All Songs/Games in Mixtape, Ranked

I remember when my friend made me a mixtape for my birthday. It had eight songs, and each one carried meaning throughout our friendship. They were mostly songs by our favorite artists, including new ones he had recently discovered. Some were songs we’d listen to when we wanted to fill the silence. Others were on-repeats we’d learned the lyrics by heart and sang along to. Mixtapes were one way we showed love to our friends and lovers, through a compilation of songs blasting from your CD player. And now, the adventure game, Mixtape, brings back those fond memories from so many years back.

The game is, more or less, a similar vibe to the carefree nature of childhood friendships. Except that its foundation is built on the power of music, and its ability to hold core memories of the most significant and unforgettable moments in our lives. All good things must come to an end when childhood friends Stacey Rockford, Van Slater, and Cassandra Morino graduate from high school and take different paths forward. But before they say goodbye to one another, they decide to embark on one last day of carefree adventure, during which they go through a mixtape of 1980s songs that remind them of the beautiful moments they shared. 

From DEVO to Roxy Music, Joy Division, Iggy Pop, The Smashing Pumpkins, and more artists, here is the order in which all songs/games in Mixtape, ranked, stuck to our minds and hearts.

28. “Moon Unit” by Wooden Sword

Of the 28 licensed songs featured in Mixtape, 22 are the main tracks that play a part in the storyline, while the remaining six are background music that fill the silence. Hence, you’ll find the background songs less impactful. Plus, they are instrumental and will, thus, mostly resonate with you based purely on vibe and personal taste.

It felt right to start with “Moon Unit” by Wooden Sword because it’s the instrumental that plays out when you finish the game. It’s like the send-off that eases you away with its soft synth vibes. 

27. “Zebra Crossing” by The Eye Gougers

In the rock category, you can jam to “Zebra Crossing” by The Eye Gougers, also at the end, and more rightly, when the credits roll. Pretty cool, too, that a quick, upbeat rock tone is the closing remarks to an adventure of teenage reckless abandon.

26. “Deep Space Scan” by Curtis Dunn

Next up, you have “Deep Space Scan” by Curtis Dunn. It’s an interesting electronic play on synth tones. Not quite in your face, but the song helps hone in the emotions swirling around in the final scene.

25. “Airwalker” by Bertrand Dolby

The energetic synth vibe in “Airwalker” by Bertrand Dolby creates an expectant and exciting feeling right before the grand cheer when the fireworks go off.

24. “Powder” by Allclear

As you close in on the finale, “Powder” by Allclear plays a background alternative rock bridge that funnels you toward the ending.

23. “Drunk Flamingo” by Abrahams and Mole

And the last of the background instrumentals of all songs/games in Mixtape, ranked, is “Drunk Flamingo” by Abrahams and Mole. As the narrator says, “this tight little number (is) for a magical evening.”

22. “Candy” by Iggy Pop

“Candy” by Iggy Pop is raw, it’s messy, and it has that late-night chaotic vibe of “let’s party till the break of dawn.” It’s also perfectly fitting of a sloshy, first kiss, right?

21. “Monochrome” by Lush

Being a teenager is loud and messy, but it’s also emo. And the in-between is perfectly conveyed in the “Monochrome” by Lush piece, with a dreamy but still hardcore alternative rock. 

20. “Dare” by Stan Bush

I love a good action film, especially one that knows how to pick its music. “Dare” by Stan Bush is the kind of music I’d want playing just before diving into a building on fire or rescuing someone trapped on the train tracks. It lives up to its title with motivating tunes steeped in powerful rock.

19. “Witchi Tai To” by Harper’s Bizarre

Some of the songs, like “Witchi Tai To” by Harper’s Bizarre, were not on the developers’ radar either, making them all the more special to be listening to them, too, for the first time. And this one, in particular, leaves a strong memory because of its ties to building friendship from the little things.

18. “Yesterday’s Hero” by John Paul Young

You may have skipped out on “Yesterday’s Hero” by John Paul Young, as it’s not as popular, which stings because of the name of the song itself. Still, it’s an Australian pop-rock that will rejuvenate your mood and just might become a new favorite.

17. “Shine” by David Gray

Even when filling the silence, you still need to be careful about the mood the song sets. And “Shine” by David Gray just nails that relaxed, calming feeling between friends. Nothing need be said, and yet the song stirs strong emotions of intimacy and love.

16. “Galaxy in Turiya” by Alice Coltrane

For a 10-minute instrumental odyssey explaining how someone makes you feel, I think “Galaxy in Turiya” by Alice Coltrane pretty much nails it. And playing to a makeout sesh that you might remember as one of the best, except how messy and gross it actually looks. Funny as hell, yet also unforgettable.

15. “The Touch” by Stan Bush

Stan Bush has another number among all songs/games in Mixtape, ranked, called “The Touch.” It’s yet another electric action setpiece moment that fuels the momentum and features in the Transformers animation film released in 1986.

14. “State of the Heart” by Mondo Rock

“State of the Heart” by Mondo Rock slows down the moment. It plays in Cassandra’s room, a perfect place to strip things down and let her feelings about her strict cop father detangle.

13. “Spellhound” by Siouxsie & The Banshees

“Spellbound” by Siouxsie & The Banshees does its job very well. It’s meant to build up the tension, which marries well with the rising tempo in the drums. And the drums and guitar build up rhythm until it reaches a steady epitome, adrenaline-propelled spike.

12. “Roads” by Portishead

All songs/games in Mixtape, ranked, convey emotion in subtle ways, sometimes head-on. In “Roads” by Portishead, it comes in during a fallout between Stacey and Cassie. So now, there’s tension, but the kind that breeds deep sorrow and sadness.

11. “Plainsong” by The Cure

I love a good send-off, and I think “Plainsong” by The Cure does a pretty great job of it. It’s an eight-minute odyssey that takes you on a journey, from the stretched-out beginning of the song with only the instrumentals, suspending you in an emotional limbo, and then the lyrics come in. Stacey and Slater must say goodbye to each other, and the moment they part is as heartbreaking as the emotionally-charged synth waves.

10. “More Than This” by Roxy Music

Who doesn’t love a magnetic fireworks show? And set to “More Than This” by Roxy Music, which has its deep nostalgia of the iconic Brian duo. 

9. “Remember When” by Mitch Murder

“Remember When” by Mitch Murder is actually a 2011 song, and in Mixtape, it plays to a flashback between Stacey and Cassandra talking about Stacey’s interest in music. It fits perfectly, still, to the nostalgia theme in the game, with its charming 1980s synthwave sound.

8. “Sensitive to Light” by Rainbow

Another song that plays out to a flashback is “Sensitive to Light” by Rainbow. Not just any flashback, but one after a party, where Stacey and Slater haul Cassie into a shopping cart and spiral her down, running away from the cops. An upbeat song seals the deal, with hardcore rock and roll vibes that fuel energy and speed into the scene. 

7. “Most of All” by B.J. Thomas

“Most of All” by B.J. Thomas is softer, which is compelling coming from the chaos of teenage shenanigans. It reveals depth beneath the noise, with sincere vocals and soft rock. 

6. “Have You Seen Her” by The Chi-Lites

I enjoy spoken word, and combined with music, it’s even more special. “Have You Seen Her” by The Chi-Lites is one of the stand-out songs with parts that are spoken, and others that are sung. It’s also a strong addition to all songs/games in Mixtape, ranked, that help bring out the bond between Stacey and her sister.

5. “Just Like Honey” by The Jesus and Mary Chain

Mixtape is the kind of game that you can just go with the flow. But it also has songs like “Just Like Honey” by The Jesus and Mary Chain, which reel you into the moment. When the chaos of the outside slows down, and you’re back chilling in your bedroom with your friends, and jamming to softer and more chill tunes.

4. “Freak” by Silverchair

“Freak” by Silverchair is one of my favorites of all songs/games in Mixtape. It’s bold, heavy, and I love that it actually involves you in its head-banging through pressing inputs to the beat of the music.

3. “That’s Good” by DEVO

“That’s Good” by DEVO could easily be the best song featured in Mixtape. It sets the tone of the game in the first chapter, from the first skating sesh with Stacey, Slater, and Cassie. Their last day together begins with high expectations for adventure and chaos. One last teenage hurrah. And the song’s new-wave energy is perfectly fitting for the rush you’re about to experience.

2. “Atmosphere” by Joy Division

On the other hand, “Atmosphere” by Joy Division wraps up Mixtape dutifully well. From the chaotic rush of spending one last day together to finally having to say goodbye, it’s a sombre mood cemented by the song’s post-punk and synth melancholy.

1. “Love” by The Smashing Pumpkins

In the first place of all songs/games in Mixtape, ranked, I’m slotting in “Love” by The Smashing Pumpkins. It’s one of the songs I had to listen to on Spotify and blast through my speakers. Those guitar riffs and drums have me in a chokehold. I especially love the quote that accompanies the song, “I require something that fills every possible spectrum of sound, causing the brain to super-aneurysm and explode and die.”