Studio MDHR’s hand-drawn masterpiece that painstakingly animated 1930s cartoons into brutally difficult run-and-gun bosses, making ragequitting beautiful.
Don’t Deal With the Devil
Released September 29, 2017, Cuphead follows Cup brothers repaying devil debt by defeating bosses. Every frame hand-drawn, watercolor backgrounds, jazz soundtrack—authentic 1930s Fleischer Studios aesthetic.
6+ million copies sold first year, 10+ million by 2023. 86 Metacritic.
Boss Rush Excellence
28 unique bosses, minimal filler. Each fight multi-phase spectacle:
- Cagney Carnation: Flower boss, second boss that filters casual players
- King Dice: Gauntlet of minibosses before final
- The Devil: Triple-phase finale
Parrying Pink Objects: Required mechanic for building super meter.
Delicious Last Course
June 2022 DLC added Ms. Chalice playable character, new weapons, 6 new bosses. Delay from 2019 to 2022 tested fan patience but delivered quality.
Netflix Show (February 2022): The Cuphead Show! animated series introduced new audience.
The hashtag represents art direction triumph.
Sources: Studio MDHR