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.
This walkthrough takes you from your first session to endgame content. Each phase has specific goals, priorities, and milestones. New to the game? Start with our beginner's guide first.
Quick Progression Summary
| Phase | Area | Focus | Build | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Start | Vanilla | Cheese and hole scoring basics | Wind Master | 1-2 hours |
| 2. Early | Bootcamp | Shaman summoning mastery | Wind Master | 3-5 hours |
| 3. Mid | Racing | Nails and joints + gear | Spiritual Guide or Wind Master | 5-10 hours |
| 4. Late | Survivor | Build optimization | Spiritual Guide | 5-10 hours |
| 5. Endgame | Defilante | Min-max | Spiritual Guide or Physicist | Ongoing |
See our maps guide for detailed area breakdowns.
Phase 1: Getting Started (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.
Level/Difficulty: Any level, official maps only Key Rewards: Cheese, first place points, shaman saves
What to Do in Vanilla
- Learn Cheese and hole scoring. A round is won by touching the cheese and then reaching the hole. Spend your first session getting comfortable with this.
- Pick Wind Master as your starting build. See our builds guide for why.
- 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.
- Acquire your first equipment upgrade: Big Box or whatever's available.
- Clear all main content before moving on.
Phase 1 Checklist
- Understand Cheese and hole scoring fundamentals
- Wind Master selected and functional
- Vanilla main content cleared
- Ready for Bootcamp
Phase 2: Early Game (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.
Level/Difficulty: Advanced platforming, no Shaman Key Rewards: Bootcamp completions, movement skill that transfers to every other mode
What to Do in Bootcamp
- Work on 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. This system becomes critical from here on.
- Farm for Big Box if you haven't already. It's the key upgrade for this phase.
- 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.
- Complete all objectives before pushing to Racing.
- Consider whether Spiritual Guide might suit your playstyle better than Wind Master.
Phase 2 Checklist
- Shaman summoning integrated into gameplay
- Big Box acquired
- Bootcamp fully cleared
- Ready for Racing
Phase 3: Mid Game (Racing)
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.
Level/Difficulty: Any level, 11 or more mice for ranked results Key Rewards: Racing rank, shortcut knowledge
What to Do in Racing
- Master Nails and joints. Objects are fixed with anchors. This unlocks a new layer of gameplay.
- Start working toward Little Plank. It's the best equipment and becomes accessible around now.
- 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.
- This area is the main skill check. If you can clear it, you're ready for late game.
- Start investing in Hard mode and divine mode for the tactical depth you'll need going forward.
Phase 3 Checklist
- Nails and joints mastered
- Little Plank acquired or in progress
- Racing fully cleared
- Ready for Survivor
Phase 4: Late Game (Survivor)
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.
Level/Difficulty: Any level, adversarial Key Rewards: Survivor rounds survived, cannon dodging practice
What to Do in Survivor
- Finalize your build. You should be running Spiritual Guide or Wind Master with optimized gear.
- Little Plank should be your primary. If you don't have it yet, prioritize getting it.
- 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.
- Skill trees optimization starts here. Small improvements compound into massive advantages.
- Farm this area for the resources needed to push into Defilante.
Phase 4 Checklist
- Build fully optimized
- Little Plank upgraded to max
- Survivor fully cleared
- Ready for Defilante
Phase 5: Endgame (Defilante)
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.
Level/Difficulty: Any level, cooperative Key Rewards: Defilante points, group coordination
What to Do in Defilante
- Defilante tests everything. Come prepared with your best build and gear.
- 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.
- The endgame loop: run Defilante, optimize gear, push harder content.
- Experiment with Physicist for a fresh take once you've mastered the standard builds.
- This is where Skill trees mastery separates good players from great ones. See our tips guide for advanced strategies.
Phase 5 Checklist
- Endgame content on farm
- Best-in-slot gear acquired
- Defilante fully cleared
- Ready for challenge content
Common Progression Mistakes
- 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
Key Tips for Smooth Progression
- 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.
For more advanced strategies, see our tips & tricks guide.
More Transformice Guides
- Transformice Transformice Overview
- Transformice Best Builds
- Transformice Tier List
- Transformice Beginner's Guide
- Transformice Tips & Tricks
- Transformice Weapons Guide
- Transformice Combat Guide
- Transformice Boss Guide
- Transformice Maps & Locations
- Transformice Crafting Guide
- Transformice Classes & Characters
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