Did you grow up watching Speedy Gonzales or Pinky and the Brain? Perhaps Stuart Little rings a bell. Quirky mice have been headlining great films and cartoons for decades, and luckily for us, this applies to games too. Mickey Mouse made his debut on the Nintendo Entertainment System and went on to become a key character of Kingdom Hearts. But he’s not the only rodent representative out there. From tabletop to virtual reality, mice are making their mark and proving even the tiniest creatures can be tough.
#8 Rat Simulator
Ok, this one’s a bit of a stretch, I know. But it had to make the list because of its bizarre premise. In Rat Simulator, you’re a rat that goes around creating chaos and infecting unsuspecting humans with the plague. I like to think of this one as Grand Theft Auto: Rat City. Poison food, destroy fine china, and for the love of cheese—avoid the pest exterminators! Rat Simulator is currently in early access. You can buy it for $5.99 USD.
#7 Biker Mice From Mars
This started out as a crazy cartoon about mice who lived on Mars, and for some reason, were really into motorsports. Eventually, Biker Mice From Mars made the leap to Super NES, a racing game packed with ramps and narrow turns that let players crash into opponents to steal the lead. Biker Mice From Mars came out all the way back in 1994, and since then enjoyed revivals for the Nintendo DS and mobile devices. You can grab it on Android and iOS absolutely free.
#6 Mouse Trap
If you’re into tabletop gaming, you can’t go past Mouse Trap. It’s been out since 1963, and has undergone tons of redesigns both in terms of gameplay and presentation. The objective is to move your mouse around the board, trapping other mice who are too busy eating cheese to notice they’re in danger. Most notably, newer versions of the game simplified the setup and introduced Elefun & Friends characters.
#5 Castle of Illusion
Castle of Illusion originally came out on Sega Genesis, but gamers loved it so much it got remastered for PC and consoles in 2013. The Disney scented sidescroller was completely made over with HD graphics, exchanging 2D pixels for a 3D Mickey as well as a redesigned user interface. We’re betting the classic version will release for free on SEGA Forever.
#4 Ghost of a Tale
Boasting utterly gorgeous graphics, Ghost of a Tale combines stealth gameplay with medieval dungeons, dangerous quests, and an intriguing lineup of NPCs. You control Tilo, a prisoner trying to survive and sneak his way through a world populated with enemies twice his size. It’s hard to believe this game was largely created by one person. Ghost of a Tale is out now on Steam.
#3 MouseCraft
Straddling the line between Lemmings and Tetris, this addictive indie title challenged players with 80 levels of puzzling fun. MouseCraft initially launched on PC, and branched out to PS3, PS4 and PS Vita, bringing its cheesy, obstacle-driven gameplay to an even wider audience. Interested players can get MouseCraft on Steam.
#2 Moss
This adorable fantasy adventure was announced at E3 2017. Developer Polyarc, who is composed of former team members from Halo and Destiny, is letting players go on an incredible VR journey along with protagonist Quill. Help her solve puzzles, explore beautiful forests, and battle magical enemies in dangerous swordfights.
#1 Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed
If we’re going to talk about “mouse games,” we need to again talk about games that feature THE MOUSE! You know, Mickey Mouse? Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is a remastered version of the cult classic title from Warren Spector. He took the old-school vibe of Disney cartoons and Mickey himself and went in a more unique and dark direction.
Due to an accident, Mickey creates a special world created by Yen Sid that is consumed with ink. Now, he must use paint and thinner to fix things and find out about the Phantom Blot that is threatening to consume everything!
If you never got the chance to play the original game, now is the time to fix that mistake.
Other lists in our 7 Games series:
