Cuphead

Cuphead is a challenging run-and-gun game by Studio MDHR that combines classic shooting and jumping sections with large boss battles. Cuphead and his brother Mugman bet their souls on a game of chance and must collect the contracts of other debtors for the Devil.

The adventure takes place in the Inkwell Isles. You explore a walkable overview map, choose battles and running sections, and improve your abilities with new equipment.

Cuphead was released on Sep 29, 2017 for Windows PC and Xbox One. The Nintendo Switch version followed on Apr 18, 2019. On PlayStation 4, the game came out on Jul 28, 2020.

On Jun 30, 2022, Studio MDHR released The Delicious Last Course, a major expansion for all four platforms.

Cuphead was released natively for PC, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PS4. The PC has Windows and macOS versions. Through Xbox Play Anywhere, the Xbox version is also offered on supported Windows devices.

On PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, you can play the game through the respective older console version. This means there is no separate native PS5 or Xbox Series release.

You dodge attack patterns, jump over obstacles and fire at enemies with different guns. Many sections consist of multi-stage boss fights, whose attacks you learn by playing repeatedly.

Between battles, you reach new locations via the overview map. Coins from run-and-gun sections can be exchanged for weapons and charms. This changes, for example, the range or effect of your shots.

The Delicious Last Course was released on Jun 30, 2022 and expands the adventure with an additional island and new bosses. Ms. Chalice is introduced as a third playable character and has her own movement abilities.

New weapons and charms can also be used when replaying earlier sections. The expansion requires the base game and is not automatically included in every standard edition.

On Windows, Steam lists at least an Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 or AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+, 3 GB RAM, a GeForce 9600 GT or Radeon HD 3870 with 512 MB graphics memory and 4 GB free storage. DirectX 11 is required.

The originally stated Windows 7 compatibility applies to the game. The Steam client now requires Windows 10 or newer. On Mac, Steam lists at least an Intel Core i5, 4 GB RAM and Metal-capable Intel HD Graphics 4000.

Boss enemies often change their form, size or attack pattern during a fight. Winning takes precise timing, quick reactions and an eye for the recurring patterns.

Some encounters can also be played on an easier difficulty. Completing the adventure in full requires the regular boss fights. A retry restarts the encounter.

Cuphead supports local co-op for two players. One player controls Cuphead, the other Mugman. Both fight together against the same enemies and share the action on the screen.

The game has no built-in online co-op mode. On PC, external remote play features may, depending on the platform, transmit a local multiplayer mode over the internet.

Pink-marked objects can be blocked with a timed parry or used as a jump boost. Successful actions also fill the meter for stronger attacks.

New weapons, super abilities and charm effects let you adjust your playstyle. Some shots track targets, others are suited to short ranges. The choice matters especially in long boss fights.

Studio MDHR was inspired by American cartoons of the 1930s. The characters were traditionally hand-drawn and inked, while the backgrounds were created with watercolor paints.

The soundtrack uses jazz and big band music, among other styles. This makes the scenes feel like animated cartoons, even though a fast-paced action game is running in the background.

After Cuphead and Mugman gamble away everything in the Devil's casino, they collect the contracts of various enemies' souls. To do so, they have to visit their areas and defeat them in duels.

The story combines quirky locations with a clear motivation for each encounter. The focus is on the battles, with fewer long dialogues or complex choices.

German on-screen text is available. The language selection also includes English, French, Italian and other languages. Most of the story is told through short texts, illustrations and animations.