Though it may not be released yet,Mixtapeis officially my song of the summer followingSummer Game Fest. I’d been interested in the title from studio Beethoven & Dinosaur ever since I saw their initial trailer during last year’s Xbox Games Showcase. This intrigue was further solidified by the longer footage shown during theSGF Opening Night Live presentation. After playing a 30-minute slice of the game and speaking with “Woody” Woodward, producer at Beethoven & Dinosaur,Mixtapehas been firmly solidified as one of my most anticipated games of 2025.
Beethoven & Dinosaur is the developer behindThe Artful Escape,one of myfavorite indie gamesof the past several years, and it looks likeMixtapemay be even better. I lovedThe Artful Escapefor its strong, colorful visuals, amazing music, and overall artistic vision, all of whichMixtapehas in spades, this time with the addition of a 3D world versus the sidescrolling of its predecessor. Set on the last night teenager Stacey Rockford is spending in her hometown, the upcoming game is an absolute feast of nostalgia, great tunes, and constantly engaging gameplay.
Mixtape’s Gameplay Is Perfectly Curated
Players Deftly Weave In & Out Of Memories
Mixtape’s opening sequence, which featured Rockford and two of her friends skateboarding as “That’s Good” by Devo played, had me hooked immediately. It served as a great reminder,not just about how great Devo is- a fact that I can’t believe I’d forgotten - but about how closelyMixtapeties music curation and memory. The team was meticulous about which tracks worked best where - Woodward says they began by making a playlist of their favorite ‘90s songs, trying to select tracks that were both “iconic and a little left of field,” then worked to find the perfect moment for each.
Conceptually, though, this idea of a mixtape goes far beyondjustthe game’s music. Woodward describes it as “a mixtape of mechanics, of music, of visuals and references,” which is part of what makes it so engaging.Mixtapes are all about variety and fitting certain moods, and that’s just whatMixtapedoes. During my hands-on session, I frequently found myself weaving in and out of memories and associated minigames, and said minigames felt natural. “We don’t want it to be likeWario Ware minigames,” he explains, “we want it to feel a bit more organic and not as jarring.”
That’s not to say the minigames aren’t weird, though. One of my very first flashbacks was Rockford’s first - and very terrible - kiss, which she says was ruined not just because of his kissing skills, but because of the song he chose to set it to, “Galaxy In Turiya” by Alice Coltrane. As the song played in the background, I assumed control of both of their tongues with the analog sticks during an inner-mouth closeup, andit was hands-down one of the weirdest gameplay bits of myentire SGF experience- which I mean in a very complimentary way.
Though it takes place on Rockford’s final night in Blue Moon Lagoon, the timeline constantly weaves in and out of memories, making for a nostalgic collage of minigames that are immersive and natural, like a simple and wholesome flashback that followed the trio of friends as they rocked out in the car to “Freak” by Silverchair after getting fast food.A more involved trip back in time was about the group fleeing from the police at a party, piloting a shopping cart down hilly roads with their passed-out friend in the basket set to “Sensitive to Light” by Rainbow.
The Persistence - & Subjectivity - Of Memory
What Constitutes A Mind’s Greatest Hits?
This shopping cart segment ends with the trio flying off a dock and into a lake, though seemingly escaping otherwise unscathed from the incident,a somewhat-too-perfect ending that also ties into another one of the game’s themes: the inconsistencies and subjectivity of memory. “Memories - especially good ones, but even bad ones - over time, they fray, they get a bit more wobbly, a bit more loose and a bit more fantastical,” Woodward says, “so we’re kind of playing on that. It’s a line that we like to blur.”
Mixtapeis also largely inspired by things like coming-of-age movies, and the teamstrived to include an inherent level of relatabilitythat can hopefully make players nostalgic for their own teenage years through Rockford’s memories. It’s not meant to be set in any specific town, more so a place that most people know somewhere similar too, and are therefore able to perhaps superimpose themselves a bit in some situations. Amusingly, the team is based in Australia, but grew up with such American media influence that they’ve been able to capture nostalgic Americana vibes perfectly.
Hopefully releasing some time this year, it’s undoubtedly one of the mostambitious upcoming indie gamesthat I saw all weekend at Summer Game Fest. The slogan in the trailer was “Nothing but the hits,” and that idea is embraced in every way by the game, from its music to its overall structure. After learning more about how its artistic ideals are so layered and dynamic, hearing the stunning soundtrack, and seamlessly weaving in and out of memories that managed to both strike a chord with my own nostalgia and make me laugh, I left my appointment more excited than ever forMixtapeto arrive.
