MOUSE: P.I. For Hire vs The Alters
One is a rubber-hose FPS with cartoon bosses; the other, a sci-fi base-builder where you confront alternate selves.
Nails the rubber-hose aesthetic, earning its $20 if you can tolerate brutally tough bosses.
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
Jun 2026 peak CCU 1,651 ↓ 68% MoM
All-time peak 13,723
The Alters
Jun 2026 peak CCU 850 ↑ 1% MoM
All-time peak 11,227
Key differences
Visual style
Hand-drawn rubber hose animation evokes 1930s cartoons and noir detective stories.
Realistic sci-fi visuals focus on an eerie planet and Jan's expressive alters.
Gameplay genre
Fast-paced boomer shooter with brutally tough bosses requiring repetition.
Base-builder where employees are alternate selves, blending management with moral choices.
Narrative tone
Jazz-fueled noir detective story with slapstick humor and 1930s cartoon antics.
Heavy emotional monologues about identity, survival, and life-changing decisions.
Which one is for you?
Pick MOUSE: P.I. For Hire if
- You loved Cuphead's art and want an FPS twist.
- You enjoy boomer shooters like Dusk or Amid Evil.
- You appreciate hand-drawn noir detective stories.
Pick The Alters if
- Frostpunk's every-choice-costs design appeals to you.
- Voice acting with 30+ versions of one character sounds exciting.
- You want time pressure survival, not open-world wandering.
Bottom line
Choose MOUSE for a short, visually distinct shooter challenge; choose The Alters for a deep, emotional base-builder with moral weight.