Maze Mice Review

TrampolineTales, the solo creator behind Luck Be a Landlord, understands the allure of a simple premise. Maze Mice offers a gameplay loop that may sound familiar to fans of Pac-Man. You’re tasked with guiding a cute mouse through a maze, collecting gems while avoiding the relentless pursuit of ghostly cats.

But two fundamental additions ensure this isn’t another disposable Pac-clone. The first is that time only progresses when you move, similar to Mindware’s Space Mouse 2 (or Superhot). This design decision injects a welcome dose of strategy into every run. Players can effectively pause to plan their next move, weighing the risks of waking up a new cat or dashing to secure a valuable upgrade. The result is a pace that feels both relaxed and tense, allowing for the kind of risk-reward inducements found in a strategy game.

Mappy Would Be Proud of This Arsenal

Roguelite elements are Maze Mice’s other core mechanic. Each run offers a variety of upgrades and abilities—from weapons like flaming trails and kitty-searing laser beams to passive boosts such as increased experience gain or health regeneration. The game encourages experimentation, since you’re able to equip four active and four passive abilities at a time. While some items feel more essential than others, especially those that provide dodges or healing, the diversity of mouse builds encourages replay. Unlockable characters, each with their own quirks and starting abilities, add further replay value and personality to the game.

A Soundtrack as Lush as Ragdoll Fur

Visually, Maze Mice employs a pixel art style and some endearing animations, especially when you awaken a cat by darting past. Importantly, the mazes are easy to read, and the cats’ pursuit quickly turns into a comical conga line as the screen fills with chaos. The soundtrack, composed by Luck Be a Landlord’s Vincent Colavita is energetic and catchy, channeling some of the beats found in Jet Set Radio. Overall, the presentation is inviting and lighthearted, making it easy to lose track of time during “just one more run” sessions.

Blending arcade accessibility with several smart design twists, Maze Mice turns a Pac-Man-style premise into something far more strategic. The game’s time-stop mechanic and roguelike power-ups add tension and just enough tactical depth to each run. Those seeking a diversion that’s easy to understand yet rich with long-term replayability will definitely want to catch Maze Mice. Like Space Mouse 2, this rodent now has a permanent home on my Steam Deck.

Maze Mice was played on PC with review code provided by the publisher.