Mixtape: Melbourne indie studio Beethoven and Dinosaur releases narrative adventure game rooted in 80s and 90s nostalgia
Beethoven and Dinosaur's latest title blends skateboarding, surreal gameplay, and deep cuts from artists like the Smashing Pumpkins and Silverchair in a tribute to youth culture.
Melbourne-based indie studio Beethoven and Dinosaur has released the narrative adventure game Mixtape, a title available on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2. The game follows a teenage protagonist named Stacy Rockford who spends a single night in the fictional 1990s town of Blue Moon Lagoon before moving to New York.
The experience is accompanied by an 80s and 90s soundtrack featuring artists like the Smashing Pumpkins, Roxy Music, and Silverchair, curated by the studio's founder Johnny Galvatron. Rather than relying on popular hits, the soundtrack features deep cuts from bands such as Siouxsie and the Banshees, Portishead, and the Jesus and Mary Chain. The opening track is Devo's 1982 hit "That's Good," which Galvatron cites as his starting point for the project.
Gameplay includes skateboarding, drinking, and surreal sequences such as riding a dinosaur and learning to fly. Specific gameplay sequences are drawn from the real-life experiences of the development team, including a police chase in a shopping trolley inspired by producer Dean "Woody" Woodward. The protagonist, Stacy Rockford, wears an ABC Rage shirt, a detail that required the studio to formally request permission from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
The game includes a disproportionate number of Australian tracks, featuring bands like Silverchair and Mondo Rock, alongside the US-centric 90s nostalgia. Studio founder Johnny Galvatron, formerly of the band the Galvatrons, describes the protagonist as an amalgamation of the "scene kids" he encountered during his youth and his own past rebellious impulses.
Beethoven and Dinosaur is a 12-person team based in Melbourne, Australia. Galvatron has previously expressed a desire to create a game set in Australia in the future, though Mixtape was shaped by the specific narrative needs of the story. The project reflects the studio's history, with Galvatron drawing inspiration from the soundtrack of the 2001 film Donnie Darko and the 1995 Smashing Pumpkins album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness.