I spent about 14 hours combing through every alley, rooftop, and sewer pipe in Mouse P.I. For Hire to find all the hidden collectibles, and honestly, some of these secrets are so well tucked away that I nearly ragequit twice. This cartoon noir shooter from Fumi Games hides its goodies behind destructible walls, obscure dialogue triggers, and platforming puzzles that the game never tells you about.
If you’re staring at a 78% completion screen wondering where those last few cheese wheels, noir clues, and secret film reels are hiding, this guide has you covered. I’ll walk through every level, share the exact spots I missed on my first two playthroughs, and explain the rewards you get for hitting 100%.
Table of Contents
- What Are the Collectibles in Mouse P.I. For Hire?
- Chapter 1: The Docks District Collectibles
- Chapter 2: Midtown Mayhem Collectibles
- Chapter 3: The Velvet Lounge Collectibles
- Chapter 4: Rooftop Chase Collectibles
- Chapter 5: The Sewer Network Collectibles
- Chapter 6: Final Showdown Collectibles
- Secret Rooms and Easter Eggs
- Rewards for 100% Completion
- FAQ
What Are the Collectibles in Mouse P.I. For Hire?
Mouse P.I. For Hire features three main collectible types scattered across its six chapters:
| Collectible Type | Total Count | What It Unlocks |
|---|---|---|
| Cheese Wheels | 42 | Weapon skins and health upgrades |
| Noir Clues | 18 | Backstory lore entries in the Case File |
| Secret Film Reels | 6 | Hidden animated cutscenes |
There are also 3 hidden boss encounters that only trigger when you find specific item combinations. More on those below.
The game tracks collectibles per chapter in your Case File menu, which is accessible from the pause screen. If you see a magnifying glass icon next to a chapter name, it means you’re still missing something there. I appreciate that Fumi Games included this tracker because without it, backtracking would be genuinely painful.
Chapter 1: The Docks District Collectibles
Cheese Wheels: 7 | Noir Clues: 3 | Film Reels: 1
The Docks District serves as your tutorial area, but don’t let that fool you. Two of the cheese wheels here are hidden behind destructible crates that look identical to non-destructible scenery. The difference? Destructible crates have a slightly darker outline. I only noticed this after zooming in with the magnifying glass tool.
Cheese Wheel Locations
- Behind the fishing boat at the very start, shoot the rope holding the net
- Inside the warehouse office on the second floor, check behind the filing cabinet
- Under the pier after the first combat encounter, drop down instead of crossing
- On top of the lighthouse requires wall-jumping up the back side
- Inside the breakable crate near the dock foreman’s shack
- Behind the waterfall in the drainage pipe, swim left instead of right
- After the mini-boss, backtrack to the now-open gate near spawn
The one that got me was number 6. The game’s camera pans right, heavily suggesting you should go that way. Going left into the dark pipe feels wrong, but there’s a whole hidden alcove with a cheese wheel and some bonus ammo.
Noir Clues
- Clue #1: On the desk inside the locked office (shoot the lock)
- Clue #2: Pinned to the notice board after defeating the dock rats
- Clue #3: Hidden inside the barrel that rolls during the chase sequence, you need to shoot it mid-roll
Film Reel #1
This one is tricky. After the dock crane puzzle, instead of riding the crane to the next area, jump off the crane arm to the left onto a hidden platform. The film reel sits on a projector. I missed this completely on my first playthrough because the game’s momentum pushes you forward so naturally.
Chapter 2: Midtown Mayhem Collectibles
Cheese Wheels: 8 | Noir Clues: 3 | Film Reels: 1
Midtown is where the game opens up with multiple routes through each encounter. This also means collectibles can be on paths you’d never take if you’re just following the main objective marker. My advice: always take the longer route when given a choice.
Cheese Wheel Locations
| # | Location | How to Access |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jazz club basement | Shoot the jukebox three times |
| 2 | Barbershop back room | Enter through the window, not the door |
| 3 | On the traffic light | Wall-jump off the phone booth |
| 4 | Inside the mailbox | Use the shrink power-up from the alley |
| 5 | Newspaper stand rooftop | Bounce off the awning |
| 6 | Behind the movie poster | Slash the poster with melee |
| 7 | Church bell tower | Grapple the bell, swing to the ledge |
| 8 | Sewer grate near the taxi | Ground pound the loose grate |
Number 4 is the one everyone misses. The shrink power-up appears in a side alley that looks like a dead end. You need to shrink down and enter the mailbox slot. Inside is a whole miniature level with the cheese wheel at the end. It takes about 45 seconds to complete and it’s genuinely one of the most creative moments in the game.
Noir Clues
- Clue #4: Inside the phone booth after answering it (interact, don’t destroy it)
- Clue #5: On the bar counter in the jazz club, only appears after talking to the bartender
- Clue #6: Written on the bathroom mirror in the barbershop, visible only when steam clears
Film Reel #2
After the car chase sequence, the game drops you at a crossroads. Go right toward the dead-end alley instead of left toward the objective. Wall-jump between the two buildings to reach a fire escape. The film reel is in the apartment at the top. This one rewards you with an animated flashback of the villain’s origin story, which honestly adds a ton of context to Chapter 5.
Chapter 3: The Velvet Lounge Collectibles
Cheese Wheels: 7 | Noir Clues: 3 | Film Reels: 1
The Velvet Lounge chapter is primarily interior-focused, with lots of tight corridors and hidden rooms behind paintings. The game leans heavily into its noir aesthetic here, and collectibles are often hidden in plain sight disguised as background decorations.
Key Spots Most Players Miss
The piano puzzle in the main lounge room is the biggest sticking point I’ve seen in community discussions. You need to shoot the piano keys in a specific order that matches the melody playing in the background music. The sequence is: high, high, low, mid, high, low. Getting it right opens a secret panel behind the stage curtain containing two cheese wheels and a noir clue.
Other commonly missed spots:
- The chandelier can be shot down to reveal a cheese wheel in the wreckage
- The coat check room has a false wall on the left side
- The VIP booth in the back requires you to present the VIP card found in Chapter 2’s barbershop (this is why backtracking matters)
- Behind the bar mirror, accessible only after the boss fight when the room is damaged
Film Reel #3
During the dance floor shootout, don’t kill the last enemy immediately. Instead, let them retreat through the back door. Follow them within 5 seconds and they’ll lead you to a hidden projection room with the film reel. If you kill them too fast or wait too long, this opportunity disappears until your next playthrough. I learned this the hard way.
Chapter 4: Rooftop Chase Collectibles
Cheese Wheels: 7 | Noir Clues: 3 | Film Reels: 1
This is the speedrun chapter. Everything moves fast, and collectibles require split-second decisions during the chase sequence. I recommend playing through once without worrying about collectibles, then replaying specifically for them using chapter select.
Time-Sensitive Collectibles
Three of the seven cheese wheels in this chapter are only accessible during specific moments:
- Cheese Wheel #3: When the water tower explodes, jump INTO the water stream instead of away from it
- Cheese Wheel #5: During the zipline section, let go early and land on the lower rooftop
- Cheese Wheel #7: At the helicopter sequence, shoot the spotlight instead of the enemies first
The noir clues here are all found by looking backward during the chase. The game trains you to always look forward, but clues #10, #11, and #12 are literally painted on walls behind you that you pass at high speed. Use the slow-motion ability (if you’ve upgraded it) to spot them and snap a photo with the camera gadget.
Film Reel #4
At the very end of the rooftop chase, when you reach the final building, don’t jump across the gap. Instead, look down. There’s a barely visible pipe running along the building’s exterior. Shimmy across it to reach a hidden window. The film reel is inside. According to information from the developer’s own community Discord, fewer than 8% of players found this one without a guide.
Chapter 5: The Sewer Network Collectibles
Cheese Wheels: 7 | Noir Clues: 3 | Film Reels: 1
The sewers are dark, maze-like, and the map doesn’t help much. I’d recommend turning brightness up slightly for this chapter because several collectibles are hidden in shadowed corners that are nearly invisible at default settings.
Hidden Room Trigger
There’s a secret room in this chapter that only opens if you’ve collected at least 30 cheese wheels from previous chapters. It’s behind a large metal door with a cheese symbol etched into it. Inside you’ll find three cheese wheels at once plus a health upgrade that permanently increases your max HP. This was my favorite discovery in the entire game because it rewards thorough players without punishing casual ones.
The Rat King Easter Egg
In the deepest section of the sewers, there’s a hidden boss called the Rat King that only appears if you’ve found all noir clues up to this point (clues #1 through #12). Defeating it drops a unique weapon skin and noir clue #13. The fight itself isn’t too hard if you’ve been upgrading, but the Rat King has a grab attack that instantly kills you if you don’t dodge it. I died to that grab four times before learning the timing.
Film Reel #5
After the flooding sequence, when the water drains, go back to the starting area of the sewer. A new passage is now accessible where the water level dropped. The film reel sits at the end of this passage on a rusty projector stand.
Chapter 6: Final Showdown Collectibles
Cheese Wheels: 6 | Noir Clues: 3 | Film Reels: 1
The final chapter is more linear but hides its collectibles behind dialogue choices and boss phase mechanics that you wouldn’t think to experiment with during an intense finale.
Missable Collectibles During the Final Boss
During the three-phase boss fight against Don Whiskers:
- Phase 1: Destroy all four pillars in the arena before dealing the finishing blow. A cheese wheel drops from the ceiling.
- Phase 2: When Don Whiskers monologues, shoot the painting behind his throne. Noir clue #17 falls out.
- Phase 3: Reflect his golden bullet back at the chandelier (not at him). This opens a hidden balcony with the final cheese wheel and film reel #6.
The Phase 3 trick is what separates 99% completion from 100%. Every instinct tells you to reflect the bullet back at the boss. Aiming it at the chandelier feels counterintuitive during an intense fight, but it’s the only way to access the final collectibles.
Film Reel #6
As mentioned above, it’s on the hidden balcony accessed by reflecting the golden bullet at the chandelier during Phase 3 of the final boss. This reel contains the true ending cutscene, which adds significant context to the story. If you thought the “normal” ending felt abrupt, this is why.
Secret Rooms and Easter Eggs
Beyond the standard collectibles, Mouse P.I. For Hire contains several Easter eggs that don’t count toward completion but are worth finding:
| Secret | Location | What Happens |
|---|---|---|
| Developer Room | Chapter 3, behind the third bathroom stall | Photos of the dev team as cartoon mice |
| Cheese Moon | Chapter 4, look at the moon through the telescope | The moon turns into cheese for the rest of the chapter |
| Retro Mode | Chapter 2, shoot all 5 TV screens | Activates a black-and-white filter |
| Sound Test | Chapter 5, play the harmonica near the jukebox | Unlocks all music tracks in the menu |
| Speed Shoes | Chapter 1, find the golden sneaker behind the lighthouse | Permanent 10% speed boost |
The Retro Mode Easter egg is my personal favorite. It turns the entire game black-and-white with film grain, and it actually makes the noir atmosphere significantly better. I ended up replaying most of the game with it active. If you enjoy stylistic choices in indie games like this, you might also appreciate some of the visual mods available for other titles that transform game aesthetics.
Rewards for 100% Completion
Collecting everything in Mouse P.I. For Hire unlocks:
- Golden Revolver skin (purely cosmetic but looks incredible)
- Hard Boiled Mode (new difficulty with remixed enemy placements)
- Full Case File with all lore entries readable in order
- True Ending cutscene accessible from the main menu
- Developer commentary toggle for each chapter
Hard Boiled Mode alone makes 100% worth pursuing. Enemy placements are completely different, some collectibles move to new locations, and boss patterns change. It basically doubles the game’s replay value. For players who enjoy challenging themselves with difficult content, this adds serious longevity similar to how some RPGs handle new game plus modes.
Tips for Efficient Collectible Hunting
After three full playthroughs, here’s what I wish I knew from the start:
Always use the magnifying glass gadget. It highlights interactive objects with a subtle glow. I ignored this tool for my entire first playthrough thinking it was only for investigation sequences. It works everywhere.
Listen to the music. The background score gets slightly louder or adds a chime when you’re near a hidden collectible. It’s subtle, but once you notice it, you’ll wonder how you ever missed it.
Break everything. If it looks like scenery, shoot it. If it looks like decoration, slash it. The game rewards destructive curiosity more than any shooter I’ve played recently. This kind of environmental interaction reminds me of finding hidden items in puzzle games where nothing is quite what it seems on the surface.
Check your Case File often. The magnifying glass icon on the chapter select screen tells you exactly which chapters still have missing items. Don’t waste time replaying chapters you’ve already completed.
If you’re playing on Steam Deck or a portable device, I’d also recommend bumping up the brightness by about 15% in the display settings. Some collectibles in darker areas like the sewers are genuinely hard to see on smaller screens. For tips on optimizing your handheld gaming experience, our piece on replacing a MacBook with a Steam Deck covers display tweaks that help with exactly this type of game.
Mouse P.I. For Hire Collectibles FAQ
How many total collectibles are in Mouse P.I. For Hire?
There are 66 total trackable collectibles: 42 cheese wheels, 18 noir clues, and 6 film reels. Plus 3 hidden boss encounters and 5 Easter eggs that don’t count toward the percentage.
Can I replay chapters to get missed collectibles?
Yes. Chapter select unlocks after finishing the game once. All previously collected items remain saved, so you only need to grab what you missed.
Do collectibles carry over to Hard Boiled Mode?
No. Hard Boiled Mode is a separate save with its own collectible tracking. Some items also move to different locations in this mode.
What’s the fastest way to reach 100%?
Follow the order in this guide and use the magnifying glass gadget constantly. Most players can clean up everything in about 4 to 5 hours of focused collecting after their first playthrough.
Is the golden revolver skin worth the effort?
Purely cosmetic, but it does look stunning in cutscenes and during Hard Boiled Mode with the Retro Mode filter active. Honestly, the true ending and Hard Boiled Mode are the real rewards.
Where is the hardest collectible to find?
Based on community data shared on the Fumi Games Discord server, the Phase 3 chandelier trick in Chapter 6 has the lowest discovery rate at around 4% without a guide. The mailbox shrink sequence in Chapter 2 is second at roughly 7%.
Do I need collectibles for achievements?
Yes. The “Case Closed” achievement requires 100% collectible completion, and “Hard Boiled Detective” requires finishing Hard Boiled Mode, which itself requires 100% on the normal mode first.
Can I miss collectibles permanently?
Only during your current chapter playthrough. If you miss a time-sensitive collectible in Chapter 4, you’ll need to replay that chapter from the beginning. But nothing is permanently missable thanks to chapter select.
Final Thoughts and What to Play Next
Mouse P.I. For Hire surprised me with how thoughtfully it hides its collectibles. Nothing feels random or arbitrarily placed. Every hidden cheese wheel tells you something about the level design philosophy, and every noir clue adds genuine story depth rather than filler text. If you’re the type of player who enjoys scouring environments and being rewarded for curiosity, this game respects your time in ways many larger titles don’t.
For more collectible-focused guides and walkthroughs of games with hidden secrets worth hunting, check out our guides on finding hidden gnome locations in Fortnite or our Tricky Doors walkthrough series which covers similar puzzle-solving mechanics. And if you want our full thoughts on whether the base game itself is worth buying, head over to our Mouse P.I. For Hire review.
Happy hunting, detective.
