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.
These tips go beyond the basics. They're the strategies experienced players use to play more efficiently, the hidden mechanics most people miss, and the optimizations that compound over a full playthrough. If you're just starting, check our beginner's guide first.
Essential Tips
1. Build toward the cheese first and worry about the hole second
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.
2. Anchor your first object and hang the rest off it
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.
3. Red nails on B let an object rotate on its own axis, which is what makes seesaws and swinging bridges work
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.
4. Hard mode arrives at 1,000 saved mice and needs a client restart before the feather icon appears next to the emotes
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.
5. 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
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.
6. Anvils weigh 30 by 30 pixels worth of space and far more than that in mass
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.
7. Trampolines solve vertical maps in one object
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.
8. Bootcamp completions only register in rooms with four or more players, so a solo bootcamp room is practice with no credit
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.
9. 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
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.
10. 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
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.
Advanced Strategies
Build Optimization
The difference between an average build and an optimized one is massive. See our builds guide for full breakdowns.
For Spiritual Guide (A-Tier):
- Focus on Cheese and hole scoring combinations for maximum output.
- Core gear: Little Plank
- Stat priority: Offensive stats first
For Wind Master (A-Tier):
- Versatile approach that handles any situation.
- Core gear: Big Box
- Stat priority: Balanced stats
Mechanic Interactions
Understanding how Transformice's systems interact is where the real optimization lives. Our combat guide covers this in detail.
Cheese and hole scoring + Shaman summoning: A round is won by touching the cheese and then reaching the hole. Combined with 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.
Nails and joints + Hard mode and divine mode: Objects are fixed with anchors. When paired with 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.
Skill trees scaling: 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.
Equipment Efficiency
| Equipment | Best Use Case | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Little Plank | Short spans, ramps and the first anchored piece of any build. | A 100 by 10 pixel plank and the basic building block for every bridge and ramp. |
| Big Box | Pillars under a plank, blocking a gap and giving mice a step up. | A 60 by 60 pixel solid box. |
| Anvil | Counterweights, holding a hinged plank down, and Survivor rounds where killing mice is the point. | A 30 by 30 pixel object with far more mass than its size suggests. |
| Trampoline | Vertical gaps, and getting a whole room upward when there is no time to build stairs. | A 100 by 20 pixel object with a high restitution top surface and moderate friction underneath. |
| Balloon | Lifting individual mice, and temporary platforms on maps with no anchor points. | A 30 pixel floating object that lifts what it is attached to and pops under enough weight. |
Location Efficiency
Vanilla (Any level, official maps only): 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.
Bootcamp (Advanced platforming, no Shaman): 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.
Racing (Any level, 11 or more mice for ranked results): A pure speed mode where mice sprint for the cheese and the hole with no Shaman assistance. Competitive rankings require 11 or more mice in the room, so busy racing rooms are the ones worth joining.
Survivor (Any level, adversarial): The mode where the Shaman is the enemy. One player is given cannons and the Meep ability and tries to kill every mouse on the map, and the last mouse alive takes the round.
Defilante (Any level, cooperative): A cooperative auto-scrolling mode where the whole room works through a scrolling map together. It rewards consistency over speed, since falling behind the scroll removes you rather than costing seconds.
Mistakes Even Veterans Make
- Building an elaborate structure without anchoring the first piece.
- Spending the whole round on the return route before anyone has touched the cheese.
- Placing anvils above the path mice are walking along.
- Grinding bootcamp alone in a room with fewer than 4 players.
- Treating divine mode as a straight upgrade and losing access to red and yellow anchors mid build.
Pro Quick Tips
- 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.
- Start with Wind Master, switch to Spiritual Guide when ready
- Invest in Little Plank above everything else
- Clear areas in order: Vanilla → Bootcamp → Racing → Survivor → Defilante. See our maps guide
- Cheese and hole scoring + Shaman summoning together are stronger than either alone
More Transformice Guides
- Transformice Transformice Overview
- Transformice Best Builds
- Transformice Tier List
- Transformice Walkthrough
- Transformice Beginner's Guide
- 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 Tips & Tricks: puzzle game with similar mechanics
- Pico Park Tips & Tricks: puzzle game with similar mechanics
- Portal Tips & Tricks: puzzle game with similar mechanics
