Cuphead

 PC
User Score
8.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1826 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,514 out of 1826
  2. Mixed: 164 out of 1826
  3. Negative: 148 out of 1826

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  1. TitaniumDragon
    Dec 26, 2017
    10
    Cuphead is a punishingly hard 2D platformer/shmup styled after cartoons from the early 1930s. Lovingly hand-drawn, this game is extremely stylish; the whole thing recalls cartoons of the 1930s, from the audio to the visuals to the fonts to the characters in the game. Every bit of this game is bursting with 1930s style; unlike “retro” video games, this is genuinely a game intended to lookCuphead is a punishingly hard 2D platformer/shmup styled after cartoons from the early 1930s. Lovingly hand-drawn, this game is extremely stylish; the whole thing recalls cartoons of the 1930s, from the audio to the visuals to the fonts to the characters in the game. Every bit of this game is bursting with 1930s style; unlike “retro” video games, this is genuinely a game intended to look as if it was made in the 1930s.

    At its core, Cuphead is a boss rush game. Most of the levels in the game take the form of some sort of multi-stage boss, which transforms itself into new forms as you fight your way through. There are no hit point indicators in this during the course of a match; you simply have to beat on the boss until it transforms into its next stage, with your hits only registering as brief flashes on the boss to indicate that your attack had indeed scored.

    This gives the game a rather intimidating aesthetic, as the bosses are not easy; the game starts off with a couple of fairly simple bosses, but rapidly ramps up to much more difficult fare. By the end of the first world, you’ll be fighting bosses harder than what you see in most 2D platformer games; by the end of the second world, things are even harder.

    But you will persevere; the game, while very difficult, also is designed to help you predict the enemy movements, which, while somewhat randomized, are telegraphed (albeit without much time to react in some cases) and can all be dodged. Every level can be beaten without taking a hit – and you’d better get good at dodging, as you only have three hit points.

    The bosses operate on 1930s cartoon logic as well, and often involve both pun names and visual puns. The enemies change their attack patterns and often undergo physical transformations – often wild ones – as you fight your way through them. Unlike modern children’s cartoons, at times these could be fairly dark, and the bosses become increasingly intimidating in many cases as the game goes on, while simultaneously often maintaining their comedic air and recalling ideas from the early 20th century like mysticism, hypnotism, and old school circuses and amusement parks.

    The game’s core gameplay is pretty simple – you can move around, angle the cursor to shoot at angles (including downwards), crouch and shoot, do an aerial dash, and “parry” pink objects, which absorbs them, bounces your character upwards, and charges your super meter. There are five stages to the super meter, and you have both a basic “super” attack which deals some extra damage and goes through enemies, and a more powerful one that consumes all five super meter stages and gives you a devastating super attack that can chew off about half of a boss stage’s hit points, makes you invincible, or boosts your attack power.

    In addition to the boss stages, there are a relatively small number (about 2 per world) of levels that consist of running through a stage beating a series of enemies in a more standard side-scrolling type game. These levels themselves can be fairly challenging (though they’re generally breathers compared to the bosses) and they help mix up the gameplay by incorporating more standard 2D platformer elements.

    Between the stages, you walk around in a “world map” type thing, where you can interact with a small number of NPCs, who will sometimes challenge you to do things and reward you with a coin, or going to the shop, where you can spend coins to buy new options for your characters. Some are new attack options – such as tracking shots that deal less damage, or the ability to charge up shots like Megaman at the cost of not being able to hold down the button to fire continuously – while others enhance your character in other ways, such as making you invincible during a dash, giving you an extra hit point at the cost of dealing less damage, or automatically parrying when you jump.

    This game is fun, but not in the same way that something like Portal 2 is fun. Rather, this is a game which is fun because of its challenge and because the aesthetic pairs nicely with the gameplay. You are going to die if you play Cuphead. You are, in fact, going to die many hundreds of times before you get to the end and win your soul back from the Devil (gambling is bad, kids!). If you don’t like hard games – if you don’t like failing many times while learning the bosses patterns, so that you can finally succeed – you won’t like this game.

    But if you like the idea of working hard to overcome a series of difficult mechanical challenges, this game is likely right up your alley. And while the game is very hard, it is ultimately fair in its difficulty. The charm of the game helps to make the challenge feel less miserable, and the fact that there is a constant goal hovering ahead of you, pulling you forward, makes it feel like you are, in fact, making progress, no matter how many times you fail.    … Expand
  2. hammygas
    Dec 12, 2017
    10
    Unbelievable for a game to actually live up to the hype that this game had. Very difficult, but it managed to never get me frustrated at my numerous deaths, in no small part due to the amazing music, art, and animation.

    Everyone should play this game.
  3. keanex
    Mar 22, 2018
    10
    The art style of Cuphead is what initially captured my attention. The art is hand-drawn and inspired by 1920's era cartoons, something I found to be a breath of fresh air with a unique quality that I've never experienced in a game before. The animations are a joy to watch with many new animations few each boss, I must have died 50 times overall trying to watch wildly varied bossThe art style of Cuphead is what initially captured my attention. The art is hand-drawn and inspired by 1920's era cartoons, something I found to be a breath of fresh air with a unique quality that I've never experienced in a game before. The animations are a joy to watch with many new animations few each boss, I must have died 50 times overall trying to watch wildly varied boss transformations and attacks instead of dodging the projectiles. Nothing feels recycled at all.

    Each boss has a highly personalized level aesthetic with 1920's inspired jazz that accompanies it perfectly. It was incredibly exciting to see each new level and see how the boss's aesthetic would fit into the scope of the landscape. The boss's that occupy each level are absolutely a joy to encounter, even if they're kicking your ass because of the level of attention of their animations, the level design, and the matching aesthetics of the music and bosses.

    The game-play is incredibly tight. I can't recall an instance where I was hit due to poor controls or a bad hit box. When I was killed, which I died a lot, I felt that in 99% of cases it was due to a poor choice by me, with the other 1% being due to a boss using two abilities back to back that made it impossible to dodge. Even though I died a lot, it never frustrated me. The pacing of the boss battles makes each death feel like a learning experience rather than time lost. The boss battles average 2 minutes or so, with many deaths occurring in the first few phases as I tried to learn the patterns of the attacks and how to approach them better.

    Cuphead is a highly engaging game that requires patience, thought, and skill to beat. It has pushed me to be a much better gamer because it pushed me to do things I didn't think I was possible of doing. The art style initially captured my attention, but gorgeous visuals can't carry a game. Cuphead is the complete package in terms of art, sound, and game-play. Thanks Studio MDHR for this experience. Thanks for not giving up on your dreams of making such an ambitious game.    … Expand
  4. jmvizanko
    Oct 12, 2017
    10
    I should hate this game. It should be something I refunded after 20 minutes. I hate super difficult games. I refund many games in under an hour because of their difficulty. I love platformers, and they are maybe my favorite genre next to puzzle games, but I haaaaate the bosses. I have played entire games only to not finish them because I didn’t want to finish the final boss.

    This    I should hate this game. It should be something I refunded after 20 minutes. I hate super difficult games. I refund many games in under an hour because of their difficulty. I love platformers, and they are maybe my favorite genre next to puzzle games, but I haaaaate the bosses. I have played entire games only to not finish them because I didn’t want to finish the final boss.

    This game is amazing! Every boss demands new thinking, new strategy, new management of weapons and abilities, and a new test of patience and wishing to whatever gods you worship for a lucky run. Including resets because of an early fatal flaw, I probably attempted to defeat the dragon over 200 times. I changed weapons, bought new upgrades, and changed strategies numerous times. Yet I never rage-quitted. I just wanted back at another chance again and again.

    Why if I hate bosses, and I love platformers, would I love a game that is only a platformer in order to play bosses? Because the bosses in this game are so varied and complex that they each present a new puzzle of strategy and gameplay to defeat, that to call them traditional bosses is an insult to the design. Maybe that and the fact you know that that is entirely what you are signing up for? But absolutely everything else is executed with such love and detail that you are enticed to experience more of the game. The graphics are gorgeous and unique. The soundtrack (so perfect) and sound effects are amazing, and I wish I had purchased the version with the soundtrack. The game may have been in a mini version of development hell for a long time, but you can tell it is only because the developers wanted it to be pristine. That it is.

    Only the run and gun levels seem a bit out of place. But even they are still fun challenges, and just as challenging indeed. This game gets a 10/10 from me, a player who hates bosses yet can't wait to finish every boss in this game (I'm almost there). If this game even remotely seems like something you would enjoy, just buy it.    … Expand
  5. StevenD
    Mar 3, 2019
    10
    The best side scroller created so far. I personally suck at it, but it's so entertaining that I don't mind.
    The art direction is inspired. The game is quick and responsive. The whole area map is reminiscent of the old 80's games, that only reinforces the overall immersion.
    In an industry where DLC and micro-transactions are the norm and you are incentivised to pay to skip playing,    The best side scroller created so far. I personally suck at it, but it's so entertaining that I don't mind.
    The art direction is inspired. The game is quick and responsive. The whole area map is reminiscent of the old 80's games, that only reinforces the overall immersion.
    In an industry where DLC and micro-transactions are the norm and you are incentivised to pay to skip playing, cuphead offers a breath of fresh air, it offers a complete experience, a challenging experience, and ultimately, a rewarding experience.    … Expand
  6. Kaioh
    Oct 4, 2017
    10
    *I've changed my score since this game deserves all the love despite the outdated difficulty*
    Despite the outstanding art and music this game sucks.
    They expect me to be a god in old school platformers like donkey kong or mario and those arcade shooters with little ships being spammed by billions of enemies. Pretty much every boss fight in this game is extra hard af except 2-3 bosses of    *I've changed my score since this game deserves all the love despite the outdated difficulty*
    Despite the outstanding art and music this game sucks.
    They expect me to be a god in old school platformers like donkey kong or mario and those arcade shooters with little ships being spammed by billions of enemies.
    Pretty much every boss fight in this game is extra hard af except 2-3 bosses of the 1st world.
    So basically you spent hours in remembering boss patterns and even then there is always RNG factor in ANY boss battle that'll f*ck you up and you end up raging while being close to win.
    If you gonna buy this game prepare yourself for b/s last phases on every boss.
    It'll be really sad if they don't patch this.    … Expand
  7. my_own_summer
    Jan 2, 2018
    10
    It's incredibly addictive, even though after 20 hours played I'm still on island number 2 . I keep coming to it again and again in hopes that I can get through it one day. It gets close to frustrating, but the challenge is fascinating as well.
    The refreshing factor of the graphics, animations, style - this makes it obviously outstanding.
    The game has lived up to my (very) high    It's incredibly addictive, even though after 20 hours played I'm still on island number 2 . I keep coming to it again and again in hopes that I can get through it one day. It gets close to frustrating, but the challenge is fascinating as well.
    The refreshing factor of the graphics, animations, style - this makes it obviously outstanding.
    The game has lived up to my (very) high expectations, amazing job!    … Expand
  8. oldcesar
    Feb 19, 2018
    10
    Jogo perfeito. O tema do jogo é sensacional, desenho dos anos 30, fico imaginando o trabalho dos desenvolvedores pra colocar esses desenhos cheios de vida no jogo, nota 10 para os desenhistas também.

    Jogabilidade: Achei perfeita, me lembrou demais os jogos da era dos 16-bits. Trilha sonora: Muito boa, perfeita reprodução das músicas, parecendo estar ouvindo por uma velha pick-up    Jogo perfeito. O tema do jogo é sensacional, desenho dos anos 30, fico imaginando o trabalho dos desenvolvedores pra colocar esses desenhos cheios de vida no jogo, nota 10 para os desenhistas também.

    Jogabilidade: Achei perfeita, me lembrou demais os jogos da era dos 16-bits.

    Trilha sonora: Muito boa, perfeita reprodução das músicas, parecendo estar ouvindo por uma velha pick-up tocando vinil.

    Dificuldade: Estou jogando somente na dificuldade 'regular' e o desafio que o jogo proporciona é suprema.

    Parabéns aos desenvolvedores, merecem todos os prêmios que ganharam pelo jogo!
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    Awesome game. The game's theme is sensacional. Animated cartoon from the 30's. I was wondering the hardwork from the developers to put these cartoons full of life inside the game. Grade 10 to the designers too.

    Jogability: For me is perfect. Remembered me a lot the age of the 16-bits games.

    Soundtrack: Amazing, perfect reproduction of old music. it seems to listen on vinyl old pick up with good music.

    Dificullty: I am playing just only in the 'regular' difficulty and the challenge that game provide is supreme.

    Congrats to the developers once more, they deservers all the rewards they won for the game.

    (Srry, write reviews serves to pratice my english too)    … Expand
  9. deekaai
    Sep 29, 2017
    10
    gotta give props to the producer this must have been at least 100,000 animation frames to ink I hope your hands havent fallen off. I love bullet runner games and this has to be my all time favourite. its the perfect difficultly and its not hard for new players to play at the start but it has a steep slope. good work guys I can't wait to see more games form these dudes in the future
  10. Hasami-Age
    May 21, 2018
    10
    Demanding old school game.

    His graphic is dedicated to the cartoons of Max Fleischer, Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks of the 30s accompanied with a good soundtrack of blues music.

    Even if you die a thousand times it will not tire you, it is highly additive.
  11. Euknowia
    Oct 14, 2017
    10
    Stylish, charismatic, challenging, and addictive— Cuphead offers a superior experience at a more than reasonable price. I don’t have a strong liking for platformers or boss-rush games in general, but that disposition was entirely irrelevant because Cuphead was just that good. I’m being pedantic, but my only complaint (aside from the few bugs) concerns the design of some of the “platformStylish, charismatic, challenging, and addictive— Cuphead offers a superior experience at a more than reasonable price. I don’t have a strong liking for platformers or boss-rush games in general, but that disposition was entirely irrelevant because Cuphead was just that good. I’m being pedantic, but my only complaint (aside from the few bugs) concerns the design of some of the “platform centric” levels – at some parts, it felt as though I was playing an old Mario ROM hack where enemy spam was used as difficulty filler (it was never this bad, but I couldn’t help but wonder if it could’ve been done in a way that didn’t utilize as many enemies as it did). Other than that, the game was absolutely superb! I'd give it a 9.5 but I'll round up.… Expand
  12. thebomb
    Oct 19, 2017
    10
    Cuphead is challenging, looks great, runs very well on pc and delivers hours and hours of fun for both single-player and co-op. It balances difficulty perfectly, without ever becoming too boring or too hard. The game thrives on original and wacky characters which makes every level unique. It's filled with great 1930s atmosphere and music. Cuphead is well worth its fair price tag. You won'tCuphead is challenging, looks great, runs very well on pc and delivers hours and hours of fun for both single-player and co-op. It balances difficulty perfectly, without ever becoming too boring or too hard. The game thrives on original and wacky characters which makes every level unique. It's filled with great 1930s atmosphere and music. Cuphead is well worth its fair price tag. You won't regret it.… Expand
  13. kamhagh
    Feb 23, 2018
    10
    Get ready to smash your cups into the monitor! Jokes aside this game is really fun!
    I get frustrated easily but this game didn't make me give up... strange... but oh well!
    The art is amazing and so is the music! the gameplay is kinda fun. I've never played a platformers before but this is haaaaaaaaaard! My cousin who loves 2D games and platformers though said it was very easy so...    Get ready to smash your cups into the monitor! Jokes aside this game is really fun!
    I get frustrated easily but this game didn't make me give up... strange... but oh well!
    The art is amazing and so is the music! the gameplay is kinda fun. I've never played a platformers before but this is haaaaaaaaaard! My cousin who loves 2D games and platformers though said it was very easy so... might be just me.

    But yeah I stopped after the second isle after accidentally deleting my saves instead of backing them up >.    … Expand
  14. Techbane
    Oct 2, 2017
    10
    If the game's too hard, either cinch up your big boy pants and tough it out, or get out of Dodge. I see 30-somethings complaining about the difficulty because they don't have the time to be God-wizards at shmups like they were in the days of the NES. Well guess what, I'm also 30, I was never a wizard of any kind at old shmups, and I'm at World 3 after less than 2 hours of play -- on NormalIf the game's too hard, either cinch up your big boy pants and tough it out, or get out of Dodge. I see 30-somethings complaining about the difficulty because they don't have the time to be God-wizards at shmups like they were in the days of the NES. Well guess what, I'm also 30, I was never a wizard of any kind at old shmups, and I'm at World 3 after less than 2 hours of play -- on Normal difficulty! Most stages even come with an Easy mode to appease exactly these people, yet even that is apparently insufficient. Invest in alternate weapons and figure out where best to use them, is all the advice I really have. You're not limited to stock rapidfire.

    That out of the way, the game does a phenomenal job of selling the 30's aesthetic. The animation is a bit jittery in places where it's just a short loop, but otherwise amazingly well done. The visual filters are spot-on, the backgrounds sometimes make nice use of 3D that somehow doesn't seem out of place, and the sound design is impeccable. From the subtle clickety-clack of your basic weapon to the over-the-top foley work for various boss attacks and the masterful swing-centric soundtrack, it really takes me back to a point in history that I wasn't even alive for. Controls are solid which is of course of paramount importance, and as implied above, the difficulty will definitely keep you on your toes. It's not Dark Souls hard, hell it's not even NES hard (NES hard would force you to restart the entire game every 5th time you died), but it IS a good, manageable kind of hard -- as long as you're not a games journalist with 18 years of experience.

    I very much recommend it.    … Expand
  15. Skitzofreniq
    Jun 7, 2018
    10
    Instant classic! I love a good platformer and this is an excellent one at that. The challenge is crazy, especially when you have OCD like myself and want to 100% every level and that includes not getting hit. The presentation is wonderful to look at as well which is a testament to the developers because we all know how much goes into animating.
  16. MTYMAC
    Oct 4, 2017
    10
    That'll put a modern game into the great 1930's classic cartoons.

    The graphics, music, controls, characters, and artistic design is over well positive. And this game is totally hard. But I'll buy it in the future. That'll made the dream come true that it will be the best games ever on steam.
  17. MeditatedYeti42
    Sep 29, 2017
    10
    the character design is on point. i love how the entire game was drawn, giving it an old 1940's or earlier Disney feel. the bosses are difficult but fun. people who don't enjoy hard games will most likely hate this game
  18. megabear
    Nov 15, 2017
    10
    Let me begin by saying that I hate platformers. Never liked them. I did enjoy playing Mario a little bit but never got into it even as a child.

    I do however appreciate a well made game, and Cuphead, if anything, is a well made game. I bought it and am enjoying it mostly for its creativity, not for the platforming itself. I play it so that I can explore all the artistry that went into    Let me begin by saying that I hate platformers. Never liked them. I did enjoy playing Mario a little bit but never got into it even as a child.

    I do however appreciate a well made game, and Cuphead, if anything, is a well made game. I bought it and am enjoying it mostly for its creativity, not for the platforming itself. I play it so that I can explore all the artistry that went into this game.

    I can't imagine the amount of work, creativity and love that went into this work of art.    … Expand
  19. PiePieper
    Nov 17, 2017
    10
    This game is amazing and very rewarding. A challenging shoot'em up cross with 1920's cartoons and music. All art hand drawn and animated. Great couch COOP is the best part.
  20. Moge4579
    Nov 11, 2017
    10
    Como usuario de Playstation 4, debo admitir que este juego es muy pero muy bello
    Y la verdad que es muy bueno y muy divertido, como me gustaria tenerlo en Ps4
    Que suerte que a los creadores les fue bien con el juego! recomendadicimo, de lo mejorcito del año sin duda alguna!

    Love Indies ♥
  21. MeatFilling
    Sep 29, 2017
    10
    The game is exactly what it needs to be. The amount of effort the developers went through in order to be true to old cartoons is astounding. The soundtrack is flawless. Definitely buy this game if any aspect of it piques your interest.
  22. Ungodly_Phantom
    Oct 11, 2017
    10
    Шикарный стиль, шикарная музыка, полная поддержка дуалшока 4. Вот какими должны быть инди,и не то конвеерное пиксельно говно которым нас пытаются кормить. Огромный респект разработчикам.
  23. Kiatzu
    Dec 6, 2019
    10
    Awesome graphics and artstyle. Playing it with a friend or family makes this game even better in my opinion. It's hard, fun and challenging at the same time. If you love Disney's old artstyle you'll be in love with this game.
  24. Dark_OverLord91
    Oct 4, 2017
    10
    Is a 360 ° masterpiece destined to become a classic and a milestone of the genre. Sublime artistic style, music and gameplay, offered at a great price that could be a bit higher for the overall quality of the work.
  25. ScreenScraggy22
    Oct 9, 2017
    10
    What a fantastic game. The graphics are absolutely amazing and appealing. The music is very good. The game play is insanely fun (and hard). Probably one of the most charming games I’ve ever played. The 2 player runs great and is a blast to play. The bosses are so unique and creative with something different every time. There is some good weapon and ability variety as well to keep the gameWhat a fantastic game. The graphics are absolutely amazing and appealing. The music is very good. The game play is insanely fun (and hard). Probably one of the most charming games I’ve ever played. The 2 player runs great and is a blast to play. The bosses are so unique and creative with something different every time. There is some good weapon and ability variety as well to keep the game motivating. Honestly this game is amazing.… Expand
  26. Panzidane
    Oct 1, 2017
    10
    Cuphead is an awesome game, with insane dificulty. This game bring me back my childhood, play it and you don't regret. I can't understand why some people says the game is bad, probaly they should be bad players. I only can talk good about this game. So, you love games? Play Cuphead and enjoy this masterpiece of Xbox One/PC
  27. Midirataj
    Nov 14, 2017
    10
    That's the gaming experience worth every penny and smashed controller.
    Humble and talented people like Cuphead creators deserve the money, which major AAA publishers steal from you, without half the effort and talent witnessed in this production.
  28. rasta2d
    Oct 1, 2017
    10
    el apartado artistico, la calidad de graficos y estilo hace que sea un buen juego para todos los que buscan algo nuevo al estilo retro no lo piensen mas y consiganlo
    comprenlo yaaa
  29. klasflod
    Jan 11, 2018
    10
    If it hadn't been for BotW this would have been my favourite game of the year. That's crazy to say with oddyssey in there as well. 2017 was the best year I can remember since... I don't even know, 2007 probably.

    This game is beautiful, fun but most of all supremely addictive due to it's challenging gameplay. What a little masterpiece this is.
  30. dgo013
    Sep 29, 2017
    10
    Is one of the most beautiful and challenging platforms I've ever played
    • Simple game mechanics
    • Beautiful scenery design
    • Charismatic enemies
    A very professional result for an indie game, congratulations STUDIOMDHR I'll be waiting for your next videogame.
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Awards & Rankings

9
#9 Best PC Game of 2017
9
#9 Most Discussed PC Game of 2017
9
#9 Most Shared PC Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
88

Generally favorable reviews - based on 31 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 30 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 31
  3. Negative: 0 out of 31
  1. CD-Action
    Dec 19, 2017
    85
    Cuphead is a stunningly looking, wonderfully animated interactive cartoon with three hours of jazz and ragtime playing in the background. Its gameplay however lacks the brilliance of the audiovisual layer. [12/2017, p.46]
  2. IGN Japan
    Dec 14, 2017
    90
    It is easy to tell that the developers studied the history of the genre through and through, delivering a stellar run and gun experience brought to life with unique old fashioned cartoon graphics. It may have it flaws, but when a game is this appealing it is easy to forgive.
    Read full review
  3. PC PowerPlay
    Nov 12, 2017
    90
    An amazing looking game that will punish you. And you'll like it. [Issue#267, p.65]
    Read full review
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