Mixtape: A Stylish Interactive Movie With Incredible Music
An interactive coming-of-age story packed with incredible music and style, even if its gameplay feels too limited.
The main reason I played Mixtape was honestly because people kept comparing it to games like Night in the Woods and Oxenfree. And if you know me already, then you probably know Night in the Woods is my favourite game of all time. So the moment I saw those comparisons floating around online, I was already interested.
I got PC Game Pass, instantly downloaded the game and jumped in completely blind. Didn’t watch the trailers, didn’t read much about the story - nothing. All I knew was that critics were loving it and people couldn’t stop talking about the soundtrack.
And honestly? After finishing it in around 3 hours, I can definitely understand why people are connecting with it… even if I personally didn’t end up loving it as much as some reviews did.
Main Developers: Beethoven & Dinosaur
Publishers: Annapurna Interactive
Genres: Music, Adventure
Game Modes: Single Player
Story & Atmosphere
At its core, Mixtape is a pretty simple coming-of-age story. It follows a group of teen friends trying to prepare for what’s supposed to be the coolest night of their lives before everything changes. Things obviously don’t go according to plan, and the game leans heavily into those awkward, emotional, nostalgic teenage moments.
The vibe is honestly really cool though. The whole game feels like a playable 90s music video at times. The aesthetics, the lighting, the transitions between scenes; it all works together really well. And even though the story itself felt just okay-ish to me, the atmosphere constantly carried the experience forward. That said, I do think this game will hit way harder for people who connect with the nostalgia angle. For me personally, I appreciated it more than I emotionally connected with it.
Gameplay
Now for the part that’s probably dividing most players - the gameplay. In short: Mixtape is basically an interactive movie. Most of the gameplay revolves around quick-time events and smaller interactive sequences between the story moments. And while I didn’t hate that approach, I definitely kept wishing the game would let me do more.
Like honestly, imagine if they actually let us skate around the town freely between chapters, interact with random places, hang out more naturally with the characters and just exist in the world for a bit. That would’ve been SO good.
But the game never really opens up like that. Instead, it stays very linear and cinematic from start to finish. Which is fine if you enjoy interactive storytelling experiences, but if you’re expecting deeper gameplay systems or exploration, you might walk away disappointed.
Graphics / Visuals
Visually though? Yeah, this game is beautiful. I really liked the whole art direction here. One detail that stood out to me immediately was how the characters moved in a lower bitrate/framerate style compared to the environments around them. It’s such a weird little visual touch, but it genuinely made the game feel unique.
The heavy 90s aesthetic also works really well. Everything from the colors to the scene transitions feels intentionally designed to pull you into that nostalgic vibe. And honestly, this might be the game’s biggest strength outside the soundtrack - it has a very clear identity.
Audio / Sound
I’m not even going too deep into the music section because… yeah, the soundtrack is just incredible. The game uses music throughout its chapters and every track fits perfectly with the mood it’s trying to create. Even if the gameplay didn’t fully land for me, the music constantly kept me engaged. And if you’re someone who loves 90s-era music and vibe-heavy experiences, there’s a very high chance you’ll enjoy this game way more than I did.
Length & Replayability
Mixtape is short. I finished it in around 3 hours and I think that’s honestly the perfect length for this kind of experience. But replayability? I don’t really see it personally.
And this is probably where I compare it back to Night in the Woods. That game stayed with me. I replayed it, listened to the soundtrack outside the game, revisited characters and moments constantly. Mixtape has amazing music too, no doubt about that… but once the credits rolled, I didn’t really feel the urge to jump back in.
Smash Hit Score: 3.5/5
I know some critics are calling Mixtape one of the best narrative experiences in recent years, and while I do think it’s a good game, I personally wouldn’t go that far. For me, this is a stylish interactive movie with fantastic music, a really cool visual identity and some enjoyable coming-of-age energy but outside of that, there’s not a whole lot left.
Still, I had a good time with it. And well, if you enjoy interactive story-heavy games or just love 90s music and aesthetics, this is absolutely worth checking out at least once.
🎮 Have you played this game? Share your thoughts below!
