly signposted by black, and occasionally white, pipes running through the environment. If you’re unsure where to go, look around for these pipes and follow where they lead.
This is especially helpful when you’re navigating inside buildings or underground areas that can be more confusing.
Use weapons only when you need to
Initially, Mouse: P.I. for Hire feels like a fairly forgiving game with only a handful of enemies appearing at a time.
As you progress, however, ammo management becomes increasingly important as larger groups of enemies begin to swarm you. We recommend conserving your bullets and using them primarily against enemies carrying firearms.
Many of the tomcats that charge at you are only armed with bats, making them harmless at long range. Instead of wasting ammunition, press F to kick or 1 to punch against these melee enemies and save your bullets for tougher encounters.
Explore everywhere
Progress becomes much smoother when you’re stocked up on armor, ammunition, healing items, and cash. Fortunately, Mouse: P.I. for Hire rewards players who take the time to explore every corner of its levels. Valuable supplies are often hidden behind wooden crates, tucked away behind half-open doors, or placed in optional side areas that are easy to miss if you’re rushing to the next objective.
It’s worth checking every room and breaking any wooden boxes you come across, as the extra resources can make later encounters far more manageable.
Along the way, you’ll also find collectible newspapers, cards, and comics. These aren’t required to complete the main story, but completionists will want to keep an eye out for them.
Best weapons to use in Mouse: P.I for Hire
With all the investigative elements, Mouse: P.I. for Hire is still a shooter at heart with its weapons at the forefront. The game features close to a dozen weapons, but not all of them are equally useful.
These are the best weapons in Mouse: P.I for Hire:
- Boomstick: Devastating at close range, with strong knockback and crowd control that can stop rushing enemies in their tracks.
- James Gun: The best all-round automatic weapon thanks to its high fire rate, excellent sustained damage, and reliable mid-range performance.
- Hellrazor: Excels at shredding enemies up close, clearing cramped rooms quickly without consuming ammunition.
- X-1 Demousifier: A powerful late-game energy weapon that delivers massive burst damage against elite enemies and bosses.
- Devarnisher: Fires corrosive acid that deals damage over time, making it especially effective against bosses and heavily armored enemies.
Micer and Kiss Kiss are two other weapons that deserve an honorable mention here.
Players spawn with Micer in hand, and it’s a great revolver for both long and close ranged fights. It’s handy, and readily available and works against all sorts of enemies. Kiss Kiss is also an excellent shotgun that takes down tomcats in two headshots.
How long is Mouse: P.I for Hire?
Mouse: P.I. for Hire is a relatively short adventure that most players can complete in around 10-12 hours, depending on their play style. If you’re focused solely on the main story and objectives, you’ll likely finish on the lower end of that range, or even slightly quicker. Players who prefer to thoroughly explore every level, uncover secrets, and collect every optional item can expect their playtime to stretch longer.
Some of the game’s investigations and main missions are considerably longer than others, especially those that require extensive exploration or puzzle-solving. Newcomers to immersive shooters or detective-style games may spend extra time locating hidden doors, discovering alternate routes, and tracking down weapons or key objectives.
There are 24 main missions in the game, along with several optional side jobs that provide additional rewards and world-building without adding much difficulty.
Even if you take your time searching every room for collectibles, supplies, and hidden paths, Mouse P.I. for Hire remains a compact experience that rarely exceeds the 20-hour mark for even the most thorough completionists.
