Transformice is Atelier 801's free multiplayer platformer where a room full of mice race to grab a piece of cheese and carry it back to a hole, while one player is chosen as the Shaman and builds the route with planks, boxes, anvils and balloons. The Shaman scores by saving other mice, and after 1,000 saves hard mode unlocks, then divine mode at 5,000 saves with at least 2,000 of them in hard mode. Five skill trees, Spiritual Guide, Wind Master, Mechanician, Wildling and Physicist, hold 15 skills each across six branches, so what a Shaman can summon changes considerably between two players at the same level.
Starting Transformice can feel overwhelming. This guide tells you exactly what to focus on during your first hours so you don't waste time on things that don't matter yet. For the full progression path, see our walkthrough.
What Kind of Game Is This?
Transformice is a puzzle game built around Cheese and hole scoring and Shaman summoning. The core loop involves mastering these systems to progress through increasingly challenging content.
What to expect: Time investment in learning mechanics, experimentation, and gradual mastery. The game rewards patience and knowledge.
Choosing Your First Build
| Build | Beginner Rating | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Spiritual Guide | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Wind Master | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Mechanician | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Wildling | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Physicist | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
Our recommendation: Start with Wind Master. It offers the most forgiving experience while teaching core mechanics.
Avoid Physicist as your first pick. It requires deep knowledge of game systems to use effectively. Once you're ready, check our classes guide for all options.
First Session Step-by-Step
Step 1: Learn Cheese and hole scoring
A round is won by touching the cheese and then reaching the hole. The first mouse home takes the round's largest reward and becomes a strong candidate for the next Shaman, while every mouse the Shaman gets home counts as a save on their permanent total. Rounds end on a timer, so a Shaman who builds slowly loses saves even if the build was correct.
This is the foundation. Spend your first 15-30 minutes getting comfortable with how Cheese and hole scoring works before worrying about anything else. Our combat guide breaks this down further.
Step 2: Head to Vanilla
The standard mode, and the one everything else is a variation on. A Shaman helps the room reach the cheese and the hole, points go to whoever gets home first, and the top scorer is likely to be the next Shaman.
Clear the main content here before moving on. Everything teaches fundamentals you'll need later. See our maps guide for all locations.
Step 3: Get Your First Upgrade
Look for Big Box: it's the most accessible early upgrade. A 60 by 60 pixel solid box. Boxes are for blocking, stacking and holding a plank at a fixed height, and stacking two of them unanchored is how most inexperienced builds fall over during the round.
Step 4: Understand Shaman summoning
The Shaman spawns objects with the number keys: the Little Plank at 100 by 10 pixels and the Large Plank at 200 by 10, the Little Box at 30 by 30 and the Big Box at 60 by 60, plus balls, cannonballs, anvils, trampolines, runes, balloons and the spirit. Each object has real mass and friction, which is why a build that looks solid still collapses under six mice.
This is the system most new players overlook. Invest time here early. It pays off throughout the entire game.
Step 5: Push to Bootcamp
No Shaman and no help, just the hardest platforming maps in the game. Completions only count in rooms with four or more players, which is why empty bootcamp rooms are worth leaving.
Essential Mechanics Explained
Cheese and hole scoring
A round is won by touching the cheese and then reaching the hole. The first mouse home takes the round's largest reward and becomes a strong candidate for the next Shaman, while every mouse the Shaman gets home counts as a save on their permanent total. Rounds end on a timer, so a Shaman who builds slowly loses saves even if the build was correct.
Shaman summoning
The Shaman spawns objects with the number keys: the Little Plank at 100 by 10 pixels and the Large Plank at 200 by 10, the Little Box at 30 by 30 and the Big Box at 60 by 60, plus balls, cannonballs, anvils, trampolines, runes, balloons and the spirit. Each object has real mass and friction, which is why a build that looks solid still collapses under six mice.
Nails and joints
Objects are fixed with anchors. The red nail on B pins an object to the background so it can rotate on its own axis, the yellow anchor on C fixes it in place, and blue joints connect two objects to each other. Hard mode restricts red nails to totems and divine mode removes red and yellow anchors entirely, so anchor choice is what actually separates the three Shaman modes.
Hard mode and divine mode
Hard mode unlocks after 1,000 mice saved and a client restart, and it takes away the spirit tool and free red nails while granting totems, which can be placed once per map. Divine mode unlocks at 5,000 saves with 2,000 of them in hard mode, and trades away red nails, yellow nails, the spirit, totems and boosts for the ability to spawn objects almost anywhere on the map without moving.
Skill trees
Five trees, Spiritual Guide, Wind Master, Mechanician, Wildling and Physicist, contain 15 skills each spread over six branches, with later branches requiring at least 5 points already invested earlier in the tree. Wind Master improves moving yourself and your mice around a map, Mechanician makes builds stronger, and the trees are respecialised rather than permanently locked.
Common Beginner Mistakes
1. Building an elaborate structure without anchoring the first piece
This is a common trap that costs new players significant time.
2. Spending the whole round on the return route before anyone has touched the cheese
This is a common trap that costs new players significant time.
3. Placing anvils above the path mice are walking along
This is a common trap that costs new players significant time.
4. Grinding bootcamp alone in a room with fewer than 4 players
This is a common trap that costs new players significant time.
5. Treating divine mode as a straight upgrade and losing access to red and yellow anchors mid build
This is a common trap that costs new players significant time.
First 5 Hours Checklist
- Understand Cheese and hole scoring and Shaman summoning
- Choose Wind Master as starting build
- Clear Vanilla main content
- Acquire Big Box or equivalent upgrade
- Reach Bootcamp
- Build toward the cheese first and worry about the hole second. Rounds are on a timer and a room that never reaches the cheese scores nothing, whereas a room holding cheese will usually find a way back even over a rough return path.
- Anchor your first object and hang the rest off it. A yellow anchor on C fixes a plank to the map so the whole structure has a fixed point, and unanchored builds collapse the moment more than two mice stand on them.
Tips for New Players
- Build toward the cheese first and worry about the hole second. Rounds are on a timer and a room that never reaches the cheese scores nothing, whereas a room holding cheese will usually find a way back even over a rough return path.
- Anchor your first object and hang the rest off it. A yellow anchor on C fixes a plank to the map so the whole structure has a fixed point, and unanchored builds collapse the moment more than two mice stand on them.
- Red nails on B let an object rotate on its own axis, which is what makes seesaws and swinging bridges work. Hard mode restricts them to totems and divine mode removes them entirely, so learn what they do before those modes unlock.
- Hard mode arrives at 1,000 saved mice and needs a client restart before the feather icon appears next to the emotes. If the setting is missing after passing 1,000, restarting is the fix rather than saving more mice.
- Divine mode needs 5,000 total saves with at least 2,000 of them in hard mode, and it removes red nails, yellow nails, the spirit, totems and boosts while allowing summoning almost anywhere. It is a different skill, not an upgrade.
- Anvils weigh 30 by 30 pixels worth of space and far more than that in mass. Use them as counterweights on a tipping structure, and never place one above the route mice are about to take.
- Trampolines solve vertical maps in one object. A single 100 by 20 pixel trampoline placed under a ledge replaces an entire staircase of planks and boxes, and it costs one summon instead of six.
- Bootcamp completions only register in rooms with four or more players, so a solo bootcamp room is practice with no credit. Racing rankings similarly need 11 or more mice, which is why both modes reward joining busy rooms.
- Skill trees are respecialised, not locked in, and each of the five holds 15 skills across six branches with later branches needing 5 points invested earlier. Switching from Mechanician to Wind Master before a racing session is normal play.
- In Survivor the Shaman gets cannons and Meep and is trying to kill you, so the usual instinct to follow the Shaman is exactly wrong. Spread out, stay off flat open ground, and let cannonball arcs commit before you move.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I become the Shaman?
The game picks the Shaman between rounds, and scoring well makes you a strong candidate, so the mouse that reaches the hole first regularly ends up summoning next. Private rooms and tribe houses let you take the role directly instead of waiting for the rotation.
How many saves do hard mode and divine mode need?
Hard mode unlocks at 1,000 mice saved, and divine mode at 5,000 total saves with at least 2,000 of those in hard mode. Both require restarting the game client before the setting appears.
What do the different coloured nails do?
The red nail on B pins an object to the background and lets it rotate on its own axis, the yellow anchor on C fixes an object in place, and blue joints tie two objects together. Hard mode allows red nails only inside a totem, and divine mode removes both red and yellow.
Which skill tree should a new Shaman pick?
Mechanician, because it makes builds hold up under a full room, which is the most common failure for a new Shaman. Wind Master is the better second tree once your structures already survive, since it focuses on moving mice rather than supporting them.
Is Transformice free?
Yes, it is free to play on Steam and in the browser, and it has been running since 2010 under Atelier 801. Purchases cover cosmetics and conveniences rather than the modes themselves, so Vanilla, Bootcamp, Racing, Survivor, Defilante and Village are all open from the start.
More Transformice Guides
- Transformice Transformice Overview
- Transformice Best Builds
- Transformice Tier List
- Transformice Walkthrough
- Transformice Tips & Tricks
- Transformice Weapons Guide
- Transformice Combat Guide
- Transformice Boss Guide
- Transformice Maps & Locations
- Transformice Crafting Guide
- Transformice Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy Transformice, check out these related guides:
- Escape Simulator Beginner's Guide: puzzle game with similar mechanics
- Pico Park Beginner's Guide: puzzle game with similar mechanics
- Portal Beginner's Guide: puzzle game with similar mechanics
