Cuphead is a beautiful looking game with tight controls and grueling combat that culminates in game unlike many others. But as a throwback to the animation of the early 20th century, it finds its muse in a troubling past it never gets around to actually confronting.
Designing a game that manages to be both tough and fun is a difficult task, but Cuphead designers Chad and Jared Moldenhauer, along with the rest of StudioMDHR, managed to pull it off. I spoke with the two brothers over the phone to learn about boss design, cut concepts, and life after a successful indie game.
Cuphead’s difficult but cute. The game’s cartoony art-style brings everything to life with bouncy charm. Some fans have embraced the game’s visuals and created their own cupheaded characters.
Cuphead is a difficult gauntlet through a ton of bosses, from evil clowns to bossy queen bees. Surviving can be difficult, but some players are blasting through the game with breakneck speedruns or dangerous “no hit” challenges.
It’s hard to beat a game that you can’t even start.
Cuphead turns players into perfectionists. The long-awaited hand-drawn action game is full of cartoony boss battles that demand enough precision and focus that even a single hit of damage feels unacceptable. Playing Cuphead is like a stage performance; every mistake is embarrassing, but the curtain call of each…
The upcoming Xbox fall lineup is a bit lackluster but it does have some gems like Cuphead. Here’s a quick video full of blast, shoot-y, and cartoony gameplay.
I'm a man of simple needs and simple wants. And what I want right now is a game that looks like a Max Fleischer cartoon.