What is Transformice exactly? Well let me tell you, much like a shaman mouse would tell his brethren. In Transformice, if you haven’t gathered already, you take the role of a tiny mouse. A level will load up and you have one simple mission: reach the cheese, then get back to the mousehole. If you can do that then you acquire a cheese token for your account, perhaps a new in-game title, and the pride of being a full mouse. Just don’t fall off of the screen, else no cheese for you until the next level loads and you can try again.

The catch is, most levels aren’t as simple as traveling from jumping from one platform to another. No, instead you’ll rely on a randomly selected mouse Shaman which has the abilities to conjure a variety of platforms, boxes and projectiles. A good Shaman will safely create a path from one end of the level to the other, a mediocre Shaman will rush the path, leaving many a precarious leaps and falls, and a terrible (and hilarious) Shaman will fire cannonballs at your face.

The rewards are aesthetic in nature, but oh so delectable. Completing a level before all of the other mice will garner you the title of “Fast Mouse”, saving your first mouse as a Shaman procures the name “Apprentice, and collecting a number of cheese  gives you, ahem, “Mmmmmmm Cheese! 0”. Also, with the cheese you’ve collected you can purchase a variety of hats, glasses, moustaches, and other  odds and ends. It’s a relieving feeling to see a Shaman with a 500 Cheese top hat, monocle and moustache, you know you can count on him.

At its heart though, the best aspects of Transformice is the cooperative/competitive feelings it creates in a two minute long level. While there’s little reward for finishing first, every single mouse will race back and forth as if their life depended on it. Then there’s the violent Shaman you’ll encounter, and the need to survive you’ll feel just to spite the hateful mouse.

It’s all very innocent fun packaged in an amazingly quick game. Load up your browser and try it out for 5, 10, or 15 minutes. If you enjoy it then make an account so you can begin to collect cheese. If you get tired of random players then make your own room and invite your friends. There’s no reason not to try it out for a spell.

Try out Transformice here!

Cheeeeeese -