Mouse Playhouse: Tips & Tricks

• You can leave any puzzle level at any time by interacting with the doorknob on the door labeled “Office”
• You can rotate a block by using the movement command (track button/thumbstick for Index Knuckles) on the same hand that is holding the block. However, this was pretty janky/unpredictable for me, so I prefer to rotate with while holding a block in one hand and then grab the block with my other hand.
• Triangle blocks will block the wind-blowing cubes just as well as square blocks, regardless of orientation.
• You can restart a level by pulling the lever on the toy labeled “restart”, though it can take a few seconds
• Unfortunately, there is no snap rotation so you’ll just need to cope with the sub-par teleport/rotate mechanic if you don’t have a huge play space. Perhaps it works better on Vive controllers, but I found the rotation to be incredibly inconsistent and unpredictable for the Index Knuckles.
• Don’t try to exit the game through the SteamVR menu or try to exit SteamVR without exiting the game via the door mechanic. If you don’t exit by interacting with the doorknob on the door labeled “Exit”, the game will need to be force-closed.

• Star counts represent the maximum number block placements on the map that can be made to complete the level and earn a star.
• Returning a block to the same position after picking it up is counted, so be careful.
• If you picked the block up at the wrong time or need a mouse to move a bit more before placing it, you can drop the block on the ground without penalty. A move will only be counted when/if it is placed on the map again.
• Mice will not move when you are holding a block picked up from the map. This can be useful for managing their positions as you think. Cat bots do not care whether you’re holding a block, so you need to time your movements carefully to direct and trap them.
• You may need to move a block multiple times immediately after your mouse finishes interacting with it to avoid moving blocks unnecessarily (i.e. a block is already in a position that you’re going to use).
• You can’t trap all cat bots and still earn a star on some levels, so timing and strategy are needed instead.
• There are a couple of cases where you can leave blocks on the ground without returning them to the map to shave off a point from your count
• Leverage the static white triangles with green edges when possible. They’re a free resource for turning mice/cats and provide clues about how to solve the puzzle.
• A few levels are large enough that you will need to plan/practice the timing of your teleportation/walking.

These achievements are pretty straightforward with the exception of Mega Star, which is easier than described. I’m not sure whether this is a bug, but I only had to get stars on 3-1 through 3-4 (not 3-5) to get this achievement.

I’m not going to include puzzle solutions in this guide at this juncture.

• One hat (baseball cap) is given to you
• Eight hats are earned by getting a mouse to cross over the hat on the puzzle maps
• One hat is earned by getting all of the stars

The dartboard is located in the Office. Trial and error seems to be the way. The game does not appear to count any bullseyes thrown from a shorter distance than the table where the darts are located. The achievement popped for me when I was close to the bullseye, so the hit box is a little larger than the mark – confetti will indicate that the game registered a bullseye.

You can enter the sandbox by interacting with the fat mouse blowing snot bubbles in the office.

HINT: Two triangle blocks can be used as a square block. I’m not sure whether each triangle is counted individually, as I guided my mouse to the top of 7 traditional (cube) blocks.

Self-explanatory.

Also self-explanatory. Dropping the ball into the basket counts.

There are several rockets in the Sandbox. Light tosses don’t seem to count – I had to throw the rocket like a football for the smoke to appear/the achievement to pop. Always make sure your controllers are secure before attempting throws.

• You can pet the mice and cat bot in the Office
• There are various interesting things hidden in cupboards and drawers
• Mice can collide with and move random (not block) objects placed on the map

By RadioRat