Developer: Patattie Games
Platforms: PC (Reviewed), PS5, Switch, Xbox Series X|S
Genre: Adventure, Indie, Simulation
Publisher: Curve Games
Wax Heads is a cosy-punk narrative sim developed by Patattie Games and published by Curve Games. Set inside the struggling Repeater Records store, the game throws players into the chaotic world of vinyl collecting, eccentric customers, and punk music culture. This review was done on PC; the game is also available on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch.
Right from the beginning, Wax Heads absolutely nails its vibe. The entire game has this scrapbook-inspired art style that feels messy in the best possible way. The walls are plastered with posters, the characters all have these super eccentric designs, and every single person you meet feels unique and full of personality. Even the small details, like the facial expression changes during conversations, add so much charm to the interactions. Everything feels vibrant, alive, and bursting with energy, which fits perfectly with the whole punk-rock aesthetic the game is going for. I mean, even the animations for packing up an order and giving it to the customer are satisfying, plus messing with the receipts by adding emojis is so much fun too.
The story takes place in Repeater Records, a record store owned by Shona Morgan, the former star of an 80s band called Becoming Violet. After leaving the band on bad terms, she opened the store, but now financial struggles and people from her past threaten to take it away. The game captures themes around capitalism, family feuds, and more whilst still-captivating a lighthearted tone. Wax Heads is truly a game where you are able to cosy up and enjoy the narrative and meet quirky characters with engaging gameplay.
In terms of gameplay, Wax Heads plays similarly to a point-and-click game mixed with something like Papers, Please. Customers walk into the shop asking for music recommendations, and it’s your job to figure out which record suits them best. Some requests are super easy to understand while others are way more obscure and challenging. I played in the “No Refunds” mode, which means whatever recommendation you make is final, and honestly, that made every choice feel a lot more important. There is also another mode called “Customer is Always Right,” where you can retry recommendations until you get the perfect match, which makes the game more accessible for players who want a less stressful experience.
One thing I really loved was how interactive the record searching feels. You can walk around the store in this comic-panel style movement system and browse through albums while reading descriptions and learning more about the music. It genuinely makes you feel like you’re working inside an actual record store. The game progresses day by day through chapters, and with each chapter, new records are introduced, which helps keep things fresh while also slowly familiarising players with the store’s growing catalogue. Depending on how good your recommendation is, customers react with ratings like “rad,” “OK,” “meh,” or “sad,” which adds a fun little layer of pressure to every interaction.
Wax Heads also includes another mini-game to keep the gameplay interesting and different. You can design posters, manage lights and sound during gigs, pack orders in this puzzle-style format, choose lyrics, and even recommend drinks to people at the bar. Just like in Stardew Valley, there is an arcade game which you can also invest a lot of your time in called Diggy Doggo, a retro pixel-art dungeon crawler. These additions to the game made Wax Heads feel more in touch with its vibe, but also allowed players to stay engaged and not just interact with customers one-on-one.
The soundtrack is honestly one of the biggest highlights of the game. Since the entire experience revolves around music culture. There is a huge mix of tracks spanning different genres. I also loved how you can build up your own jukebox collection and choose what songs play while you work. It makes the store feel even more personal over time. The live gigs that happen throughout the game are also super fun and help connect you even more to the world, the bands, and the overall narrative themes.
Wax Heads is one of those games that completely commits to its style and identity, and it works because of it. Between the unique art style, lovable characters, fantastic soundtrack, and satisfying gameplay loop, the game creates such a memorable atmosphere that’s hard not to get hooked on. If you enjoy narrative-focused games with strong personality, cosy gameplay, and a deep love for music culture, then Wax Heads is definitely worth checking out!
Overall: 8/10
This is S & S. We are world game explorers. We play games. We have played over 10,000+ games! We travel, we write reviews AND we play more games!!!!
