Maze Mice | Early Access Steam Deck Review
It’s incredibly impressive when a solo developer is able to make a game that grabs my attention. Balatro is the easy example, especially since I’m still playing that game to this day. Developer Trampoline Tales‘ first game was a slot machine roguelike called Luck Be a Landlord, which is totally worth checking out. I’ll admit that game is the reason I sat up and took notice of Maze Mice, the developer’s second title. The concept might be incredibly simple, but it’s unique enough to keep you coming back for more. I’ve found myself saying “just one more run” more often than any other recent game, and I hope more people give it a shot. Read on to find out why.
Best-Laid Plans
Right away, the gameplay of Maze Mice will feel very familiar to retro gamers. On the surface, you might think you’re playing a knock-off Pac-Man clone. You’ll guide your mouse through a simple maze picking up gems and avoiding cats for as long as you can. Sound familiar? Stay with me. There are quite a few more mechanics at play here that keep it from being a completely iterative experience. For starters, the game only moves when you do, similarly to how the gameplay of Superhot works. This obviously allows you time to strategize instead of relying solely on quick reflexes. It definitely changes the way I play compared to other games that are similar in basic mechanics.
Another massive change is the cats’ movement. Instead of moving along specific patterns, like the ghosts in Pac-Man do, the cats follow close behind you in a straight line as soon as you wake them up by running past them. This ends up turning into a hilarious game of Snake, where you have to keep yourself from running into the long time of cats chasing behind you. To complicate things even further, random “ghost cats” eventually appear on the screen. They don’t have to follow the same rules as normal cats. They beeline directly towards you and can pass through maze walls. This is where navigating the maze and its secret passageways becomes important.
It all sounds simple enough so far, right? We’re just getting started.
It’s a Jungle Out There
Maze Mice borrows another mechanic popularized by games like Vampire Survivors. Once you collect enough gems, you’ll be given the choice between one of three different upgrades. Most of these come in the form of taking out the ever-increasing line of cats chasing you. Others might increase the XP rate of collected gems, increase your hit points, or other helpful tools. As expected, acquiring a duplicate upgrade increases the effectiveness of that upgrade exponentially. All of these are vital to survive, which after all, is your ultimate goal. If you last long enough, you’ll spawn a larger “boss” cat that must be taken down in order to progress or “win a run”.
The upgrades are a ton of fun to experiment with, especially as you unlock more after leveling up at the end of each subsequent run. They’re all absurd in the best ways possible, and are a blast to see grow better and more powerful.
Once you learn how the game works, you end up falling into a “groove”, where you’re barely taking advantage of the game’s “stand still” state. That, combined with its progression that always pulls you forward, makes it very difficult to put down. Runs usually last between 10-20 minutes, so it’s always easy to start up again with fresh abilities.
Maze Mice Final Verdict
Maze Mice is still in Early Access as of this writing for $9.99 (although currently on sale for $7.99), and it’s an easy recommend. There’s no story or in-depth leveling. This is a simplistic game with familiar controls and an addictive loop. It’s one of the better things I’ve spent ten bucks on this year, and I’m still picking it up for a run every now and then. I’m looking forward to seeing what else comes out of it before it hits 1.0 release. Do yourself a favor and don’t let this one pass you by. It’s a clever little title that must be experiences to really understand the “feel” that its going for.
To hear me talk more about Maze Mice, be sure to listen to the May 21st, 2025 episode of The Gaming Outsider Podcast around the 54:43 time stamp.
This review is based on a purchased Early Access copy of Maze Mice on Steam. As of the time of this writing, it is exclusive to this platform.
