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Cuphead

There's definitely a point where it all becomes a bit too much, but Cuphead will best most games in how it looks and sounds, and defeating that boss that you once deemed unbeatable is glorious.
Cuphead Game Cover
93%Game Brain Score
graphics, music
grinding, stability
96% User Score Based on 70,643 reviews
Critic Score 80%Based on 1 reviews

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Cuphead Game Cover

About

Cuphead is a single player and multiplayer arcade platformer game with fantasy and comedy themes. It was developed by luigi2498 and was released on September 29, 2017. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

Cuphead is a classic run and gun action game heavily focused on boss battles. Inspired by cartoons of the 1930s, the visuals and audio are painstakingly created with the same techniques of the era, i.e. traditional cel animation (hand drawn & hand inked!), watercolor backgrounds, and original jazz recordings. Play as Cuphead or Mugman (in single player or co-op) as you traverse strange worlds, acq…

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Cuphead screenshot
Cuphead screenshot
Cuphead screenshot
Cuphead screenshot
Cuphead screenshot
Cuphead screenshot
Cuphead screenshot
Cuphead screenshot
Cuphead screenshot
Cuphead screenshot
Cuphead screenshot
+9
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96%
Audience ScoreBased on 70,643 reviews
graphics5.1k positive mentions
grinding178 negative mentions
  • Cuphead features stunning, meticulously hand-drawn 1930s cartoon-style graphics and fluid animations that bring its world and characters vividly to life.
  • The game's exceptional jazz and big band soundtrack perfectly complements the visuals and atmosphere, creating an immersive and nostalgic experience.
  • Gameplay is tightly polished, challenging, and rewarding with unique boss fights requiring skill and pattern recognition, offering high replayability especially through expert modes and mastery incentives.
  • The gameplay difficulty is very steep and can feel frustrating or tedious, with some players finding the trial-and-error style and repetition exhausting.
  • Some aspects like keyboard/mouse controls and co-op mode are poorly optimized, and occasional bugs or freezes, though rare, can disrupt the experience.
  • While the story is charmingly simple and fitting the aesthetic, it is minimal and considered generic by many players, not a major focus of the game.
  • graphics
    8,418 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Cuphead's graphics are universally praised for their stunning, hand-drawn 1930s cartoon art style that authentically captures the era's rubber hose animation with vibrant colors and fluid motions. The visuals, combined with an equally captivating jazz and big band soundtrack, create a unique and nostalgic atmosphere that perfectly complements the challenging gameplay and memorable boss fights. While some find the art style occasionally impacts gameplay clarity, the overall aesthetic brilliance and craftsmanship make the graphics a standout feature and a major draw for the game.

    • “Cuphead's hand-drawn 1930s cartoon art style isn’t just a gimmick—it’s a full aesthetic commitment that makes every boss, every background, and every animation feel alive.”
    • “The hand-drawn artwork is still on another level and meticulously emulates the 1930s rubber hose animation style, featuring beautiful and fluid animations that bring the game’s world to life.”
    • “Beautifully animated hand-drawn graphics and watercolor backgrounds perfectly capture the look and feel of classic 1930s cartoons, creating a timeless and iconic visual experience.”
    • “The animations can sometimes render in a way that looks too smooth for the old-timey cartoon aesthetic, which can periodically break the illusion, but that's a very minor gripe.”
    • “Aside from a couple levels where the artwork makes the platforming a little weird it's a masterpiece.”
    • “The only downside is that the story is generic, but this game is not really about the story rather it’s about the gameplay and the art style it has.”
  • music
    7,518 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The "music" aspect of this game is universally praised for its exceptional quality and deep integration with the gameplay and art style. Featuring a live-recorded jazz and big band soundtrack that perfectly complements the 1930s cartoon-inspired visuals, the music enhances the game's atmosphere and pacing, making even repeated boss battles enjoyable and immersive. This soundtrack stands out as a major highlight, frequently described as a masterpiece that not only enriches the experience but also holds lasting appeal independently of the game.

    • “The soundtrack is a masterclass in period-accurate jazz and ragtime, fitting the "rubber hose" animation so perfectly you’ll find yourself tapping your toes even as your character explodes for the fiftieth time.”
    • “Cuphead’s music doesn’t just set the mood—it mocks you, it dances on your corpse, it dares you to keep going.”
    • “From the moment you boot it up, you’re transported into a world that feels like a living 1930s cartoon, with hand-drawn animations and a jazzy, high-energy soundtrack that’s simply phenomenal.”
    • “The music could get grating at times because a) it's not my favorite kind of stuff to listen to and b) at times I ended up listening to the same thing for hours on end until I finally managed to get through a specific fight.”
    • “Muting or lowering the music gives you an advantage.”
    • “The music is cute for the first few seconds to give you that 'classic feel', but it quickly degrades into repetitive, atrocious noise that is so grating I had to mute it soon after each stage.”
  • gameplay
    6,245 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Cuphead offers tightly polished, challenging, and rewarding run-and-gun and boss rush gameplay that demands mastery of mechanics and pattern recognition. Its difficulty curve is steep but fair, with unique, multifaceted boss fights keeping the experience fresh and engaging. Combined with fluid controls and a variety of weapons and charms, the gameplay complements its stunning 1930s-style hand-drawn visuals and jazz soundtrack to create a memorable and addictive experience for those who enjoy tough, skill-based challenges.

    • “A painstakingly crafted homage to 1930s animation blended with brutally tight gameplay design, wrapped in a deceptively charming package that hides one of the most demanding gaming experiences in recent memory.”
    • “The gameplay is tight, challenging, and endlessly satisfying. The art, sound, and gameplay all work together in perfect harmony, making every death feel like your own fault rather than the game's.”
    • “Cuphead's gameplay is a mix of some of the most challenging parts of gaming yet some of the most fun gaming has to offer. The variety of bosses, each with unique mechanics and patterns, keeps players engaged, requiring them to learn and master skills with rewarding difficulty.”
    • “Gameplay is designed to waste your time with random timings, broken hitboxes, and things in the foreground that distract you.”
    • “Cuphead is beautiful illustrations and music in service of terrible gameplay decisions.”
    • “There are a lot of people who will absolutely want to play this game that will avoid it because of its tough gameplay.”
  • story
    1,869 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Cuphead features a simple yet charming story that serves mainly as a backdrop to its challenging boss battles and gameplay. Inspired by 1930s cartoons, the narrative follows Cuphead and Mugman as they collect souls to repay a debt to the devil, providing just enough context and humor without overshadowing the action. While not the game's strongest aspect, the story is well-integrated with the art style and adds a light, enjoyable layer to the overall experience.

    • “The story of Cuphead is charming and easy to follow, and the protagonists/bosses feel unique and alive with their meticulously hand drawn movements backed by watercolor backgrounds.”
    • “The gameplay, artwork, music, and story all come together in a perfect way to create this masterpiece.”
    • “With beautiful 60fps animations drawn in the 1930's cartoon style, and a sweet story which follows Cuphead and his brother Mugman fighting more than 15 residents to repay a debt to the devil after he threatens to take their souls if they don't give him the residents' contracts.”
    • “I've known about Cuphead since its release and I have always disliked it but I finally decided to beat it out of spite this year and I can confidently say after experiencing the game in full that it is just a boss rush with an almost non-existent story to the surface level player and I think even looking deeper into the story it is extremely simple.”
    • “The bad: story is barely existent and feels like "it's there because they kinda felt they probably should chuck something in."”
    • “The story is simplistic and easy to follow, like a 1930s cartoon, but there isn't much of a story, and it is mostly just boss fights with little narrative or exploration.”
  • humor
    561 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is widely praised for its clever, dark, and quirky style, heavily inspired by 1930s cartoons, which adds charm and character to the challenging gameplay. Players often find the animations, boss designs, and witty in-game jokes both hilarious and entertaining, making even repeated failures amusing rather than frustrating. The humor is enhanced by co-op play, creating chaotic and funny moments, while the game's unique art style and sound design further deepen its comedic appeal.

    • “It’s told with a cheeky, dark sense of humor that makes every failure feel a little more personal.”
    • “Cuphead is less “platformer” and more “how many ways can we break this human’s will while making them smile?” By hour two, you’re either crying, laughing, or questioning whether your thumbs are plotting against you.”
    • “The play of words / puns that get displayed on the retry screen are actually hilarious.”
    • “Really, I'm all for lame puns and silly dad jokes, but 90% of these are just plain unfunny, and half of those presented as rhymes don’t even rhyme properly.”
    • “Its good just I die that not good not funny.”
    • “Tons of boss battles, check (insert unfunny joke about Dark Souls here) level difficulty, check.”
  • replayability
    392 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Cuphead offers outstanding replayability largely driven by its challenging boss battles, expert difficulty mode, achievement hunting, and score ranking system that encourages mastery and perfect runs. The variety of weapons, charms, and co-op mode add strategic depth and new ways to experience fights, keeping gameplay fresh even after multiple playthroughs. While some find replay value limited after fully mastering the game, the overall consensus praises its high replay value, especially for players who enjoy skill-based challenges and replaying content to improve performance.

    • “It has high replayability, since after you beat it you can beat every boss again on expert (which is really fun, especially if you are an achievement hunter) and also just the whole game itself is fun to play all over again.”
    • “In addition to this, the unlockable weapons and abilities are all really fun to use and all have their own specialties and make you think about which one suits you or what one is best for that specific boss; the different weapons, abilities and specials all really add to this game's replay value.”
    • “From the amazing cartoon art style, to the phenomenal soundtrack, the amazing fun bosses, each boss is different, with different mechanics so it doesn't feel repetitive at all, and not to mention this game has amazing replayability, this game is totally worth it, 11/10 game in my opinion, highly recommended.”
    • “While the replay value is high, given that the game assigns scores based on your performance and beating the game on normal unlocks an expert mode, I don't feel like going through the same bosses again and again just to raise arbitrary numbers.”
    • “The biggest downside is its lack of replayability.”
    • “Replayability: honestly, there is little replayability.”
  • grinding
    306 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Grinding in the game is characterized by repetitive boss fights and trial-and-error gameplay that some find tedious and mentally taxing, especially when aiming for high ranks or full completion. However, many players find the grinding rewarding due to the challenging yet fair difficulty, satisfying skill improvement, and appreciation of the game's unique art and music, making the effort feel worthwhile despite occasional frustration. Overall, grinding is unavoidable for completionists and can be both a source of frustration and a gratifying challenge depending on player tolerance.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding if you are a completionist.”
    • “There are no micro-transactions, there is no grinding, etc. You get to play this game at your own pace, and it's fun for the whole way through.”
    • “I'm finding getting an A+ on everything to be very rewarding and not too tedious.”
    • “The game's reliance on trial-and-error gameplay can feel tedious, with players having to repeat sections over and over until they succeed.”
    • “Some boss fights can be very time-consuming and tedious, especially when dying near the end causes you to restart the whole fight.”
    • “Grinding through the levels and bosses feels like an aggravating chore, turning the experience into a monotonous and frustrating endeavor.”
  • stability
    221 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Cuphead is generally praised for its smooth performance, polished gameplay, and minimal bugs, with many players reporting a mostly glitch-free experience. However, some users encounter occasional freezes, minor glitches (especially in co-op and DLC content), and rare game-breaking bugs that can impact progression, though these issues are usually infrequent and often addressed by patches. Overall, while not completely free of technical hiccups, the game's stability is considered strong compared to typical modern releases.

    • “+) Flawless optimization; no glitches, no stutters, no bugs, and no crashes.”
    • “I had no glitches or problems with the game and that is saying something among today's games.”
    • “Even on a laptop with 4GB RAM and less than 1GB VRAM it runs great, so most people should be able to run the game smoothly.”
    • “20 minutes into the game it randomly freezes and nothing else can be done.”
    • “One boss occasionally freezes your controls, which really feels unfair.”
    • “Game can't remote play, freezes every time I try to and lags with my controller.”
  • atmosphere
    213 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Cuphead’s atmosphere is universally praised for its meticulous recreation of 1930s hand-drawn cartoon art combined with a distinctive jazz soundtrack, creating a nostalgic, immersive, and lively experience. The seamless blend of vintage visuals, smooth animations, and expertly composed music elevates the game's charm, making its challenging gameplay feel engaging rather than frustrating. Overall, the atmosphere stands out as a core strength, captivating players with its unique, timeless aesthetic and mood.

    • “Between the incredible jazz OST and the authentic 1930s hand-drawn aesthetic, the atmosphere is flawless.”
    • “From the moment you start, the hand-drawn art and jazz soundtrack transport you to a bygone era, creating an atmosphere that’s both nostalgic and fresh.”
    • “The soundtrack, animations, and overall atmosphere work together perfectly to create a world that’s fun, nostalgic, and completely immersive.”
    • “The atmosphere - 6”
    • “The atmosphere of the game is more immersive and incredible than any other game, the gameplay is also great.”
    • “4/10 it gets a 4 for the atmosphere and the hard work put into making this game, but I don't recommend getting it.”
  • emotional
    191 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players consistently describe the game as an intense emotional rollercoaster, combining frustration, rage, and despair with moments of joy, nostalgia, and accomplishment. The challenging gameplay often evokes tears and emotional exhaustion, yet also deep satisfaction and heartwarming connections to its vintage art style and unique charm. Overall, the game delivers a profoundly moving experience that is both brutally demanding and emotionally rewarding.

    • “Every single boss I defeated made me feel accomplished, and I am in the middle of S ranking all of the base game.”
    • “This ain't an easy game, it will teach you persistence, patience, discipline, emotional control.”
    • “Beating this game made me feel something that I haven't felt in a long time; something to compare to that feeling is when you beat Orphan of Kos for the first time in Bloodborne, or you finally beat N+. This game gives you that kind of feeling when you beat it.”
  • character development
    153 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The character development in the game is widely praised for its unique, imaginative, and beautifully hand-drawn 1930s cartoon-inspired designs that bring vibrant, expressive personalities to life, especially in boss characters. Reviewers highlight the game's dedication to authentic animation style and creative, often surreal character transformations, which deeply enhance the game's charm and immersion. While the difficulty may deter some, the compelling character designs coupled with fluid animations and cohesive art direction make the game's visual and narrative experience highly memorable and impactful.

    • “The character designs are what truly makes this game worth every penny and makes the whole game feel alive and vibrant: from the loading screen bouncy hourglass, to the angry flowers that chase you around and bosses, everything is vividly alive, and having their own personalities: angry, sad, mad, mean, etc. all shown up on their faces.”
    • “Every boss has unique character design and attacks that make you face the fights in different ways.”
    • “Cuphead beautifully captures the hand-drawn, 1930s cartoon aesthetic, with its vibrant colors, fluid animations, and imaginative character designs.”
    • “Bad character design.”
    • “The character design is bad too.”
    • “Also the visuals are terrible; lazy animation and uninspired character design.”
  • optimization
    120 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Optimization for the game is highly praised, with stable, smooth performance even on low-spec and older hardware, minimal bugs, and quick load times. While keyboard/mouse controls and co-op mode receive some critique for less-than-ideal optimization, overall the game runs flawlessly at high frame rates, offering an excellent price-to-performance ratio. Minor issues like rare stutters or grading bugs exist but do not significantly impact the well-optimized, fluid gameplay experience.

    • “Performance-wise, the game is flawless with no bugs, crashes, or issues, running smoothly even on low-spec laptops and older computers.”
    • “Despite having many sprites on every screen, the game runs smoothly on a terrible laptop from 2006, showcasing excellent optimization and stable 60fps performance, even in 4K.”
    • “Flawless optimization; no glitches, no stutters, no bugs, and no crashes, making gameplay very smooth, responsive, and enjoyable across various system configurations.”
    • “The keyboard and mouse optimization is not friendly.”
    • “The controls on keyboard aren't well optimized, and you can't bind any input to mouse.”
    • “Apart from all of that, the game is extremely consolized and isn't optimized for PC whatsoever.”
  • monetization
    39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is praised for having no microtransactions, DLC, or pay-to-win elements, standing out as a refreshing, complete experience amid a market flooded with cash grabs and aggressive monetization. Reviewers appreciate the developers' focus on delivering a passion-driven, finished product without resorting to common modern monetization tactics.

    • “In an era where microtransactions, unfinished products, and ridiculous crowd-sourced titles rule the video game landscape, it’s always refreshing to see an indie title that throws all the corporate gibberish out the door and releases a fun, complete product.”
    • “This game is a breath of fresh air in an age where lousy paid DLC, loot boxes, and microtransactions are rampant in gaming.”
    • “No season pass, no microtransactions, no pay to win. This game puts triple-A games to shame and you won't have to subject yourself to microtransactions and numerous DLCs.”
    • “This game is the biggest cash grab ever; the developers just want money and don't listen to the community.”
    • “If you gave this game a negative review, you're probably upset you can't progress with microtransactions, because you suck at playing this game after years of hand holding.”
    • “Many triple-A titles today are boring and dumbed down, filled with microtransactions and the same formula.”
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80%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews
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22h Median play time
98h Average play time
10h Main story
25h Completionist
7-69h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 218 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Cuphead is a arcade platformer game with fantasy and comedy themes.

Cuphead is available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Steam Deck and others.

The main story can be completed in around 10 hours, while the entire game is estimated to take about 25 hours to finish. On average players spend around 98 hours playing Cuphead.

Cuphead was released on September 29, 2017.

Cuphead was developed by luigi2498.

Cuphead has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked Cuphead for its graphics but disliked it for its grinding.

Cuphead is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include Super Meat Boy, Just Shapes & Beats, Little Meatmo, A Dance of Fire and Ice, Rayman Origins and others.