MOUSE: P.I. For Hire vs planet of lana 2 children of the leaf
Gumshoe chaos against a leafy slow-burn puzzle — your patience budget decides which world wins.
Updated 26d ago
Stylish cartoon noir that's worth playing for the hand-drawn world, but the combat stales and detective work is thin — rent it before you buy.
Surpasses Planet of Lana (2023) on every axis — Wishfully's hand-painted sequel deserves the 86% recommend if you have 6 hours and patience for slow puzzles.
By the numbers
Prices checked Sep 10; they move faster than we refresh, so confirm on the store page.
Recent-review figures are Steam's own last-30-days window, read Sep 10.
| Measure | MOUSE: P.I. For Hire | planet of lana 2 children of the leaf |
|---|---|---|
| Value Too close to call | ||
| Price now | $21.99 −27% · AllYouPlay | $13.99 −30% · Steam |
| All-time low | $21.99 | $11.50 |
| Cost / hour | $1.81/hr $21.99 · 12 h main story | $2.25/hr $13.99 · 6 h main story |
| Off its low | At its low low was Sep 2026 | +22% low was Aug 2026 |
| Main story | 12 h | 6 h |
| Health Too close to call | ||
| Steam reviews | 94% 16k reviews | 92% 1k reviews |
| Recent reviews | 91% 539 votes · vs 94% lifetime | 97% 39 votes · vs 92% lifetime · improving |
| Peak players | 843 Aug 2026 · ↓ 49% MoM | 47 Aug 2026 · ↓ 18% MoM |
| Launch peak | 6% of Apr 2026 launch peak · as of Aug 2026 | 15% of Mar 2026 launch peak · as of Aug 2026 |
| All-time peak | 13,723 Apr 2026 | 319 Mar 2026 |
| Support | ||
| Last patch | 8 weeks ago | 5 months ago |
| Patch cadence | 2 in last 90 days | 0 in last 90 days |
| Steam Deck | Platinum | Platinum |
Shared scale — same months across the bottom, same player-count axis up the side, so the two lines are directly comparable. A shorter line means a younger game.
What players say
Patterns from long-haul reviewers, taken from each game's verdict. Not live sentiment — each side is dated below.
MOUSE: P.I. For Hire
Rubber-hose animation and jazz soundtrack keep long-time fans hooked; cheese puns and Troy Baker's voice acting are the recurring praise.
Wave-based combat grows old after a few hours; the detective premise fades as levels turn into linear corridor shooting.
from our August 2026 verdict
planet of lana 2 children of the leaf
The expanded underwater exploration and chase sequences are what fans of the first game keep replaying the sequel for.
The increased puzzle difficulty and the open-ended cliffhanger ending frustrate even dedicated players.
from our May 2026 verdict
Key differences
Which one is for you?
Pick MOUSE: P.I. For Hire if
- You loved Cuphead's art and want shooter action in that style
- You can forgive repetitive enemy waves for 1930s animation charm
- You have a weekend and want a story-heavy campaign with gunplay
Pick planet of lana 2 children of the leaf if
- You're a fan of Planet of Lana or hand-painted puzzle indies like Inside
- You want a couch-friendly single-player that finishes in one weekend
- You prefer atmospheric pacing over kinetic combat and can handle slow puzzles
Bottom line
Pick MOUSE: P.I. For Hire for its 1930s rubber-hose charm despite repetitive fights; choose Planet of Lana 2 if you crave a 6-hour atmospheric puzzle crawl. MOUSE's 94% positive reviews outscore Lana's 92% on paper, but its 12-hour length punishes that repetition.