Wax Heads

When it comes to the sea of simulation games, this cosy post-punk game has the ability to stand out from the crowd. Between its pleasant visuals, great music and relatable story, I think Wax Heads deserves its place on the shelf.

But that makes giving an opinion on Wax Heads a bit difficult, because clearly, it had effective messaging overall. It got through to me on some level. I think its approach to retail is really creative. It’s full of likeable characters. It’s just the narrative is trite and idealistic to the point of being saccharine. And that was enough to turn me off it completely. I appreciate Wax Heads, but I don’t see myself playing it again, and I don’t know that I recommend it. It’s time to find a different job.

Wax Heads is a small game that knows exactly what it wants to be, and it does so with a craftsmanship that's hard to find in even much larger productions. It's the kind of experience recommended to those who love music as a cultural object, to those who've ever spent an afternoon browsing records in a store knowing they probably wouldn't buy anything but enjoying the ritual anyway, and to those looking for a narrative product that has something to say beyond its gameplay. The fact that it comes from a two-person studio makes it all the more remarkable. It's not for everyone: those looking for mechanical challenge, a sustained pace, or a length that justifies a AAA price tag will be disappointed. But Wax Heads doesn't have these ambitions, and it has the good sense not to fake them. It's an indie debut album: not perfect, not very long, but full of personality, with some songs that stick in your head longer than you expected.

My brief career as a record store assistant turned out to be an incredibly pleasant surprise. From the cast of characters with all their quirks and flaws, to the well-written story, the wonderfully captured atmosphere, and the surprisingly challenging task of figuring out which vinyl record would suit which customer best, Wax Heads gets a lot of things right.

Wax Heads is a memorable and emotionally satisfying experience. The pace slows down sometimes, and the game's systems don't always have real-world effects, but the atmosphere, characters, music, and authenticity always make the experience better. Repeater Records feels less like a made-up place and more like a real place you spent time in by the end of the game.

Wax Heads is a gorgeous, short, beautiful game built around a simple and cozy gameplay loop. It captures the spirit of your local record shop and uses its cast of colorful characters to tell a confined, low-stakes story that will stay with you regardless. It’s a perfect game for those looking for a small, comfortable narrative experience, and the price is hard to argue with.

Wax Heads offers a short experience, which can be completed in around 5 hours of gameplay, but it ends up feeling a bit longer than that. A slow narrative that never really gets going, combined with gameplay that revolves around a great idea but is executed in such a simplistic way, is what makes it difficult to recommend this game to anyone.

Wax Heads masterfully embodies the concept of being welcoming, using a lighthearted narrative and simple gameplay to create elements of connection that resonate with every type of person in a unique way. It's impossible not to be touched, whether by the MacIntyre sisters' story or by each customer's individual experience, from the funniest to the most emotional.

If you're looking for a simple game with an engaging storyline, Wax Heads is the title for you. With its absurd plot and characters, and thanks to its rewarding and consistently entertaining gameplay, it effortlessly draws you into its world. However, the overall experience isn't without its flaws, particularly regarding the writing of certain characters, which could have been executed more convincingly.

A glance at Wax Heads might make you think it’s about assisting record store customers, but it’s not just some shop management simulation.