Don't deal with the devil

Cuphead was made by StudioMDHR, founded by the Canadian brothers Chad and Jared Moldenhauer, and released in 2017 after years of painstaking work. Its look is unlike any other game: every frame is hand-drawn and inked in the style of 1930s animated cartoons, with watercolor backgrounds, film grain and a live-recorded big-band jazz score. The story is pure cartoon logic: two cheerful cup brothers, Cuphead and Mugman, gamble away their souls at the Devil's casino and must collect debts from the bosses of Inkwell Isle to win them back.

The game's 1930s cartoon look, with rubber-hose limbs, film grain and watercolor backgrounds, translates well to a printed rug, because the soft, slightly faded colors look like an old animation cel spread across the floor.

Cuphead is famous for being both gorgeous and fiendishly hard, a game people play with gritted teeth and a smile. A Cuphead rug brings its vintage charm into your room. Ours are printed into short velvet, so ink lines, soft watercolor tones and the warm, faded colors of old cartoons come out beautifully, and they go in the washing machine.

A labor of love

Cuphead took years longer than planned. The brothers expanded it from a short boss-rush into a full game after its first reveal drew huge interest, and they famously remortgaged their homes to keep the studio going. When it finally launched, its hand-drawn craft was praised everywhere, and it went on to sell millions of copies. That story, two siblings betting everything on a game they loved, is part of why fans feel so warmly about it.

The rubber-hose style

Cuphead's art draws on the golden age of American animation, the era of studios like Fleischer, whose Betty Boop and Popeye cartoons defined the look: bendy "rubber hose" limbs, white gloves, pie-cut eyes and characters that bounce to the music. StudioMDHR recreated it by hand, drawing every animation frame on paper and painting backgrounds in watercolor. A Cuphead rug in this style reads as vintage cartoon art to anyone, and fans of the era will also love our Betty Boop rugs, from the same golden age.

Cuphead and Mugman

The brothers themselves are wonderful designs: Cuphead in red shorts with a straw in his cup-shaped head, Mugman in blue with a mug for a head. Their big grins and finger-gun poses are full of energy. A brothers design, the two of them running or ready to fight, is the signature Cuphead rug, perfect for siblings who share a room or play co-op together.

Ms. Chalice

Ms. Chalice, introduced in The Delicious Last Course expansion, is a cheerful, ghostly chalice with a flower on her head and an extra dash, and she quickly became a favorite. A Ms. Chalice design, bright and bubbly, is a sweet choice for a younger player's room.

The bosses

Cuphead is built around boss fights, and its bosses are some of the most inventive characters in gaming:

• King Dice, the Devil's slick, dancing right-hand man.
• The Devil, grinning, horned and enormous.
• Cagney Carnation, a furious giant flower.
• Baroness Von Bon Bon, ruling a castle of candy.
• Grim Matchstick, a three-headed dragon in the clouds.
• Captain Brineybeard, a pirate whose ship comes to life.
• Beppi the Clown, Djimmi the Great, Dr. Kahl's Robot and many more.

A favorite boss on a rug is a badge of honor, especially for the one that took a hundred tries.

Parry the pink

Cuphead's signature move is the parry: anything colored pink, a bullet, a heart, a bubble, can be slapped mid-air to charge your super meter. Players learn to look for that pink in the chaos. A design with pink parry objects scattered through the ink, or a single pink star on cream, is a clever detail only players will understand.

A knockout

Every victory ends with a booming announcer, a giant "Knockout!" across the screen and a grade from A+ down to D, judged on time, damage and style. Chasing an A+ on every boss is a challenge for the dedicated few. A knockout title design, vintage lettering bursting across the rug, is a celebratory piece for a player who earned it.

Two-player co-op

Cuphead was built for two: one player as Cuphead, one as Mugman, sharing a couch and a controller each, reviving each other when things go wrong. It's a favorite of siblings, parents and children, and couples who like a challenge. A brothers rug in front of the couch is a lovely nod to all those shared attempts.

King Dice and the casino

The Devil's casino, all red velvet, golden lamps, dice and roulette wheels, is where the story begins and ends, and King Dice is its master of ceremonies. A casino design, dice, cards and chips in the game's ink style, is a perfect rug for a game room, a card table or a home bar, and a playful nod to the bargain that started it all. Choose Standard under a table, whose non-slip back grips the floor.

Inkwell Isle

Between fights, the brothers explore Inkwell Isle, an overworld map drawn like a storybook illustration, with winding paths, little houses, a carnival, a pier and the Devil's casino looming in the distance. An Inkwell Isle map is a charming, detailed rug for a child's room, and one that kids can walk their toys across.

Elder Kettle

The brothers' guardian, Elder Kettle, a kindly old kettle with a cane and a bushy mustache, gives them their powers and their advice. His cottage, with its cozy fireplace, is the safe heart of the game. An Elder Kettle design is a warm, grandfatherly rug that suits a kitchen or a family room.

The jazz score

Composer Kristofer Maddigan wrote nearly three hours of original big-band jazz, ragtime and swing for Cuphead, recorded by live musicians, and it won awards of its own. The soundtrack is as joyful as the art. A Cuphead rug beside a record player, perhaps with a vintage radio on the shelf, captures that era perfectly. Our vinyl record rugs suit the same corner.

Film grain and title cards

Cuphead even looks like an old film: scratches, flicker and grain over the image, and title cards introducing each fight in vintage lettering. A title-card design, bold Art Deco-era type and a ring of stars on a faded cream ground, is a stylish, retro rug for a home theater or a study, and it looks like classic cinema memorabilia to visitors.

The Cuphead Show

In 2022, the brothers got their own animated series, The Cuphead Show!, on Netflix, a fully animated cartoon in the same vintage spirit. It introduced Cuphead and Mugman to younger viewers who might never have attempted the game's bosses. Designs inspired by the show suit a kid's room especially well.

Kids' rooms

Cuphead's cheerful characters and vintage cartoon look make it a natural fit for a child's room, and parents often love the old-fashioned style too. Cuphead and Mugman, Ms. Chalice or Inkwell Isle make bright, happy play rugs. On slippery floors, choose Standard, 5 mm crushed velvet on a non-slip faux leather back, and remember every rug goes in the washing machine.

An indie corner

Cuphead is one of the great independent games, alongside Hollow Knight and Stardew Valley. A shelf of indie favorites with a Cuphead rug on the floor makes a game room feel personal. For more vintage looks, see our retro rugs.

Your own cartoon

Love the style but want your own character, a family pet drawn as a 1930s cartoon, say? Our custom rugs print any artwork in any size up to 5′11″ × 10′.

Colors and rooms

Cuphead's palette is warm and faded: cream, sepia, soft reds and blues, with black ink outlines and gentle watercolor greens and golds. It's much easier to live with than most game art, and suits a room with warm wood, vintage furniture and soft lighting. A black-and-white, film-style design is the most elegant option.

Sizes and levels

A single character or King Dice suits a 3.3 to 3.9 ft (100 to 120 cm) round rug. A brothers design or a boss fight suits a rectangle, 3.3×5 or 4×6 ft. Inkwell Isle suits a larger play rug, 5×7 ft. Choose Standard for playrooms and under tables, Premium, 7 mm plush velvet on a bamboo and cotton back, for a softer bedroom rug.

Gifts

A Cuphead rug is a great gift for a gamer who finally beat the Devil, a child who loves the show, or anyone who loves 1930s cartoons. If you aren't sure which design to choose, Cuphead and Mugman together is the safest. Every rug is printed to order in 1–3 business days and ships from Turkey; US delivery usually takes 2–5 business days after that.

Care

Machine wash on a gentle, cold cycle and let it air dry flat. Vacuum on a low setting between washes. The design is printed into the fibers, so the ink lines stay crisp.

A note on the game

The Delicious Last Course

The 2022 expansion, The Delicious Last Course, added Ms. Chalice as a playable hero and a whole fourth island of new bosses, many with a dessert theme. A rug of a candy-colored island map, with a tiny Ms. Chalice crossing a bridge of pastry, extends the 1930s look into sweeter territory for players who finished every fight.

Padrift is an independent studio. Cuphead and its characters are named to describe what our designs are inspired by; we are not affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by StudioMDHR.