A rebellious coming of age tale with heart.
Mixtape is the latest from The Artful Escape’s Beethoven & Dinosaur, and refines upon an already sublime core. Part walking simulator, part mini-game player, and part John Hughes film, this coming of age title is all heart.
Players fill the shoes of Stacey Rockford as she spends a final day with her friends Van Slater and Cassandra Morino; come morning, she’ll be travelling to New York with dreams of making it big. Rockford’s entire life revolves around music — listening to it, that is, and not playing it — and thrives on knowing the perfect song that would accompany and amplify any moment. With mere hours to live it up with her friends, Rockford has orchestrated an epic final soundtrack to chronicle their adventures.
This simple concept would make a fantastic John Hughes movie on its own, but goes one further to pair fantastic songs from DEVO, The Smashing Pumpkins, Silverchair, and more with tales of teenage hijinks. Mini-games keep this mix lively, and include the likes of skateboarding, french kissing, playing softball… and stuff like painting a door and renting movies while high as a kite.
None of this would work, however, without incredibly strong characters. I felt like I really knew Rockford, Slater, and Cass after ten minutes with Mixtape, let alone its full five-hour runtime. Stacey is so confident it hurts, Slater is the most loyal friend (and loveable puppy dog) anyone could ask for, and Cass is a picture perfect student and athlete looking to rebel.
Of course, as an adult looking back on teenagers that think they know it all — and reflecting on who I thought I was when I was Rockford’s age — I can also see what’s bubbling under the surface. The things unsaid. The fortifications each kid has already built up to hide themselves from the stuff they don’t want to deal with. Through an inspired narrative, you get a true sense of the trio’s friendship through both their joys and hardships. Its these moments that make Mixtape truly unforgettable.
Mini-games are short, easy to learn, and rather entertaining in their own ways. Some are silly, some require skill to actually achieve (especially if going for corresponding Achievements or Trophies), and Mixtape‘s chapter-based structure means you can bounce around and replay the bits that stand out to you. You may do that for a specific mini-game or encounter, or you might just do it to headbang to “Freak” by Silverchair.
Replaying sections also ties together Mixtape‘s narrative elements, all anchored by idyllic performances by Bella DeLong as Rockford, Max Korman as Slater, and Jessica Ma as Cassandra.
Mixtape is a warm hug; a nostalgic look at what us oldies would now define as “simpler times”. Set in a sleepy American town, it can work as a parallel for most western childhoods (though Rockford’s Rage shirt certainly reminds this is an Aussie tale, born and bred). It’s grunge and punk, hopeful and foolish, ultra cool and super nerdy, confident and insecure in equal measure. Simply put, this is one you need to experience for yourself.
Mixtape is available now on Windows PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, alongside Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, PS5, and Switch 2; it’s also available through Xbox Game Pass. For more on the development of the title, head over to our October 2025 preview.
Mixtape was reviewed using a promotional code on Windows PC via Steam on Xbox ROG Ally X, as provided by the publisher. A code was also provided on PS5. Click here to learn more about Stevivor’s scoring scale.
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Mixtape7 May 2026PC PS5 Switch 2 Xbox Series S & X
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