Mixtape Review: A Wholly Unique Coming of Age Video Game Masterpiece

2 weeks ago 6

Published May 7, 2026, 9:00 AM EDT

Ethan Krieger is an Editor at DualShockers, where he covers reviews, guides, lists, features, previews, interviews, and gaming news. He began writing professionally in 2017 as a sports writer before moving into games coverage with DualShockers in 2024.

Before joining DualShockers, Ethan wrote for the FanSided Sports Network, including 8 Points, 9 Seconds, where he covered the Indiana Pacers, and Pelican Debrief, where he covered the New Orleans Pelicans. His background in sports writing, editing, and content strategy now informs his approach to gaming coverage, especially around reviews, rankings, guides, and event reporting. Ethan studied English at Arizona State University, with a focus on writing and text editing.

The coming of age story has been a staple in media for decades, and it's obvious why. We were all kids once, and we all grew up into an adulthood that more than likely wasn't quite what we were expecting when we went out into the world. No matter the era these stories take place in, everyone can relate in one way or another. Childhood is a common bond we all share as humans, and so much of it is universal.

10 Best Video Game Coming Of Age Stories

From heartache to heroism, these 10 video games capture the magic (and mess) of growing up with plenty of chaos, feels, and self-discovery.

Mixtape specifically will probably hit hardest for those who grew up in the '90s I suppose, but even so, there are many themes within it that extend to all ages. I myself graduated from high school in 2010. The characters in Mixtape are all graduating during a time before cell phones and social media. Sure, this makes things fundamentally different in some ways, but not enough to keep Mixtape from feeling like the perfect stillframe of a specific time in my own life.

Of all the coming of age video games out there, Mixtape ended up easily being my personal favorite by the end. There are so many reasons for this, so let's not waste any more time on introductions. It's a short experience, not much longer than the movies it's inspired by, but that doesn't keep it from being a genuine classic already. Time to hit "Play."

Track One: The Last Night

The premise of Mixtape is a pretty simple one. '90s kids, best friends, and resident skateboarding punks, Stacey, Slater, and Cassandra, are ready to graduate and move on with their lives. To cap off this era, they're on the hunt to secure booze for one last hurrah at a beach party taking place in "Big Suck," California. Since they know it's their final night together for a while, everything needs to be perfect.

So perfect, in fact, that main character Stacey, music-obsessed to a frankly pretentious fault, has curated the ideal playlist on a mix CD to accompany the entire evening (and game). Tomorrow morning, Stacey is off to NYC (bailing on a promised friend roadtrip in the process) to seek out a music exec, show off her mixtapes, and surely land a job immediately as a Music Supervisor in the industry as a result.

It's a little bit Superbad, a dash of Adventureland, a healthy dose of Ferris Bueller (thanks to tons of fourth-wall breaking moments), the vibe of Freaks and Geeks, mixed with whatever additional John Hughes film you want to throw in for comparison as well. At the same time, this isn't just a ripoff of things we've seen before. Mixtape is its own take on the genre, and it works incredibly for those keen to these types of experiences.

For me, I saw myself in all three of the main characters. Stacey, in her fully convinced nature at that age that she already knows the most/best about everything, and her opinions matter most. Slater, in his quiet calm demeanor, making albums but being too self-conscious to show them off to the world. Cassandra, sheltered most of her life, but ready now to take the steps into becoming her own person.

The trio is so well-realized and well written (and constantly hilarious), with never-ending banter back and forth that really drives home the believability of the friend group. They are, at times, cringey and awkward, to the point where I wonder if some players will think it's too much. For me, putting myself back in the shoes of kids at this moment in their lives... Yeah. I was this cringey and awkward, too. It's a rite of passage at this age, so you have to experience the game from this mindset.

Of all the coming of age video games out there, Mixtape ended up easily being my personal favorite by the end.

It's also worth mentioning that the voice acting here is absolutely tremendous by every single human involved. Everyone is cast perfectly, and everyone is 100% believable in their roles and line delivery. It's so, so impressive that a small game like this pulled off such incredible characters. Hats off to all involved in the VO booth. Slater is genuinely one of my favorite video game characters of all time now. That's an insane statement to make, but play the game, and you'll understand too.

A bulk of the game is spent in each of the three characters' bedrooms, the sanctuary of any fledgling adult still living at home. It's here where we truly get a glimpse into each of their respective lives, with items placed around the room that tell a story, and such personal shared memories and experiences that you can't help but feel like you're part of the squad too.

Due to the highly narrative nature of Mixtape, I didn't think it would be very replayable. However, I also then watched someone else play the entire game the day after I'd one-sitting-ed it, and it somehow hit even harder for me the second time around. The jokes, highs, and lows, if anything, were all amplified even further by knowing how everything ultimately shakes out.

Track Two: Play It Loud

Of course, the big selling point of Mixtape going into it is the soundtrack, and boy, does it deliver. Stacey has handpicked every song for every moment of the game, and it's clear she knew what she was doing. It's a combination of heavy hitters in the scene of that era, from Smashing Pumpkins to Portishead, Devo, The Cure, Iggy Pop, Lush, and many, many others.

What's awesome for any fellow music nerds is that in her fourth-wall breaks, Stacey gives a quick intro about every song along the way; release dates, where the artists are from, fun facts about the groups, etc. I loved all of these moments, and it also allows Mixtape to genuinely feel like some weird sort of musical education from a type of music you won't find in many classrooms. This is very cool.

It's also worth mentioning that the voice acting here is absolutely tremendous by every single human involved.

This soundtrack, full of real world, licensed music, really cannot be undersold in how pivotal it is to making Mixtape as special as it ends up. I found an interview with the team incredibly enlightening, as they explained Mixtape was thought of and constructed as an album itself, laying out the songs/moments and sorting out how to tie it all together sonically. On all fronts, they nailed it. I'd recommend headphones or a good sound system to experience this one.

There's just so much here for fans of these songs; simple moments like Stacey looking at a picture of her family and saying their soundtrack would be "People are People" by Depeche Mode. If you get it, you get it.

To go along with the audio masterclass that is Mixtape, it's also presented in such a charming, creative way that stands out compared to any other contemporaries in the genre. It has a sort of stop-motion, claymation-type presentation that not only feels absurdly nostalgic, but also just looks awesome. The best way to describe it is that Mixtape looks and feels truly cinematic.

10 Amazing Indie Game Soundtracks

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This shouldn't come as a surprise since the game is published by Annapurna Interactive, known for their indie movies and now racking up a ton of highly-polished video games to boot, but developers Beethoven and Dinosaur deserve a massive shoutout regardless. Mixtape has so much distinct film-quality style to a genuinely impressive degree.

The camera shots seem directed by a cinephile, with quick cutaways and framing that evoke Wes Anderson films at times. The character designs are excellent. The coloring and lighting in certain shots and scenes are top-tier. Everything about Mixtape from a presentation perspective screams "High quality, cult-classic indie film," and I really love it for this.

Track Three: Kick, Push, Coast

As such a movie-like video game journey, you'd be correct to wonder if there's actually any gameplay here to write home about. Thankfully, yes. Mixtape is not traditionally action-packed to be sure, but it is highlighted with so many little moments throughout the story that have been game-ified and clearly thought about in order to make them feel like special experiences during the runtime.

It's a bit hard to describe what's here, because on paper, it sounds potentially mundane. I assure you, however, that Mixtape is anything but. It's tiny, little things, like making slushies at the local 7-Eleven stand-in, or headbanging to a song in a car as you cruise around town and hit a fast food drive-thru. It's trying to rent some VHS tapes from the local video store when you're in... an altered state of mind.

To go along with the audio masterclass that is Mixtape, it's also presented in such a charming, creative way that stands out compared to any other contemporaries in the genre.

It's also quiet moments, like skipping stones at a pond while shooting the breeze about how the original Alien is better than its sequel, Aliens (a very accurate take, by the way). Or moving a couch to the group hangout spot, or choosing what colors to paint the front door. These are silly, trivial tasks, but the way they're presented and executed in the game is always a bit of magic.

I may be alone in this comparison, but how Mixtape can take such little things and make them so downright special and memorable is something I haven't experienced since Hazelight's It Takes Two, which also is a masterclass in making the little details feel so important.

There are some more eventful moments too. The whole group skateboards, so you'll cruise through neighborhoods on your boards to get to each characters' houses, complete with the ability to execute simple flip tricks and grabs. No, it's not THPS or Skate levels of deep, of course, but it is still very cool, and the scenery along the way is splendid.

Others, like police chases while you escape in a shopping cart, and platforming through random neighborhood backyards and houses are here too. All of these moments always have some kind of fun twist to the controls or are presented in some sort of dream-like, whimsical fashion, and they honestly all landed for me consistently.

So, no, Mixtape isn't going to be the most exciting game you've ever played in terms of high-octane, nonstop action, but I don't think that's what many players are coming here for anyway. What is included on the gameplay front is wonderful, and I can't give the team enough credit for how entertaining and unique they made simple things feel throughout.

Track Four: Your Own Greatest Hits

I'd like to wrap up with something I didn't know I was getting myself into when I first raised my hand to review Mixtape. Yes, for the most part, it's a wacky and fun video game adaptation of many topics and themes from similar movies and shows of the past. At the same time, it also often interjects dialog and interactions that felt downright poignant to me.

There's a little bit of "adult writing the conversations of students" here, resulting in some perspectives and ideas presented by the group that feel wise and profound beyond their years. At the same time, this group of friends is clearly a bit more deep than the typical high schooler, so it still fits the feel of the game for Stacey, Slater, or Cassandra to occasionally drop a line that stops you in your tracks.

What is included on the gameplay front is wonderful, and I can't give the team enough credit for how entertaining and unique they made simple things feel throughout.

In a note, Stacey's older sister tells her to "leave nothing unsaid" before ending this phase of her life. As an adult now looking back on my adolescence, this hits home, thinking about all the people from this time in my life that I've never seen again. What would I have said to them with that perspective, knowing we'd never cross paths moving forward?

Slater, contemplating the gang's youth and how the smallest things can feel so monumentally difficult, says, "We have no point of reference. Maybe it just gets worse," about life in general. And, well. In lots of ways in the modern world, this is true. But along the way, we gain perspective that helps us re-frame and realize how simple things really used to be, and appreciate the moments when things are lighter and happier as a result.

The theme of the game comes down to our characters realizing, "We're writing the album. The greatest hits come after. We need more hits." It's a perfect reminder that the days of our lives are fleeting, and we need to take the time along the way to make memories worthy of being on life's great mixtape at the end of it all.

This is driven home in tons of flashbacks throughout the game that take form in sequences that often feel like dreams, distorted by time and recalled in ways that the characters' minds have chosen to remember the good and bad moments alike. No other game has caused me to recontextualize my own memories in my brain quite like this, which is one last testament to just how important and special I think Mixtape really is.

By the time you hit the credits, you'll have laughed, cried, cheered, gasped, and been consistently impressed and enthralled by every single thing happening on screen, all while jamming to amazing tunes every step of the way. There aren't any other video games quite like Mixtape. Don't skip this one.

Mixtape is a coming of age tale that hits all the right notes from beginning to end. While it's a short game that you might only play once, that does not take away from how special the journey is along the way. Witty, hilarious writing, incredible voice performances, gorgeous art direction, and consistently creative gameplay beats are paired with a flawless soundtrack that serves as the backbone for every single scene perfectly in a '90s period piece that knows exactly what to drive home. The result is a wholly unique gaming experience that's loaded with nostalgic charm, great humor, and many poignant moments that will make you reframe how you think about your own personal memories of youth. I cannot recommend it enough.

Released May 7, 2026

Developer(s) Beethoven & Dinosaur

Number of Players Single-player

Pros & Cons

Incredible soundtrack that forms the backbone for the entire experience
Witty, poignant, hilarious writing that serves the narrative and characters tremendously
A wonderful art style that feels like a nostalgic stop-motion piece
Dozens of creative, weird, and whimsical gameplay sections thrown in constantly
A coming of age indie movie vibe that hits all the right beats and with absolutely standout voice performances