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Mixtape’s Rave Reviews Meet Backlash Over Playability and ’90s Cred

The split reflects a music-led vignette design with sparse challenge that invites disputes over its 1990s setting.

The trio from Mixtape look skeptically at each other in front of a host of slushie machines.
Image: Beethoven & Dinosaur/Annapurna Interactive
Mixtape Review
Two characters from Mixtape wince as a baseball breaks a light in a stadium.

Overview

  • Mixtape, which launched Thursday, May 7, 2026 on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2, drew top critic scores from outlets including IGN, VGC and GameSpot.
  • As of Wednesday, Metacritic showed an 85 from critics versus a 6.1 user score after viral clips argued sections “play themselves” with little player input.
  • Recent critiques probed its period detail, with Polygon and Aftermath arguing the 1990s depiction and dialogue feel off even as Empire lauded its feelings-first approach.
  • PC Gamer addressed calls to boycott publisher Annapurna over founder Megan Ellison’s family ties and said claims of astroturfed praise lack evidence.
  • Reviews describe a short, music-scored series of playable memories with microgames like skating and a tongue-in-cheek first-kiss sequence that prizes mood over challenge.