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A boss rush that teaches through death, with the look of 1930s cartoons. This guide focuses on common sticking points, using official information and mechanics unchanged since release.
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What is Cuphead?
A 2D action game built around intense boss battles, with hand-drawn visuals that bring 1930s cartoons to life. Its hand-drawn cel animation and jazz recordings from the era have earned its visuals a place among gaming's most acclaimed. The game itself is a boss rush built around learning through repeated deaths: memorize each boss's attack patterns, parry pink objects, and whittle down their health. The difficulty is high, but retries are almost instant, with a design that lets every death bring you closer to victory. Supports local two-player co-op. The Japanese source recorded over 219,000 Steam reviews and an Overwhelmingly Positive rating. Japanese language support is available.
219,189 reviews (as of August 2026)
Two-player co-op supported
Action
Studio MDHR
「A boss rush that teaches through death, with the look of 1930s cartoons」 — Based on the official Steam store listing and review record used by the Japanese source
1. Pink objects can be parried
Press jump again during a jump to parry, or deflect, pink objects. This is the game's most important action, combining evasion with building your attack meter.
2. Boss attacks follow patterns
Each boss phase has a defined set of attacks. After dying, remember one thing that hit you. Repeating this process steadily brings the boss within reach.
3. Equip two weapons and switch between them
Equip two weapons bought in the shop and switch between them during battle. Their effectiveness varies with your distance from the boss and the boss's shape, so try changing your loadout after repeated losses.
4. Simple mode does not count as a full clear for progression
Simple difficulty omits phases and does not count as a full defeat for progression. You need Regular wins to reach the final stretch. Treat Simple as practice.
5. The death screen shows your progress
After a loss, the game shows how far you had worn down the boss. Seeing how close you came helps you decide whether to change equipment or your approach.
Uses the official Steam store listing and mechanics that have remained unchanged since release. Specific numbers, item performance, and balance details are omitted because updates can change them:
Cuphead FAQ
G PRO X 60
History of Game Music
Steam ¥1,000
8BitDo Ultimate 2C
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Art of Balatro
HORI mini controller for Switch
eShop ¥5000 — Rakuten
Switch OLED — Splatoon 3
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G PRO X SUPERLIGHT 2
See product details and current availability on Amazon Japan.
Corsair K70 RGB PRO
Switch Pro Controller
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