The earliest version of Mickey Mouse is now in public domain as of January 1, 2024, and as many guessed, a game developer has announced its own twist on the character in a spooky setting.
Nightmare Forge Games has announced Infestation 88, an episodic 1-4 player co-op survival horror game set in 1988. You play as an exterminator called upon to rid dwellings of “twisted versions of classic characters and urban legends.” And yes, Mickey Mouse is one of those characters. The game is set to release later this year on Steam as an Early Access title.
The version of Mickey Mouse that went into public domain today, January 1, is the character’s earliest appearance, dating back to 1928’s Steamboat Willie. Newer versions of the character remain under Disney’s control. Legal experts expect Disney to remain highly protective of its brand and Mickey Mouse specifically, so it’ll be interesting to see what happens in the days, weeks, and months ahead as inevitably more and more Mickey-related projects come to light due to the public domain status of Steamboat Willie.
Infestation 88 features a number of “unique locations” and players will visit these and unravel the mysteries (and horrors) of how each infestation began. “Find the source at all costs,” reads a line from the game’s description. Each area has its own unique “classic character” or urban legend to deal with. Mickey Mouse is one of these. You can see some of the others in the trailer and the image gallery in this story.
Gallery
Infestation 88 features private and public lobbies, as well as proximity-based and standard voice chat, so teams can work together to take down the evil creatures. Items are randomized, which Nightmare Forge says should help boost the game’s replayability. Players will unlock experience, skins, perks, and other items as they make progress in Infestation 88. What’s more, the game supports Nvidia DLSS, which Nightmare Forge says should allow for “stunning visuals without sacrificing frame rate.”
You can visit the Infestation 88 Steam page to learn more.
