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Mixtape

Mighty · 116 reviews · 29 articles · May 7, 2026
Full score breakdown on OpenCritic ↗

Mixtape news

Mixtape wins three awards at Australian Game Developer Awards 2026, including GOTY

The winners of this year's Australian Game Developer Awards have been revealed, with Beethoven & Dinosaur's Mixtape receiving three awards, including Game of the Year alongside Excellence in Art and Sound Design.

GamesIndustry.biz / Sophie McEvoy
Business

Mixtape Wins Game of the Year at the 2026 Australian Game Developer Awards

Mixtape developer Beethoven & Dinosaur has won a trifecta of awards at the 2026 AGDAs, including Excellence in Visual Art, Excellence in Sound Design, and Game of the Year.

IGN / Luke Reilly

Mixtape Wins Game of the Year at the 2026 Australian Game Developer Awards

Mixtape and rhythm action game Bits & Bops received five finalist nominations apiece, with both games earning multiple awards. The post Mixtape Wins Game of the Year at the 2026 Australian Game Developer Awards appeared first on This Week in Videogames - TWIV.

This Week in Video Games / Edmond Tran

Mixtape Isn't Just a Video Game

Blurring the lines between romanticized nostalgia, short-form storytelling, and multimedia art

SUPERJUMP / Brandon R Chinn
Opinion

Mixtape Review

Mixtape is a delightful, nostalgic remembering of youth, but doesn't possess the scrappy, awkward spirit that defined its inspirations. The post Mixtape Review

This Week in Video Games / Ralph Panebianco
Review

Mixtape Isn't Going Anywhere, Won't Be Delisted Over Music Licenses

Licenses agreed in perpetuity. Mixtape team Beethoven & Dinosaur and publisher Annapurna Interactive have both confirmed the excellent PS5 game won't face any potential delisting issues over its licensed soundtrack in the future. This is because, rather than only setting up temporary music licenses for the title, agreements in "perpetuity" have been put in place, protecting Mixtape from having to be taken off sale. Creative director Johnny Galvatron shared with Kotaku that the studio paid extra

Push Square
Business

No, Mixtape will not be delisted "due to music licenses expiring"

Mixtape publisher Annapurna Interactive has laid out in no uncertain terms that no, Mixtape will not be delisted "due to music licenses expiring".

Eurogamer / Vikki Blake
RumourBusiness

Mixtape developer claims the game won’t be delisted due to its licensed music

Annapurna dismisses concerns, claims licenses were agreed in perpetuity

VGC / Andy Robinson
RumourBusiness

Mixtape will be safe from a music licensing related delisting, ensured by its developer paying extra for the privilege

The first thought that probably arose for most people upon seeing Mixtape for the first time was probably something along the lines of, "that's a lot of licensed music, wonder how long it takes before it's delisted." Music licensing is notoriously a pain in the ass, and considering how embedded into the story every song that's in the game is, it certainly seemed like Mixtape was doomed. But according to its devs, there's nothing to worry about.

Rock Paper Shotgun / Oisin Kuhnke
Business

Mixtape Publisher Refutes Claim That Expired Music Licenses Will Cause the Game to Be Delisted

Mixtape is packed with licensed music from artists like Devo and The Smashing Pumpkins, but Annapurna Interactive and Beethoven and Dinosaur have told fans not to worry about the game potentially being delisted down the road.

IGN / Michael Cripe
RumourBusiness

Claims that Mixtape will be delisted over music licenses are 'a lie,' says publisher

The developer paid for perpetual music licenses to avoid that problem.

PC Gamer / Justin Wagner
RumourBusiness

Mixtape is a musical portrait of teenage life

Playing Mixtape is like playing a video game version of a high school movie. Kids banter about the meaning of life and the theme songs that would play when they walk in a room. They're worried about looking cool at a big party. They're obsessed with finding booze. But under all of those tropes is a meaningful story about nostalgia, friendship, and teenage angst - and it's all backed by a great soundtrack packed with classic hits. Mixtape takes place over the course of a summer day. You play as

The Verge
Review

Mixtape review

Maybe it's because I've just played through several hours of teen rebellion, but I feel like breaking some rules. Unfortunately these are rules of video game reviewing, which I am paid to care about (and do actually care about, because I am sad) but which I really ought not to ever burden you with because they are, let's be honest, incredibly dull. So apologies and also: please adjust your excitement downwards, because the circumstances around Mixtape mean I'm obliged to start talking about them

Eurogamer / Chris Tapsell
Review

How To Make a Mixtape

Beethoven & Dinosaur get deep on making the most of an indie team and music budget, portraying teenage experiences, and America as fantasy. The post How To Make a Mixtape

This Week in Video Games / Edmond Tran
Interview

Mixtape is at the center of another tedious culture war discourse, and I think I know why

Nostalgia's a powerful thing.

PC Gamer / Harvey Randall
OpinionCulture

Xbox Racks Up 2M Views With Comment That Appears To Address Mixtape's Review Backlash

Not everyone thinks it's a 10/10. When new indie adventure Mixtape released on Xbox Game Pass late last week to fantastic reviews, including many 10/10 scores from the likes of IGN and DualShockers, it inevitibly attracted a lot of attention. <related ids="200901"> Read the full article on purexbox.com

Pure Xbox
Culture

‘Mixtape’ Developers Pleased ‘More People Listening To Devo’ Following Acclaimed Debut

Beethoven & Dinosaur's coming-of-age title debuted as one of the most acclaimed new videogames in 2026 to date. The developers are humbled by the reception. The post ‘Mixtape’ Developers Pleased ‘More People Listening To Devo’ Following Acclaimed Debut

This Week in Video Games / Edmond Tran
Interview

Mixtape review

Perfect playlist, but just a decent videogame.

PC Gamer / Harvey Randall
Review

Why Is Everyone Acting So Weird About PS5 Game Mixtape?

Life is strange. Nostalgic 90s story game Mixtape is out now, and it’s generating some of the poorest gaming discourse we’ve witnessed in quite some time. We happened to like the game, awarding it a 9/10 and describing it as a “truly special story experience”, but this type of title is not for everyone – we mentioned as much in our review. Read the full article on pushsquare.com

Push Square
OpinionCulture

With Mixtape out today, the tiny number of coming of age games gets just that little bit bigger

A couple of years ago, The Artful Escape devs Beethoven & Dinosaur announced their next game, Mixtape. It caught my eye at the time in no small part to having an art style that actually looks like Something as opposed to the vast sea of realism simulators out there. In particular, I was fond of its choppy, post-Into-the-Spiderverse animation, and the licensed music soundtrack, despite being very dad-core (maybe even grandad-core for some of you, at this point), did it some favours for me too. No

Rock Paper Shotgun / Oisin Kuhnke
Review

Roundup: Mixtape Is Getting Some Incredible Reviews As It Rolls Out On Xbox Game Pass

We weren't expecting this! Earlier today, we shared the news that new story adventure Mixtape was heading to Xbox Game Pass today, May 7th - and now some early reviews have come out suggesting this could be a potential GOTY contender. We're not joking. <related ids="200873"> Read the full article on purexbox.com

Pure Xbox
Release date

Mixtape Dev Explains Why the Game Doesn’t Have a Streamer Mode

‘Your soul is the one thing you can’t compromise’ — Mixtape dev explains why the game doesn’t have a streamer mode.

IGN / Simon Cardy
Interview

Mixtape review: A moving musical tribute to the final notes of adolescence

An excellent soundtrack sets the stage for a touching, funny and relatable coming-of-age story

VGC / Jordan Middler
Review

Mixtape Review

A musical delight from start to finish that sets a new standard for coming-of-age stories in games.

IGN / Simon Cardy
Review

Please Don’t Skip This Musical Coming-Of-Age Story | Mixtape Review

It was only about a year ago when I learned that not everyone gets goosebumps from listening to music. There's a French word for it--frisson--which describes the feeling some get when music or other powerful stimuli trigger a physiological response. This rush is felt in only about 50% of people in the world, it turns out. I used to think it was all of us. That's probably a big part of why music means so much to me, because I'm in the lucky camp that gets to enjoy this positively overwhelming res

GameSpot / Mark Delaney
Review

Review: Mixtape (Switch 2) - A Brilliant Curation That Thrives On '90s Vibes

Be kind rewind. Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, you should always make a soundtrack. That’s the advice of Stacey Rockford, the star of this latest musical adventure from Australian studio Beethoven & Dinosaur. Tie every event to a carefully curated track list and “pretty soon,” she advises in her teenage wisdom, “you won’t be listening to music: you’ll be listening to who you were.” Presented as a 3D, third-person adventure, what unfurls — soundtrack present and correct — is the story o

Nintendo Life
Review

Mixtape: Decks, Debauchery and Dreams Carry This New Narrative Experience, Out Now with Game Pass

The post Mixtape: Decks, Debauchery and Dreams Carry This New Narrative Experience, Out Now with Game Pass appeared first on Xbox Wire.

Xbox Wire / Danielle Partis, Xbox Wire Editor
Release date

Mixtape Is Your Latest Day One Game Pass Title, And It's Available Today (May 7)

Making a new record? Welcome to your latest Xbox Game Pass roundup! Today we've got just the one game entering the library, but it's a big one in the form of day one title Mixtape - from the folks behind The Artful Escape. This Life is Strange-esque title has been on our radar for some time now, and we're interested to see how it lands with players, including those on Xbox Game Pass. Without further ado, here's a quick introduction to this new day one title: Read the full article on purexbox.com

Pure Xbox
Business

Mixtape studio says the game has no streamer mode because its licensed music is its ‘soul’

"Your soul is the one thing you can't compromise"

VGC / Chris Scullion
Interview

Also covered in

Roundups and stories about something else that include Mixtape.

Mixtape, Bits & Bops Lead Nominations for the 2026 Australian Game Developer Awards

Game of the Year contenders for the 2026 Australian Game Developer Awards (AGDAs) include Mixtape, Aether & Iron, Go-Go Town!, and Memento. The post Mixtape, Bits & Bops Lead Nominations for the 2026 Australian Game Developer Awards appeared first on This Week in Videogames - TWIV.

This Week in Video Games / Edmond Tran
Roundup

Videogames Are Rediscovering the Cut

007 First Light and Mixtape are bringing the cut back to videogames in 2026. But though they're quick, they're not always easy to use. The post Videogames Are Rediscovering the Cut

This Week in Video Games / Francisco Dominguez
Opinion

Videogames Are Rediscovering the Jump Cut

007 First Light and Mixtape are bringing the jump cut back to videogames in 2026. But though they're quick, they're not always easy to use. The post Videogames Are Rediscovering the Jump Cut

This Week in Video Games / Francisco Dominguez
Opinion

Game Pass adds Forza Horizon 6, Mixtape, Subnautica 2 Early Access, and more in early to mid May

Microsoft has announced new titles coming to Game Pass in early to mid May, including … Source

Gematsu / Sal Romano
BusinessRoundup

Xbox details the next 13 Game Pass titles, including Forza Horizon 6, Mixtape and Subnautica 2

It's the first update since Xbox's decision to drop the price of Game Pass Ultimate

VGC / Chris Scullion
BusinessRoundup

Coming to Xbox Game Pass: Forza Horizon 6, Mixtape, Subnautica 2, and More

The post Coming to Xbox Game Pass: Forza Horizon 6, Mixtape, Subnautica 2, and More appeared first on Xbox Wire.

Xbox Wire / Mike Nelson, Xbox Wire Editor
BusinessRoundup

Xbox Game Pass gets Mixtape on Day One as 21 new games arrive this week – here’s what else drops

The post Xbox Game Pass gets Mixtape on Day One as 21 new games arrive this week – here’s what else drops appeared first on GamesHub.

GamesHub / Paul McNally
BusinessRoundup

Feature: These 20+ Games Are Coming To Xbox Next Week (May 4-8)

Including at least two more Game Pass additions! Welcome to your Xbox games roundup for May 4-8! We haven't got any major AAA releases over the next few days, but there's still plenty to look forward to in terms of indies, including Mixtape which is launching on Xbox Game Pass! Here's what's coming to Xbox next week: Read the full article on purexbox.com

Pure Xbox
Release dateRoundup