The MIX Games Inc.

The MIX Games Inc., short for The Media Indie Exchange Games, is a small independent studio co-founded by Tomas Guinan and Justin Woodward. The studio’s focus is retro-inspired licensed games, taking established franchises and building authentic NES-style experiences around them. Their approach is notably committed: when they say retro, they mean an actual NES cartridge, not just pixel art aesthetics on modern hardware.

Jay and Silent Bob: Mall Brawl

Before Rugrats, The MIX Games released Jay and Silent Bob: Mall Brawl, a beat-em-up published through Limited Run Games. That project established the studio’s pattern of working with cult-favorite licenses, building NES-authentic experiences, and partnering with Limited Run for physical releases. Its success gave the studio the credibility and confidence to pursue a bigger license.

Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland

Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland released on September 10, 2024 for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch, with a physical release on December 6, 2024. The game was co-developed with Wallride and published by The MIX Games themselves. It is also a genuine Nintendo Entertainment System game, sold as a physical NES cartridge through Limited Run Games, making it one of the few officially licensed NES games released in the modern era. The game lets players toggle between 8-bit and HD graphics at will, with the HD version using hand-drawn art faithful to the original show’s style. Co-op play requires players to stay close together, which fits the Rugrats dynamic of babies navigating the world as a group. The Steam user review score landed at Very Positive. Guinan cited the Jay and Silent Bob Mall Brawl experience and his childhood affection for Chuckie as influences on the project’s direction.