Mixtape Preview: A Familiar Tune Returns

I still remember the first time a boy made me a mixtape (well, a mix CD, but the sentiment is the same). It wasn't even a romantic thing—he made them for our whole friend group. Mine featured a now-cringeworthy blend of Morrowind soundtracks, Naruto openings, Queen, Kansas (for some reason), and, well, this song. It was a chaotic fusion of nerdy obsessions and undeniable anthems that somehow worked.

That's why I can truly value a genuinely great mixtape, one that stirs deep emotions and sparks big ideas. Sure, I curate my own Spotify playlists now, but there's an irreplaceable, retro charm to being handed a physical collection of songs—perfectly chosen and sequenced—crafted for a specific person, moment, or feeling.

So, what if you could experience that as a video game? That's the exact premise of the aptly titled Mixtape, which I got to preview recently. The game follows three teenagers—Rockford, Slater, and Cassandra—through the lens of Rockford's final summer mixtape: a curated set of tracks meant to soundtrack their last night together before everything changes. Rockford has big ambitions and is leaving for New York in the morning to chase a wildly ambitious, quintessentially teenage dream (one they're fiercely confident about, however unlikely it is to succeed). So, Rockford has assembled a deliberately pretentious lineup of perfect songs, each accompanying a different vignette from the crew's final night of adventures, occasionally interrupted by a flashback or an unintended track.

Mixtape excels at capturing a very specific flavor of youthful nostalgia.

Look, even if Rockford's whole persona is that of a music snob, they're right about one thing: they do compile an excellent mixtape. The game opens with Devo's "That's Good," and the segment I played moved through The Jesus and Mary Chain, Alice Coltrane... I don't want to give too much away, because the songs themselves are fundamental to each moment, doing heavy lifting to establish Mixtape's overall nostalgic atmosphere.

In fact, one thing I appreciate most about Mixtape is that, aside from the music, it avoids cramming in overt pop culture references like so many other nostalgia-driven titles. The soundtrack has that covered. I wasn't constantly pausing to point at some artifact or joke and say, "I get that reference!" Yet, Mixtape still powerfully evokes that bittersweet feeling of looking back on youth, a sentiment infused into everything from Rockford's bedroom decor to the characters' dialogue to the gentle, golden, almost autumnal light that bathes the opening scenes.

Mixtape Screenshots

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Here's something else that stood out: the three main characters are, frankly, pretty annoying! And I love that! They are such teenagers. Older teens, yes, on the brink of adulthood, but still teens! I'm 34; I can't take them entirely seriously, and I'm not meant to. While each has a distinct personality, they all share that slightly exaggerated self-absorption I remember from being 17, 18, 19—when you're convinced your problems are the center of the universe. Obnoxious quirks and all, I'm looking forward to spending a full evening with them in the complete game.

The most critical thing I can say about Mixtape, based on the portion I played, is that you aren't really doing very much. There's some skateboarding and a sequence where you careen through town in a shopping cart—both involve steering, but there don't seem to be major consequences for doing well or poorly. You can headbang to loud music in a car. Mostly, from what I saw, you walk around environments, examine things, and talk to your friends. The most engaging gameplay was an extended, simultaneously hilarious and gross sequence simulating an awkward teenage make-out session. I suspect the full game will unfold as a series of minigame-style vignettes, but based on my preview, it's hard to describe what you'll actually be doing for most of the experience.

However, whether the rest of the game is action-packed or not might be beside the point for what Mixtape aims to achieve. This is a vibes-first game through and through, and Mixtape's vibes are impeccable. I'm more than happy to let Rockford guide me through whatever journey they and their friends are about to embark on, one perfect song at a time.