Xbox One

Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course

ShooterPlatformAdventureIndieArcade

Time to beat: about 17.6 hours

Overview

Cuphead is a 2017 run and gun game developed and published independently by Studio MDHR. The game follows its titular cup-head character and his brother Mugman, as they make a deal with the Devil to pay casino losses by repossessing the souls of runaway debtors. In the game, up to two players control Cuphead or Mugman to fight through several levels and boss fights; the game does not have a rigid narrative structure. As the game progresses, the protagonist acquires more power and abilities, eventually facing the Devil. Players, however, can only equip a limited number of these abilities at a given time.

The game's creators, brothers Chad and Jared Moldenhauer, took inspiration from the rubber hose animation style from the golden age of American animation and the surrealist qualities of the works of Walt Disney Animation Studios, Fleischer Studios, Warner Bros. Cartoons, MGM Cartoon Studio and Walter Lantz Productions. Reminiscent of the aesthetics of the 1930s and the Jazz Age, the game is noted for its animation and soundtrack. All in-game assets were created through traditional animation with deliberate human imperfections, and the soundtrack was written for and recorded with a full big band.

Cuphead was announced in 2013, had a preview at E3 2014 and was released in 2017 as a timed exclusive for Microsoft's Windows and Xbox One, plus later ports to other systems. The game was a commercial success, selling 2 million copies within 2 weeks of release and 6 million in 2 years. Cuphead received universal acclaim for its art style, gameplay, soundtrack, and difficulty. Multiple outlets extolled it as one of the best video game soundtracks of all time, one of the hardest video games ever made, and one of the best games of 2017. Its many awards include a trio of Game Awards and D.I.C.E. Awards, as well as a British Academy Games Award. A DLC expansion, Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course, was released on June 30, 2022. An animated series adaptation, The Cuphead Show!, premiered in February 2022 on Netflix. An untitled sequel to the video game, as well as a spin-off, Mighty Cuphead Adventure, were announced in June 2026.