Transformice is an online-only 2D free-to-play platformer, currently available on Android and PC. The game has been under constant development ever since 1st May 2010 by Atelier 801 and originally started out as simply a browser-based game. Gameplay has the player playing as a mouse (one that can be customized) and they are tasked with reaching a piece of cheese at the end of each level to finish it.
How to Download Transformice
Transformice is available as a free download from Steam. you can also play Transformice as a Flash game on the publisher’s website. To begin – click on the Download button. It is at the end of this review.
The Game Review
Transformice is a typical 2D platformer, where the player can move left or right and can also jump up or duck down to avoid obstacles. There is even a wall-jumping mechanic for players to learn, which will teach them how to finish some of the more complex levels. On every single level, there is some cheese that every single mouse in the room will want to go after. If they manage to successfully reach it, they will be rewarded with a piece. Cheese in the game can be accumulated like a resource, which can then be used to purchase different visuals and customizable options for a player’s mouse.
The levels in Transformice are all timed, but the game will move onto the next level as soon as every player has either reached the cheese or fallen off of the map. For anyone that does manage to fall off of the map, they will have to simply wait until the next map to play. With each new level, a player at random is picked to become the Shaman, a mouse that has their own set of abilities that no other player gets. These powers can be used to create new platforms, floating balloons to stand on, and even cannonballs to propel an object quickly. Many levels in the game don’t require a Shaman to win, but a player who clearly knows what they’re doing as the Shaman will make a level much easier, especially for newer players.
Aesthetically, the game has a very cartoonish style that will appeal to younger audiences, without alienating the older audience too much. The crux of this, however, is that the backgrounds and many of the levels are simplistic in nature. While it does keep the player from distraction, the visuals can possibly become a bit tiresome as time goes on with the game.
In terms of comparisons, the game takes obvious inspiration from classic 2D platformers, such as the Super Mario Bros. series, just with a more multiplayer and cooperative focus. Unlike Super Mario Bros., the levels in this game aren’t nearly as specifically tailored for perfection, but that inevitably leads to a vast increase in levels. Hours upon hours of time can be spent in Transformice, and the likelihood is the player isn’t going to come across the same level twice.
Transformice may not be the most in-depth 2D platformer under the sun but the multiplayer camaraderie that very few games have replicated makes it a very unique and interesting experience, at least for fans of platformers.
