Wax Heads puts you in the shoes of the record store clerk, wrangling with needy audiophiles and intriguing personal dramas.
Wax Heads reminded me that music has always been my biggest secondary hobby supplementing gaming. Starting with a personal CD player as a gift when I was about 10, I quickly grew to appreciate all sorts of music. My mom contributed an appreciation for classic rock of the ’70s, while my dad brought new age and jazz to the table. The first two albums I owned were ‘Testify’ by Phil Collins and ‘Poodle Hat’ by Weird Al Yankovic, which I received as gifts; then the first album that I bought myself was ‘Sticks and Stones’ by New Found Glory.
Those three CDs led to a collection of hundreds over the years. I briefly even played drums in a band with a couple of friends, including performing a few covers in front of a couple of dozen people. While I never developed a taste for vinyl—and frankly, I don’t have the space for such a collection—the multi-faceted music scene is near and dear to my heart, including all the shops where I added to my collection. All of that to say that on the surface this is very much a me-coded game. With that background, let’s dig into it together.
First, let’s consider what Wax Heads is. I wholly agree with its self-described coziness, but I want to emphasize that this is primarily a visual novel with some puzzle elements mixed in. That’s not at all a denigration, however. I only mention this because the cozy description can cover such a wide variety of genres that I intend to make sure that anyone reading this knows exactly what they’re getting into.
Yes, you need to recommend the correct record to your customer based on their appearance and request. However, you’re not keeping track of sales numbers, prices, stock counts, or anything else that might be key to running the business. You’re simply a cashier at a record store, someone who specializes in recommending music to your customers based on the clues they give you. And that detachment from the day-to-day number crunch requires this game to shine in its writing.
Over the course of its story you’ll see nearly anything that could be related to music and the industry behind it. There’s even a timely generative AI story thread that plays a big role. More important, though, are the stories of your customers. As Wax Heads progresses, you’ll see budding romance, breakups, and reconciliation.
Grief from losing a spouse juxtaposed with the joy from forging new friendships. Exuberant youth finding their voice in new-to-them music and the world-weary seeking comfort in the familiar. Band drama also abounds, both behind the records you’re slinging and in the ownership of your record store. There’s not a lot of subtlety here, but this isn’t a story that needs it or would necessarily benefit from an understated message.
Ultimately it’s a feel-good experience with all the expected story beats that entails. While being into the music scene will likely add to your enjoyment, I dare say that this is the sort of tale that doesn’t require being a major music head to fully enjoy. It’s very human and grounded in the people, not the music.
It would be a shame if the music did not live up to the story and setting. Fortunately, that’s not an issue here. All the music—from the fictional bands and artists to the jangly guitar that accompanies the main gameplay segments—is enjoyable. If I were to nitpick, I think the heavier end of the spectrum is not represented entirely accurately; the descriptions of the bands and the visuals on their album art are far heavier than the actual music is. However, that’s likely not something most people would even notice unless that’s your scene.
Visually, Wax Heads is a pleasant experience. The closest comparison I can think to make is a slightly scuffed take on Bryan Lee O’Malley’s “Scott Pilgrim” comic series, and I mean that as a genuine compliment. It’s super colorful, and each character is distinct, including how their appearance shows off their taste in tunes. However, this brings up another nitpick of mine: the developers don’t seem to want to play with the idea of the customers not matching their preference in tunes enough.
Early on there’s a recommendation that goes almost entirely against the appearance of your customer, even to the point that they directly call out how weird it must be that they want that particular album based on how they look. However, with minimal variance, your customers’ tastes will align with their appearance; the pop-icon stan will want the pop artist’s album, the aging metalheads want something harsh to headbang to, etc.
That said, the puzzles on offer here are still fairly satisfying. You read the liner notes, reviews, and song titles in a way that leans into the developers’ writing ability. While I never had a major “a-ha!” moment, it was always gratifying when I knew exactly what the customer wanted even before they finished speaking. Like many minimum wage jobs, you’ll get back what you put into it when it comes to being invested in learning about the artists.
I also want to call out the various references and homages present through the experience. From the fairly obvious face on the credit card payment terminal to a relatively obscure callout to a song by Paul McCartney and Wings, I was consistently pointing at the screen like that meme with Leonardo DiCaprio.
Moreover, while I’m not personally bothered by this, I think it bears calling out that there are a few F-bombs sprinkled throughout, which may not be expected from its teenage rating. I certainly don’t think it bears a harsher rating, but it’s worth mentioning for anyone sensitive to language like this.
Verdict
Ultimately I did enjoy my time with Wax Heads, though I’d be lying if I said that it left a big impression on me. The snack-sized puzzles accompanied the solid writing almost perfectly, but I can’t help but feel I wanted a bit more as the credits rolled. At least its ode to music felt truthful.
Reviewed for PlayStation 5. Also available on Steam, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox Series.
A key was provided for the purposes of this review.
Developer: Patattie Games
Publisher: Curve Games
Release Date: Out now
Pros
- Visuals and music are great
- Writing is generally pretty good and the characters are unique from each other
Cons
- Puzzles are overall simple and left something to be desired
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Good
