Great Idle Game Design – MouseHunt: Massive-Passive RPG Review

This game has been the only mobile game I’ve played consistently for more than 10 years. It’s well-designed as an idle game, so don’t expect to progress quickly or spend a lot of time in-game. This might be frustrating for people who like to spend hours in-game, but it’s perfect for someone who wants to have fun without wasting a bunch of time to “keep up.” There are a bunch of really cool special events throughout the year, that often introduce fun new mechanics and have great rewards. As others have said, the devs really do listen to feedback from their players, and the small but very dedicated community is super helpful. As far as free games go, this is probably the best design I’ve seen. Players who pay for items really don’t get light years ahead of everyone else, in my experience. FTP players can usually get everything a paying player can get, although it does take more time. Even the in-game items you buy usually feel like a really good value for the cost, especially the special ever promotions. I’ve felt the least pressured to spend money in this game than I have in any other mobile game. That being said, it’s one of the few when I actually have spent money, because I really care about it and want to support the devs. There’s only two main issues I can think of: 1. Even after years, the app still doesn’t have the full functionality of the web version. It feels like “MouseHunt Lite,” which is a shame since this game is made for mobile. It’s gotten a lot more features over the years, but is still lacking. For instance, you can’t access the forums, or send and receive gifts from friends. It can also be tricky to find everything that IS on the mobile app. Sometimes things feel “hidden” in the interface. 2. Some of the areas are getting to be too “grindy.” I realize it’s a difficult position for the devs: hardcore players who use the marketplace and super efficient strategies (you really can strategize your way to much quicker hunting) end up with far more resources and progress than the average casual player. This is probably an issue in every “free” mobile game, because since those big players provide most of the support, the devs have to keep them engaged. The downside is that this leads to areas that feel like they will take years to complete, doing the same thing, in order that the advanced players always have something to do. In the past it felt reasonable: even though the Acolyte Realm, Tribal Isles, and Living Garden areas were very difficult and long, they never felt like you would be doing the same thing forever. But it’s recently started to feel that way with especially the Queso Geyser and Floating Isles. The former just wasn’t very interesting gameplay, and finishing it is based on extremely good luck. The latter is super fun gameplay, but at my current rate of progress it will take years to complete. Overall, a fantastic and surprisingly addictive game. I love how much I can get out of it with just small amounts of time, and I have met several good friends through the game. With comprehensive app updates and better balancing of the needs of the big players to the casual players, this would be a phenomenal game! Thank you for your work, devs, I love this game!
Review by Atomic.Mike on MouseHunt: Massive-Passive RPG.