MOUSE: P.I. For Hire
Join private investigator Jack Pepper on a guns blazing, jazz-fueled adventure in MOUSE: P.I. For Hire. MOUSE combines the charm of hand-drawn rubber hose animation inspired by the classic cartoons of the 1930’s with the adrenaline and action of an explosive first person shooter.
ROLE OVERVIEW
I came onto Mouse: P.I. For Hire in the middle of 2025 to assist with core combat features and enemy design. A lot of my responsibilities for the short time I have been on this project have revolved around re-designing and implementing multiple key bosses throughout the game while also implementing other miscellaneous features relating to enemy AI and spawn logic.
The game launches in March 2026, and after release I will be able to provide a full breakdown of my work. For now, the responsibilities listed below remain at a high level due to NDA constraints.
Key Achievements
Enemy and Boss Design
Re-designed multiple major boss encounters, including:
Combat mechanics and AI logic
Phase transitions, escalation pacing, and encounter flow
Boss arena layouts and level design considerations
Built bespoke in-engine introduction sequences for each boss.
Produced clear, comprehensive documentation and Miro board layouts to guide the wider team through each design.
Collaborated cross-discipline with Engineering, VFX, Audio, and Art to bring boss encounters from concept to completion.
Coordinated with international clients (Fumi Games) to ensure alignment and sign-off on boss designs and asset needs.
Balanced all aspects of boss fights to improve responsiveness, game feel, and impact.
Designed and implemented a system for enemy spawning via doors.