Screenshots & trailers
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 85 | 200 |
| Creator reviews (1 tracked) | – | 10 | 2 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 88% | 82 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 60 | 552 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 89% | 83 | 800 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Jun 16, 2026) · 300 reviews sampled · 800 total reviews in window · weighted 117.1 up / 14.4 down · computed 1h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (132)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 90
““Mixtape” is a great example of a well-made, if not quite phenomenal, production. This cinematic experience, which lasts just three hours, flies by in the blink of an eye, offering stunning visuals and sound. The characters, despite their archetypal nature, are simply impossible not to like, and the gameplay, despite its simplicity, remains inventive and is a ton of fun. However, one cannot escape the fact that, at its core, this is a rather shallow story that brazenly attempts to exploit nostalgia to evoke deeper emotions, with little success. It is also a story that, due to its atmosphere, won’t appeal to every audience member. Nevertheless, I believe it’s worth giving this game a chance.”
read full review ↗ - 10
- 50
“Mixtape desperately wants to be a coming-of-age indie film, and the moments where it remembers it’s supposed to be a video game often feel reluctant, shallow and mechanically underwhelming.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Mixtape is one of those games that will either captivate you from the very first frame and leave you with a genuine sense of admiration, or come across as a boring project with minimal interactivity that doesn't deserve the press's rave reviews. Which category you fall into - you'll just have to find out through experience.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“A wonderful story about youth and growing up that looks and sounds great.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“Mixtape is exactly the kind of experience that justifies the existence of video games as an art form. With the full creative support of Annapurna Interactive, Beethoven & Dinosaur has delivered something no other medium could replicate: an interactive, musical, and emotional memory about the beautiful pain of growing up. Through creative and varied vignettes, a soundtrack that could easily rank among the best of recent years, and an art direction that rivals the industry's greatest works, Mixtape leaves a lasting impression that will endure far beyond its three-hour journey. It is not a perfect game, players looking for a challenge may come away frustrated, and its replay value is virtually nonexistent. But for those willing to surrender themselves to the experience, Mixtape is one of the most beautiful, sincere, and essential experiences of 2026. Put on your headphones, press play, and let Blue Moon Lagoon carry you away.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Mixtape frequently makes that flight not just fully interactive but literal, youthful freedom lighting up the world with a euphoric player-controlled fireworks display while sailing through the air in a caravan of convertibles.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Mixtape isn’t the Game of the Year; it isn’t a revolution in the gaming industry; and it isn’t a project that redefines an entire genre. But that’s not what it’s trying to be. Mixtape is a beautiful, extravagant, music-filled tribute to youth, friendship, and those final moments before life changes forever. It’s a game that proves video games still have room for distinctive artistic visions. It shows that there are still developers who want to create something emotional, human, and creative instead of endless checklists and generic open worlds. And that’s exactly why Mixtape is one of the most delightful and interesting surprises of recent years.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Mixtape's greatest accomplishment is that it more than lives up to its name. This is a thoughtfully curated collection of music, sure, but before that, it's an exciting, sentimental, funny game. Rather than simply twiddling your thumbs while the licensed music plays, you're living life with a soundtrack, the only way Stacey Rockford would have you do it.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“In a world that seems built to stamp the whimsy out of us as we grow older, projects like Mixtape unleash us from society's shame and remind us to celebrate every moment like it's the climax of your favorite movie. Because one day you'll have to say goodbye. And wouldn't you hope that, whenever you do, you made it the sickest story to tell on your way out? Beethoven and Dinosaur sure did.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“More interactive film than traditional game, Mixtape uses 27 licensed songs as narrative architecture. Mechanically thin but emotionally rich, it captures the fragile magic of youth's final moments beautifully.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“You won’t find a challenge in Mixtape, just a superbly directed adventure in which teenage fears, stunts and drama intertwine with dreamlike imagination and pure, unbridled fun, all carried by one of the best video game soundtracks of the year. And that’s quite enough for me; as someone who remembers rewinding a cassette tape with a pencil, I had a brilliant time.”
read full review ↗
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Patch history
- Mixtape Post Launch Patch v1.1Jun 16, 2026significant · resets scoring window