By the time Mixtape reaches its final moments, it feels less like a video game and more like a faded shoebox of teenage memories left under a bed for twenty years. It’s a highly romanticised reflection of the teenage angst, music and rebellion of the 90s draped across vignettes of memories we experience through the eyes of its three leads; a bittersweet coming-of-age drama that never attempts to anything together cohesively, but at the same time, maybe it’s not meant to in trying to capture the messy, turbulent and disorganised mindsets of teenagers on the cusp of adulthood. I think Mixtape is a wholly unique story-driven experience that will strike different chords with everyone.



Mixtape takes place in the sleepy fictional Californian town of Blue Moon Lagoon during the 90s. We follow three teenage friends – Stacy, Slater and Cassandra – as they reflect back on their days growing up, the ups and downs of their daily lives, and the uncertain, often terrifying roads ahead as they become adults. Stacy plans on moving to New York to pursue her dream as a music supervisor – a move that will ultimately disrupt their forged friendships, placing us in their vulnerable last moments of uncertainty, joy and sadness as we weave between memories (vignettes) like a literal mixtape of their lives together.



Each section of the story is broken down into “tapes”, usually accompanied by Stacy’s recommendation of songs from the late 80s and early 90s while telling isolated moments from their pasts. Through reliving these short vignettes, it helps us better understand each character’s mindset and what they’re feeling; each almost apprehensive at the fact that they’re growing up and moving on as the future seems more daunting than ever. As a teenager, it speaks to a feeling I’m sure almost everyone can relate to – the sudden realisation that our best days could be behind us as we step into the responsibilities of adulthood. It’s a feeling no one can ever truly be prepared for, and I think Mixtape captures those rocky emotions incredibly well through the lens of these characters and the almost fairy tale-esque style the story is told through.

As a teenager, it speaks to a feeling I’m sure almost everyone can relate to – the sudden realisation that our best days could be behind us as we step into the responsibilities of adulthood.

Mixtape is light on gameplay and heavier on its cutscenes and storytelling. This is something games like Life is Strange or Telltale’s games have succeeded at, though Mixtape takes it a few steps further. The few gameplay moments we do get in the game are essentially smaller minigames – rummaging through your bedroom while you pick up objects (some of which could trigger memories), skipping stones at the creek, or skateboarding down autumn roads, for example. My favourite section in the game is a high-speed chase from the police involving a shopping kart. Each gameplay segment is short and sweet before it nudges us back towards the main story, which is where Mixtape might lose players expecting a bit more depth to the gameplay.



For the most part, Mixtape plays out like a greatest hits collection of nostalgic teenage memories driven by its cinematics and narrative framework more than giving too much thought to the gameplay, which is fine if that’s the expectation most players have going in. I’d argue that even Life is Strange presents more interactive opportunities than Mixtape, though both largely share the same DNA. I wish developer Beethoven & Dinosaur extended the game’s length a bit – on my playthrough, I rolled credits in about two and a half hours – by spicing the gameplay up with a few more interesting hands-on segments for players. There are a few notable gameplay sections that are wonderfully crafted, such as gliding through fields in a dream-like state or soaring across the entire town, but they’re short-lived spectacles in a game that’s already very short and largely populated by cutscenes.

Each gameplay segment is short and sweet before it nudges us back towards the main story, which is where Mixtape might lose players expecting a bit more depth to the gameplay.

In some ways, Mixtape plays out like an animated movie with sparse sections that could be deemed “gameplay” (I’m sure you’ve come across this heated debate online already). It doesn’t really bother me in most cases - especially being a fan of Life is Strange, last year’s excellent Dispatch or Telltale’s titles - but even I admit Mixtape could’ve benefited from more involved gameplay a bit. If you take it as an experience that’s short, digestible and asks very little from the player to fully appreciate, I guess there’s an argument to be made that Mixtape does its job, and does it spectacularly. Though I can also see the other side of the argument that the game isn’t so concerned with being a “game” more than it is being a cinematic experience – granted, it’s a very well-executed, earnest one that I’m sure would attract awards and comparisons to movies like High Fidelity, Dazed and Confused or The Breakfast Club, of which it draws obvious inspirations from.



At the core of Mixtape is the music that brings these characters together, often reminding me of my own bonding time with high school friends as we connected over interests like our favourite bands, anime or video games. You have these beautiful moments where characters in Mixtape simply bond and talk about their interests, but in between those enthusiastic conversations, you also have these humanising talks that feel unshakeably real and written by someone who has fully experienced personal hardships, doubts and fears about life first-hand. It achieves this through the music and the selection of tracks here are excellent, including some all-time greats like Joy Division, Smashing Pumpkins, Portishead, The Jesus and Mary Chain, and more. The soundtrack is, unsurprisingly, Mixtape’s driving force and every song feels deliberately and perfectly chosen to capture the game’s emotional beats.

You have these beautiful moments where characters in Mixtape simply bond and talk about their interests, but in between those enthusiastic conversations, you also have these humanising talks that feel unshakeably real...

The voice acting is also particularly strong, with Bella DeLong and Jessica Ma standing out for their performances as Stacy and Cassandra, respectively. Max Korman’s Slater sounds exactly like how you’d expect some skater dude named “Van Slater” to sound. Whether intentional or not, his performance is more on the goofier side, though he also brings great levity to situations that actually got a few good chuckles out of me.



I reviewed Mixtape on PS5 Pro and it has an interesting presentation, blending realistic backgrounds moving at higher, smoother framerates contrasted with animated character models that almost move in stop-motion at lower framerates. This style isn’t unique to Mixtape – we’ve seen it done before in the Spider-Verse movies or [censored] in Boots: The Last Wish – but it works for the kind nostalgic, surreal 90s aesthetic Mixtape is going for. It’s also a personal favourite, aesthetically pleasing style that I love to see in more media, so that’s a win. The game ran well and I hit no noticeable issues during my short playtime whatsoever.



There’s something deeply sincere about Mixtape that lingers long after the credits roll. Beneath its hazy 90s aesthetic, stylish presentation, and carefully curated soundtrack is a story carried by characters who feel awkward, vulnerable, and wonderfully human. It’s a game that wears its heart on its sleeve, trusting players to meet it on its emotional wave-length. That earnestness won’t work for everyone, especially when the experience leans more heavily on cinematic storytelling than meaningful gameplay at times, but for those willing to give it a chance, Mixtape becomes less about mechanical challenge and more about memory, friendship, and the tumultuous feelings of growing up.