MOUSE: P.I. For Hire vs The Alters

Fast-paced action versus emotional base-building — choose your genre and pace.

MOUSE: P.I. For Hire cover
MOUSE: P.I. For Hire

Nails the rubber-hose aesthetic, earning its $20 if you can tolerate brutally tough bosses.

The Alters cover
The Alters 8.5/10 Strong

11 bit studios at peak form — The Alters layers Frostpunk's moral weight onto a sci-fi base-builder where every employee is another version of you.

Steam popularity

Shared scale — sparklines are directly comparable across both games.

MOUSE: P.I. For Hire
Apr 2026 peak CCU 13,723
Only one month of data so far — sparkline will fill in over time.
The Alters
Apr 2026 peak CCU 654 ↓ 11% MoM
All-time peak 11,227 (Jun 2025 · now at 6%)

Key differences

Gameplay pace
MOUSE: P.I. For Hire is a fast-paced first-person shooter.
The Alters is a real-time base-builder with survival elements.
Story focus
MOUSE has humor-laced noir storytelling with slapstick comedy.
The Alters focuses on emotional, life-changing moments with heavy dialogue.
Replay value
MOUSE lacks extensive post-game content or NG+.
The Alters has a strong narrative with moral weight and tough choices.

Which one is for you?

Pick MOUSE: P.I. For Hire if

  • You enjoy boomer shooters with charm and humor.
  • You love Cuphead's art style and want a shooter.
  • You prefer shorter campaigns under 25 hours.

Pick The Alters if

  • You like management games with moral weight and tough choices.
  • You enjoy sci-fi survival with real-time pressure.
  • You appreciate strong, emotional storytelling in games.

Bottom line

Choose MOUSE for a lighthearted, action-packed experience or The Alters for a emotionally charged, base-building challenge.