P.I. for Hire, Into the Unwell Follow the Trail Blazed by Cuphead

Summary

Mouse for Hire: P.I. and Into The Unwell emulate Cuphead’s retro art style and intense gameplay.
Both games promise unique experiences, blending charming animation with the FPS and third-person roguelite genres.
With Mouse: P.I. releasing sometime in 2025 and Into The Unwell coming to Early Access, fans can expect two distinctly entertaining adventures.

2025’s Summer Game Fest main event just wrapped up. Once again, the annual showcase featured a bevy of exciting new game announcements and world reveals from indie to AAA titles, including the long-awaited next Resident Evil entry to cap it all off. Among the numerous games seen, though, two titles in particular—Mouse for Hire: P.I. developed by Fumi Games, and Into The Unwell from She Was Such A Good Horse—stood out for their striking resemblance to one of 2017’s most recognized and well-received games: Cuphead. Both Mouse for Hire: P.I. and Into The Unwell‘s artistic designs call to mind Cuphead‘s trademark Steamboat Willy-style animation direction.

Cuphead‘s signature art style along with its nail-biting and demanding gameplay made it a big hit for many players. Now, it looks like Into The Unwell and Mouse for Hire: P.I. are taking heavy inspiration from Cuphead by following in its footsteps and utilizing a similar juxtaposition of charmingly retro art with intense gameplay action across two different genres.

Mouse for Hire: P.I. has a 2025 release window, although it does not have a firm date as yet. Into The Unwell will be entering Early Access later in the year, with closed beta sign-ups now open for its forthcoming playtest.

10 Games To Play If You Loved Cuphead

The game Cuphead released on the Xbox One in 2017 and became a hit. For those who love its unique art style and creativity, here’s what to play next.

Into The Unwell and Mouse: P.I. for Hire Look to Capture the Retro Cartoon Style and Chaotic Action Popularized by Cuphead

Mouse for Hire: P.I. and Into The Unwell Are Clearly Channeling Cuphead’s Aesthetics

While many games have sought to deliver increasingly realistic and lifelike graphics as the generations have advanced, Cuphead cleverly bucked this trend and captivated audiences with its bold take on the “rubber hose” animation that hearkens back to the 1930’s American period of cartoons. The same is immediately apparent upon viewing the latest trailers for Mouse for Hire: P.I. and Into The Unwell, as both titles highlight their use of this amusingly exaggerated style. It seems as if perhaps “Cuphead-likes” may soon be a thing, with these two games incorporating similar artistic visions along with their own unique spins and mechanics.

Into The Unwell and Mouse for Hire: P.I. Promise Intense and Zany Experiences Like Cuphead’s

As described on its official Steam page, Mouse for Hire: P.I. is “a noir-fueled, action-packed first-person shooter. Private Eye Jack Pepper will discover that the city of Mouseburg has become corrupt, teeming with heavily armed gangs of crooks, mobs, and other shady characters. The monochromatic hand-drawn visual style and retro jazz soundtrack were also created with the same techniques of the era.” One other notable aspect announced at SGF was that Mouse for Hire will feature Troy Baker as the voice behind its hard-boiled detective protagonist. The prolific voice actor lending his talent to Mouse gives it another enticing layer on top of entertainingly bombastic shooting within its wacky world.

Into The Unwell‘s satirical premise and framework likely bring to mind developer Double Fine’s beloved classic series, Psychonauts. Into The Unwell will see fans play as an assortment of “heavily medicated misfits in a delightfully despondent fever dream of a third-person action roguelite.” Featuring single-player as well as up to three-person co-op, gamers will “embark on a spirit quest to seek self-control and find victory through their vices. They’ll encounter bizarre bosses and quirky characters as they fight their way through the surreal surroundings of The Unwell.” Into The Unwell will also give players an array of strange and hilarious weapons, including a giant ice cream cone and a lobotomized lollipop, as well as a progressive system to unlock upgrades and other powers.

With a mix of stylized violence and comedic presentation centered around unique art direction and respective takes on their genres, fans of Cuphead and this style in general should be sure to keep their eyes on Mouse for Hire: P.I. and Into The Unwell, as they promise to deliver great new adjacent experiences.