Making a mixtape used to be a full-on event. You’d sit with your finger hovering over the record button, waiting for the DJ to stop talking so you could catch the start of the next song clean and then spend hours lining up tracks, decorating and naming all the songs on your cassette sleeve. There was often that one song that got cut off halfway through because you ran out of tape or the DJ interrupted before the song ended but that was just part of the process.
This game took me back to that era. Set in the 90s, Mixtape follows three teens, heading their separate ways after school, determined to have one last epic night together. The story builds toward their planned last night together, interwoven with hazy, dreamlike recreations of the moments that defined their friendship. All of it plays out against a backdrop of mixtape songs, each track perfectly stitched into the mood of the moment.
Music is a massive part of the whole experience. The main character you play as, Rockford, breaks the fourth wall to talk you through the songs that soundtrack each moment. It’s a cool touch, especially with tracks from Devi, Smashing Pumpkins, Iggy Pop, Joy Division amongst others capturing the era and moments perfectly.
Gameplay‑wise, it’s light, but the moments where you’re actually in control are genuinely fun. At times, you’re exploring locations, interacting with objects that trigger dialogue and backstory and then suddenly you’re skateboarding down the picturesque hills of North Carolina, all bathed in that golden, end of summer glow. There are a bunch of ‘mini-games’ such as skimmings stones, batting practice, slingshotting bottles off a car, even setting off fireworks to name a few all of which flow naturally into the narrative rather than feeling disconnected. Like I said, the gameplay is light but the moments themselves are so varied and flow together so naturally that it ends up being unexpectedly fun (apart from that slightly revolting kissing game).
The art direction has that Spider-Verse style energy – bold, stylised, kinetic. Character movements are fluid and every scene looks great. Every setting drips with nostalgia – cluttered with little details that transport you back to the 90s (if you are of an age where you remember that). I couldn’t help feeling jealous of the characters’ bedrooms, packed with cool lava lamps, posters and all those perfect 90s relics I wish I’d had.
It’s shorter than I expected, clocking in at around fours hours but honestly I think adding extra filler could have taken away from what’s already a well-told story that hits at all the right moments. It’s a coming‑of‑age story and trip down memory lane, so it won’t land for everyone, but for me it was heartfelt, stylish, and exactly the kind of short experience that sticks with you.
-Jessica
Mixtape launches for PC (via Steam and the Epic Games Store),Nintendo Switch 2,Xbox Series X|S (available Day 1 on Gamepass), and PlayStation 5 on May 7, 2026 for $19.99 USD. It is developed by Beethoven & Dinosaur and published by Annapurna Interactive.
*Review Code provided by publisher.
