MOUSE: P.I. For Hire vs Sword of the Sea
One trades cartoon gunfights for a 12-hour campaign, the other asks four hours of flow — which patience do you have?
Updated 14d ago
Stylish cartoon noir that's worth playing for the hand-drawn world, but the combat stales and detective work is thin — rent it before you buy.
Giant Squid's glide-and-grind traversal is pure flow — a worthy heir to Journey's throne despite the short runtime.
By the numbers
Prices checked Sep 26; they move faster than we refresh, so confirm on the store page.
Recent-review figures are Steam's own last-30-days window, read Sep 26.
| Measure | MOUSE: P.I. For Hire | Sword of the Sea |
|---|---|---|
| Value MOUSE: P.I. For Hire wins on value | ||
| Price now | $19.99 −33% · AllYouPlay | $29.99 Epic Game Store |
| All-time low | $19.99 | $20.99 |
| Cost / hour | $1.65/hr $19.99 · 12 h main story | $10.90/hr $29.99 · 3 h main story |
| Off its low | At its low low was Oct 2026 | +43% low was Mar 2026 |
| Main story | 12 h | 3 h |
| Health Too close to call | ||
| Steam reviews | 94% 16k reviews | 90% 2k reviews |
| Recent reviews | 90% 386 votes · vs 94% lifetime | 97% 30 votes · vs 90% lifetime · improving |
| Peak players | 504 Sep 2026 · ↓ 40% MoM | 19 Sep 2026 · ↓ 42% MoM |
| Launch peak | 4% of Apr 2026 launch peak · as of Sep 2026 | 4% of Aug 2025 launch peak · as of Sep 2026 |
| All-time peak | 13,723 Apr 2026 | 493 Aug 2025 |
| Support | ||
| Last patch | 3 months ago | 13 months ago |
| Patch cadence | 1 in last 90 days | 0 in last 90 days |
| Steam Deck | Platinum | Gold |
Shared scale — same months across the bottom, same player-count axis up the side, so the two lines are directly comparable. A shorter line means a younger game.
What players say
Patterns from long-haul reviewers, taken from each game's verdict. Not live sentiment — each side is dated below.
MOUSE: P.I. For Hire
Rubber-hose animation and jazz soundtrack keep long-time fans hooked; cheese puns and Troy Baker's voice acting are the recurring praise.
Wave-based combat grows old after a few hours; the detective premise fades as levels turn into linear corridor shooting.
from our August 2026 verdict
Sword of the Sea
Sliding and tricking across dunes is the hook that holds even veteran Game-of-the-Year voters, the movement so fluid it feels effortless.
Ending the game is a letdown — a third of players call it a quality cliff, and the collectible sprawl can sour the closing stretch.
from our August 2026 verdict
Key differences
Which one is for you?
Pick MOUSE: P.I. For Hire if
- You loved Cuphead's art and want first-person shooting mixed in
- You'll forgive repetitive arena fights for rubber-hose animation
- You want a story-heavy campaign you can finish in a weekend
Pick Sword of the Sea if
- You measure art-games by Journey's wordless pilgrimage
- You chase style points mid-air, linking tricks across dunes
- You have four spare hours and want a chilled escape
Bottom line
Pick MOUSE for a 12-hour cartoon shooter with 94% positive reviews; pick Sword of the Sea if you'd rather have four hours of pure traversal flow.