I still vividly recall the first time a boy made me a mixtape (or rather, a mix CD, but the sentiment stands). It wasn't a romantic overture—he made them for our entire friend group. Mine featured a now-cringeworthy compilation of Morrowind soundtrack pieces, Naruto opening themes, Queen, and bizarrely, some Kansas tracks, along with, well, *this* song. It was a chaotic fusion of nerdy interests and undeniable hits that somehow coexisted.
That experience taught me to appreciate a truly *great* mixtape—one that evokes profound emotions and sparks deep reflection. While I curate my own Spotify playlists these days, there's an irreplaceable, nostalgic charm in receiving a tangible collection of songs, meticulously selected and ordered by someone else, crafted specifically for a person, a memory, a unique moment in time.
So, what if you could experience that same feeling in a video game? That's the core concept of the aptly titled *Mixtape*, which I had a chance to preview recently at Play Days. The game follows three teenagers—Rockford, Slater, and Cassandra—though the narrative unfolds through Rockford's perspective and revolves around their final summer mixtape: a musical anthology meant to capture their last night together as a tight-knit group. Rockford is ambitious, set to depart for New York the next morning to pursue an audacious, quintessentially teenage career dream that's wildly optimistic and unlikely to succeed (though Rockford brims with confidence). So, Rockford has assembled a meticulously curated, albeit somewhat pretentious, lineup of perfect songs, each one underscoring a different vignette from the crew's farewell night of adventures (and occasionally punctuated by an unexpected flashback or an unplanned track).
Mixtape masterfully evokes a very specific type of nostalgia for youth.
Even if Rockford's persona is that of a music elitist, they're undeniably skilled at compiling an outstanding mixtape. The game opens with Devo's "That's Good," and the segment I played seamlessly transitioned through tracks from Jesus and Mary Chain and Alice Coltrane... I'll avoid spoiling too much, as the music itself is integral to each scene, powerfully contributing to the game's overarching nostalgic atmosphere.
In fact, one of my favorite aspects of Mixtape is that, *aside* from the soundtrack, the game avoids overloading the player with pop culture references—a common tactic in many other nostalgia-driven titles. The music handles that entirely. I never found myself pausing every few seconds to identify a familiar object or quip. Yet, Mixtape still perfectly encapsulates that distinct feeling of youthful reminiscence, imbuing it into every detail from Rockford's bedroom decor to the characters' dialogue and the soft, golden, almost autumnal glow that bathes the opening scenes.
Mixtape Screenshots
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Another aspect that stood out to me: the three main characters are, frankly, quite annoying! And I adore that about them! They are so authentically *teenage*. Older teenagers, certainly, on the brink of adulthood, but teenagers nonetheless! As a 34-year-old, I can't take them completely seriously—and I'm not meant to. While each has a distinct personality, all three exhibit a slightly exaggerated self-absorption, that intense self-focus I remember from being 17, 18, 19 and believing my own problems were the center of the universe. With all their irritating quirks, I'm genuinely looking forward to spending a full evening with this trio in the complete game.
The most significant critique I can offer for Mixtape, based on the portion I played, is that there isn't a ton of active gameplay. There's some skateboarding, a sequence where you race through town in a shopping cart, and in both cases, you're steering, but I didn't notice any real consequences for performing well or poorly, nor much incentive to excel. You can headbang to music blasting from a car stereo. For the most part, from what I observed, you simply explore rooms and interact with your friends. The most engaging gameplay segment involved a hilariously awkward and slightly gross simulation of two teenagers making out. My impression is that the full game will likely structure itself as a series of these minigame-like vignettes rather than adhering to one consistent gameplay style, but as it stands, I'd struggle to describe exactly what you'll be *doing* for the majority of the experience.
Ultimately, whether the rest of the game is action-heavy or not might be irrelevant to Mixtape's overall goal. This is a pure *vibes* game from start to finish, and its atmosphere is flawless. I'm more than willing to let Rockford guide me through whatever journey they and their friends are embarking on, one perfectly chosen song at a time.
