Hello there!
It’s already been a year since the release of Demo Adventure.
I'm super happy that I received so much positive feedback from you, and that the demo overall resonated with the community.
For quite a while, I stayed quiet and only shared short updates on social media. During this time, I released a small I Am Mouse spin-off game called Hidden Tails. However, there was still no news regarding the release of I Am Mouse or where the game was heading.
So, what is actually happening with I Am Mouse?
Publisher Search and Burnout
To start with, I spent a long time trying to find a publisher who could provide funding for full-scale development so I could polish and improve every aspect of the game. I reworked pitch decks multiple times and had countless meetings. A few publishers were genuinely interested, but in the end... all of them passed. Back then, the game only had 2,000 wishlists, and publishers weren't interested in a number that low. But today, there are already over 4,000 of us!
I wasn't asking for millions or even hundreds of thousands of dollars, but unfortunately, I wasn't able to secure funding.
I won't lie: this took a toll on me. Developing a game continuously in my spare time after a full-time job is extremely tough, and progress is very slow. I hit a point of burnout, and that was exactly when I decided to switch gears to something simpler - which is how Hidden Tails was born.
Fresh Momentum and Early Access Plans
Over time, my passion for I Am Mouse returned, and I got back to work with renewed energy:
Fully finished the finale for Chapter One.
Almost finished Chapter Two, which will feature a lot of content to make exploring the level engaging and fun.
Looking at the remaining scope, I realized that without funding, pushing straight to a full release would mean another 1 to 2 years of solo development.
That's why I am currently considering launching I Am Mouse in Early Access.
The EA release would include 3 story chapters and one map for the mode called Payday.
While I haven't made a final decision yet, this feels like the most logical path forward.
What is the Payday Mode?
(P.S. Working title, might change to avoid a lawsuit 😅)
In this mode, you spawn in your mouse lair and head out to forage for food around the house. Food spawns randomly, making every run different.
Just searching for food and dragging it back to the lair? Nope, it gets way more intense!
A human controlled by a custom AI wanders around the house living their daily life: sleeping, eating, watching TV, using the bathroom, or playing games. But everything changes the moment they spot a mouse...
Then, the hunt begins:
The human will search for weapons (like a baseball bat) or throw whatever is nearby at you (like glass vases).
If you manage to escape, they might set mouse traps or scatter poison in the last area they saw you.
Nowhere is truly safe—they can bend down to check under tables and couches, so your lair remains the only 100% safe zone in the house.
How can you fight back?
You can create distractions (like knocking over a vase so the human goes to check the noise) or trip them up by throwing objects at their feet or stretching out ropes to buy yourself extra time.
Most of these features are already implemented! Right now, I'm working hard on tweaking the human AI to ensure every run is dynamic, challenging, and fun.
When is the Release Date?
To be honest? I don't have an exact date just yet.
Currently, I am targeting late 2026 – early 2027 (even for the Early Access version), but I will announce a solid timeline once I finalize my plans.
Thank you so much to everyone who has added I Am Mouse to their Wishlist and followed the project.
Your support means the world to me!
If you have any feedback, ideas, suggestions, or want to offer help with, I am always open to chat via email - [email protected]
But that's not all!
I want to communicate with you more.
I plan to launch a quick survey soon. It won't take much of your time, but it will help me understand which direction to move forward in and what you generally think about an Early Access release.
Stay tuned. More news coming soon!
