Facebook is often viewed in one of two ways. Some see it as a great way make friends and communicate with others. Others see it as a time-consuming addiction. HitGrab have cleverly brought both of these aspects together and created an application to appeal to the masses. Anyone with a Facebook account can play Mousehunt, and due to the nature of the game you can play as little, or in most cases, as much as you like.
Gameplay
The premise of the game couldn't be simpler. You choose a trap, a base and a type of cheese, then...you wait. Every fifteen minutes a 'Hunters Horn' appears at the top of the application, clicking this will initiate a hunt and if you're lucky you will catch a mouse which will drop gold and give you points, the number of both dependant on the type and size of the mouse.
The point of the game is to earn enough gold to improve your trap, and therefore your catching ability. This in turn leads to catching better mice, and eventually new locations with a selection of new rodents just waiting to fall prey to your latest trap set-up.
There are a lot more intricacies to the game, but these are often best discovered by playing yourself, for example many hunters take pride in catching the more elusive vermin before their friends do.
History and Development
In early 2008 Joel Auge and Bryan Freeman set up HitGrab Inc. and along with developers Giorgio Sintichakis and Dave Vanderburg began work on a Beta version of Mousehunt. In little over a month this beta version was complete and tested on a hundred players. In an interview Giorgio Sintichakis, one of the developers, explained the response:
"(The) response was unexpected! People loved it. People loved the simplicity of the game; building a trap, baiting it, coming back later to check. It boomed from there.
"People were emailing us telling us how addicted they were, jokingly angry at us for creating MouseHunt.
"We were overwhelmed and ecstatic! So very grateful for the feedback we were getting."
From the beta version, a full version was created and launched on the 7th of March 2008, which featured only one hunting location, however only four months later a massive seven locations were available to hunters, all with varying pro's and con's.
Future Plans
While the HitGrab team like to keep hunters guessing, and stay quite tight lipped on the details of coming upgrades, they assure the fans that improvements and new content are being added all the time. Recently a poster for a prize weekend gave the fans a teaser of 'Mousehunt 2.0' with a selection of new items and areas that they have planned.
What makes this game so popular?
There are a number of factors that keep players returning for more.
The simplicity of the game is ultimately its main asset, as anyone is capable of setting up a game and playing, there are no complex rules and with a little advice even the freshest players can enjoy it and prosper.
More than that though is the feeling of community spirit flowing throughout the game and the message boards. Many of the more experienced members are always happy to lend a hand to the novices, be it with advice or competitions for gold / the much sought after SUPER|brie+ (a bait that is only given out to people who donate or catch a rare/prize mouse) and there is always someone there to give you a virtual pat on the back when you catch a special mouse or 'level up'.
The developers are also very active, listening to all the suggestions and problems posted by the players, and acting on them wherever they can. Problems are expected when a game expands so quickly, but they are dealt with efficiently and with little fuss. This gives players piece of mind, not to mention a warm, fuzzy feeling when one of their suggested ideas makes it into the game.
Throw in the fact that all of the locations, traps and mice have been wonderfully illustrated by Jacob Johnson, and its easy to understand both this games quaint charms and mass appeal.
Who wants some money?
Finally, Mousehunt not only offers players a passive yet addictive gaming experience, but it also gives them a slim, but achievable chance of winning a real life prize. Prize mice are rare, but if you are lucky enough to catch one, cash or a gift will be heading your way. Over $3000 CAD of cash and prizes were given away in a 'Prize Weekend' not too long ago, with more giveaways planned in the not too distant future.
The Downside
Simply put there is only one downside; this game will slowly consume your life and before long you will be setting out your daily routine into fifteen minute chunks. Surely though, this is only a small price to pay, in the never-ending fight against the mice! You can do a lot in 15 minutes, after all.
If you would like to try your hand at Mouse-hunting Click Here and log in/sign up to facebook.
If you would like to see more work from Illustrator Jacob Johnson Click Here.
For some tips and hints on Mousehunt Click Here.
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