How an inspired gamble on Nintendo Switch 2's mouse controls led to party game Mouse Work

I admit I had some skepticism when one of the big major new features showcased for the Switch 2 was its mouse controls but I've been more convinced after trying it in Nintendo's Metroid Prime 4 and Drag x Drive.

This feature that we so often associate with PCs is incidentally also what London-based indie developer Nitrome has decided to take a big bet on with its upcoming mouse-based Switch 2 party game Mouse Work, from Nitrome.

More remarkably, Mouse Work is a game that has only been in development for a few months, just shortly after the Switch 2 was first officially shown in January. The trailer was scant on confirmed details apart from what you could see, such as larger Joy-Cons, a noticeably larger display, and a better full-width stand (if arguably a step down from the OLED model's).

But studio co-founder and director Mat Annal seized on the image of both Joy-Cons gliding along the surface as a hint that not only would the Switch 2 feature mouse functionality but that it would be functional for both controllers, therefore making multiplayer possible.

Switch 2 Joy-Con magic

"I think Nintendo's quite cautious to not say something is true that is true, and they wouldn't have done that if it wasn't on both controllers," he reasons. "Also I think that the optical sensor is quite a cheap component, so I don't think it's a particularly expensive component that they're adding, especially if you consider that they're actually taking the infra-red camera off the right controller [of the Switch 1]."

Although Nintendo will have first-party titles Nintendo Switch 2 Tour Guide at launch then Drag x Drive in the summer that make use of mouse controls on Switch 2, Mouse Work is arguably a better showcase with a presentation that feels more characteristically 'Nintendo', with colourful pixel art reminiscent of Part-Time UFO (made by 'second-party' developer HAL Laboratory).

There have also been comparisons made with Switch 1 launch game Snipperclips from fellow London-based indie devs SFB Games. There's also something so simple yet charming to adorable mice you control.

"Originally, we had a different mouse design that wasn't so angular and simple, but when I was drawing down ideas of what sort of games we were going to do, the quick scribbles became simpler, so I was just drawing a triangle with two round ears and a little nose on the end, and I was like, 'Shit, that looks more iconic!'" Mat explains.

Adding: "In the end, we all agreed that was the way to go, so it just looks much more like a cursor. We even purposely don't turn the character around when they're traveling the other way because we want to keep that cursor vibe to it."

In just a few months of development, ideas for what games your mice can do, which scale up for up to four players, have been coming thick and fast. That's largely down to Nitrome's experience as a Flash developer where in the first half of two decades as a company it made about 130 web-based flash games.

"Back when we made browser games, the mouse was a tool that was at our disposal, so we have a fair amount of experience sort of messing around with silly mouse-based games, so there are a few mechanics that might leak through from those days," Mat explains.

He adds: "We also didn't have confirmation that gyroscopes would work at the same time, but we got one of the guys to strap a Joy-Cons to a mouse so we could see what we could read from it at the same time as having it on a mouse to see if that was likely a thing."

No Switch 2 dev kit? No problem

That's another hunch that appears to have been confirmed from one of the mini-games demonstrated in Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour. Of course, all this time, Nitrome has had to develop Mouse Work on PC without an actual Switch 2 dev kit, which appears to only be in the hands of a select few indie devs, such as Toby Fox, whose Deltarune Chapters 1-4 is confirmed as a Switch 2 launch title (other confirmed indie games from the Switch 2 Direct include Hades and Hollow Knight: Silksong). Mat is hoping that Mouse Works' announcement trailer will get Nintendo's attention so that it can target a launch window release.

In the worst case scenario that the studio doesn't have access to dev kits until after the console's launch, Mat is still confident it will stand out amongst the likely huge wave of developers rushing to get their games onto the platform (whether Nintendo will fix the eShop's shovelware problem that had impacted Switch 1 is another matter).

For an idea of what's due, read our guide to the best Nintendo Switch 2 launch games.

"I think there's something to be said about a game that really is just on that platform and pushes the unique features, so we hope that's enough to make it stand out from the crowd," Mat says.

As to whether this may also inspire other devs to think about how to utilise the Switch 2's mouse controls in unique creative ways, he concludes, "That would be nice, but it would also be nice if no one does it, and then we'll have an exclusive market to make more games like that."

Visit the Wholesome Games website for more details on Mouse Works. Read our Switch 2 pre-order blog for the latest news and details of Nintendo's new console launch.