Mixtape: How Its Gross Makeout Scene Came To Be

"We were talking about ways of using the medium to feel things that you wouldn't usually feel in a video game, like being grossed out and awkward and embarrassed. It's a really teenage experience. The first kiss, and it goes for too long, and it's just foul."

"I think it's sad to say that everyone as a team [was responsible]. I mean, I came up with the idea, but the reason it's so disgusting is because of other people on the team."

"The team wanted the 'gross-out, Ren and Stimpy kind of vibe' that you only get by getting up close and personal with things that tend to be viewed at a distance, especially in video games."

Mixtape, a music-driven narrative adventure by Beethoven & Dinosaur, includes a notably uncomfortable gross-out moment centered on protagonist Stacey Rockford's first kiss with Colin. Rather than depicting violence or illness, the scene uses exaggerated close-up visuals and slimy sound effects to create awkwardness and disgust. The game shifts to a more graphic art style for comedic effect, allowing players to control both characters' tongues during the inexperienced kiss. Creative director Johnny Galvatron and producer Woody Woodward intentionally designed this sequence to evoke a "Ren and Stimpy" aesthetic by rendering intimate details typically viewed from distance. The team aimed to use the video game medium to generate emotions like embarrassment and discomfort, capturing the authentic awkwardness of teenage first experiences.

Read at Kotaku