Complete story — includes the ending
On Inkwell Isle, the game follows Cuphead and Mugman, two fun-loving brothers who live under the watchful eye of Elder Kettle. Against his warnings, the brothers wander off to the Devil's Casino and begin playing craps. When they go on a winning streak, the Devil appears and makes a deal, offering to give them all the money in the casino if they win the next roll and threatening to take their souls if they lose. Cuphead accepts the offer but loses by rolling snake eyes. As he and Mugman beg for mercy, the Devil offers them another deal – if the brothers can collect the "soul contracts" from his runaway debtors by midnight the next day, the Devil might spare them. After returning home and informing Elder Kettle of their predicament, he gives the brothers a potion that allows them to fire blasts of energy from their fingers and warns them that the debtors may not willingly turn in their soul contracts.
The brothers travel across Inkwell Isle, fighting the debtors to obtain their contracts. As they enter the second sector of the island, Elder Kettle notices that the duo is getting stronger from their battles and urges them to make the right choice when they meet the Devil. After Cuphead and Mugman enter the third sector, King Dice, the Devil's right-hand man, reports the brothers' progress to his boss and says he is suspicious of their intentions. The Devil replies that if the brothers were to try anything, he would be ready for them.
The brothers eventually collect all of the soul contracts and return to the Devil's Casino. King Dice stops them, saying that their success has caused him to lose a bet. In retaliation, he sets up an extended casino-style battle in an attempt to exact revenge. After defeating King Dice, the brothers confront the Devil, who tries to tempt them by inviting them to join him if they turn over the soul contracts. If the player chooses to do so, Cuphead and Mugman are transformed into the Devil's demonic lackeys, and the game ends. If they refuse, the Devil becomes furious with the brothers for failing to uphold their end of the bargain and battles them. Cuphead and Mugman defeat the Devil, incinerate the contracts, and return home. Learning that they have nothing to fear from the Devil anymore, the former debtors honour the brothers for their heroism as everyone celebrates.
The Delicious Last Course
After freeing a spirit known as the Legendary Chalice from one of the main game's mausoleums, Cuphead and Mugman receive a summons from her to visit the distant DLC Island. Once they arrive, Chalice demonstrates an "Astral Cookie" which allows her to trade places with the brother who eats it, turning him into a spirit and temporarily bringing her back to life in a youthful form. The cookie's inventor, Chef Saltbaker, unveils his recipe for a special dessert called the Wondertart, which can give Chalice a permanent body. Saltbaker notes that several antagonistic inhabitants on the island possess the required ingredients, and the brothers set out to collect them with Chalice's help.
Once the trio returns to the bakery with the ingredients, they find Saltbaker in its cellar. He reveals that the Wondertart requires a living soul baked into it to work and that he has kidnapped a member of the trio in their spiritual form, who may be any character not in play upon reaching the bakery, with the intention of using the Wondertart himself to conquer the astral plane. The remaining two engage Saltbaker in battle and defeat him, leading to the bakery's destruction and preventing the Wondertart's creation. Unwilling to let anyone else give up their soul for her benefit, Ms. Chalice decides to remain in her spiritual form until she can find a non-sacrificial way to revive herself while offering to continue helping Cuphead and Mugman when needed via the Astral Cookie.
In an epilogue, Saltbaker is arrested for his crimes and sentenced to a form of community service that involves assisting the inhabitants of DLC Island with their various problems. Saltbaker changes his ways as his sentence nears its end, rebuilds his bakery once it is served, and prepares pastries for everyone, including Cuphead, Mugman, and Chalice, the latter of whom is implied to have found a way to return to life permanently as an apology.
The brothers travel across Inkwell Isle, fighting the debtors to obtain their contracts. As they enter the second sector of the island, Elder Kettle notices that the duo is getting stronger from their battles and urges them to make the right choice when they meet the Devil. After Cuphead and Mugman enter the third sector, King Dice, the Devil's right-hand man, reports the brothers' progress to his boss and says he is suspicious of their intentions. The Devil replies that if the brothers were to try anything, he would be ready for them.
The brothers eventually collect all of the soul contracts and return to the Devil's Casino. King Dice stops them, saying that their success has caused him to lose a bet. In retaliation, he sets up an extended casino-style battle in an attempt to exact revenge. After defeating King Dice, the brothers confront the Devil, who tries to tempt them by inviting them to join him if they turn over the soul contracts. If the player chooses to do so, Cuphead and Mugman are transformed into the Devil's demonic lackeys, and the game ends. If they refuse, the Devil becomes furious with the brothers for failing to uphold their end of the bargain and battles them. Cuphead and Mugman defeat the Devil, incinerate the contracts, and return home. Learning that they have nothing to fear from the Devil anymore, the former debtors honour the brothers for their heroism as everyone celebrates.
The Delicious Last Course
After freeing a spirit known as the Legendary Chalice from one of the main game's mausoleums, Cuphead and Mugman receive a summons from her to visit the distant DLC Island. Once they arrive, Chalice demonstrates an "Astral Cookie" which allows her to trade places with the brother who eats it, turning him into a spirit and temporarily bringing her back to life in a youthful form. The cookie's inventor, Chef Saltbaker, unveils his recipe for a special dessert called the Wondertart, which can give Chalice a permanent body. Saltbaker notes that several antagonistic inhabitants on the island possess the required ingredients, and the brothers set out to collect them with Chalice's help.
Once the trio returns to the bakery with the ingredients, they find Saltbaker in its cellar. He reveals that the Wondertart requires a living soul baked into it to work and that he has kidnapped a member of the trio in their spiritual form, who may be any character not in play upon reaching the bakery, with the intention of using the Wondertart himself to conquer the astral plane. The remaining two engage Saltbaker in battle and defeat him, leading to the bakery's destruction and preventing the Wondertart's creation. Unwilling to let anyone else give up their soul for her benefit, Ms. Chalice decides to remain in her spiritual form until she can find a non-sacrificial way to revive herself while offering to continue helping Cuphead and Mugman when needed via the Astral Cookie.
In an epilogue, Saltbaker is arrested for his crimes and sentenced to a form of community service that involves assisting the inhabitants of DLC Island with their various problems. Saltbaker changes his ways as his sentence nears its end, rebuilds his bakery once it is served, and prepares pastries for everyone, including Cuphead, Mugman, and Chalice, the latter of whom is implied to have found a way to return to life permanently as an apology.
Sources and content license
Source and revision history ↗ · Adapted from Wikipedia contributors, Cuphead. HTML and reference formatting removed; headings adjusted. · Content license