Wax Heads Review (PC)

Wax Heads drops the needle on the multicultural discography of a universal obsession with good music and even greater banter, not just with the intent to illuminate the power of unspoken lyrics, but to insert fledgling virtuosos into the thick of a ballad of highs and underdog woes. A record store; an airtight bond; and a communal love of chords and melodies, strong harmonies and acoustic arrangements. Oh, Wax Heads doesn’t just want you to appreciate the music; it wants you to bop your head to the rhythm of a song that you yourself produce from behind the veil of a familiar business sim. Music might be subjective, but in Wax Heads, everyone congregates on the beat.

Think Tiny Bookshop, but replace the vast volumes of crime dramas and romance novellas with records and banter, and you should be able to understand what Wax Heads aims to accomplish. As the curator of vinyl, you—a shopkeeper with an ear for music and a hand in every genre—have the task of maintaining your own store. Unlike your average shopkeeping sim game, however, you don’t take cash and repeatedly knock heads with cardboard cutout guests; you talk about music, and you develop friendships in a Coffee Talk-like way. And not only that, but you also use your creative ear to make recommendations, as well as take part in various mini-games, like designing posters for touring bands, for example.

Beneath its punk exterior and its distinctive visual style lies a heartfelt message that hones in on a shared love of ideal music and good conversation. As not only the keeper of vast discographies that range from indie ballads to grungy basement anthems, but the curator of musical bliss, you find yourself with a goal that goes beyond generic shopkeeping. Talk, at least in the cozy quarters of Repeater Records, isn’t cheap, nor is the act of taking a moment to drop the needle on a conversation that could potentially form a new bond. And for the most part, that’s what you’re doing here: establishing a like-minded network of listeners who share a passion for records. You talk, suggest music, and gradually develop your brand whilst tackling the turbulent tides that befall economic consumerism.

If this were a traditional shopkeeping sim, then you would have a rather simple, albeit shallow objective — to earn enough money to conquer the high street. In Wax Heads, however, the goal is more intimate, more complex, and more humane. Selling records in Wax Heads isn’t just about making a bit of cash; it’s about listening to the customer, paying attention to the fine details, and spending time with your record collection to learn about their custom art work, their track lists, and their unique styles and histories. With each guest that waltzes through your door, a new puzzle comes to light, and it falls to you to solve it through careful consideration and vinyl analysis. Nobody wants the old Mimi record, kid.

While the process of shipping vinyl is more or less the same throughout the campaign, the act of finding and suggesting each record does come with its own puzzle or challenge. For instance, a customer may want you to find a record with a particular song, or a cover that has a certain key detail that requires you to carefully comb over the details and compare it with others on the shelf. The list goes on here. Though, one thing’s for sure: every customer has a preference, and every record has a story. It’s merely the case of marrying the two to create a satisfactory experience for both the consumer and the trader. It’s a simple hook I’ll admit, but one that also feels great to gradually work through — especially when you’re on a winning streak.

If you’re not rifling through dozens of records in Wax Heads, then you’re tending to other matters around the store in a point-and-click-like fashion. With each section of the store, you have a selection of interactive objects and a number of customers to converse with. You open your store, browse upwards of seventy records in your collection, and unravel fragments of a story pertaining to the owners and the folks who pass through each day. Again, sort of like Coffee Talk, but with a harsher emphasis on musical tastes.

All in all there’s a brilliant deduction-based indie game here with a lot of neat touches. With an original soundtrack that taps into various genres, as well as a well-rounded cast of characters and some palpable dialogue and a well-oiled chemistry between guests, Wax Heads certainly makes for a great rhythm. The gameplay is rather straightforward, but thanks to its inclusion of vast artworks and vinyl, requests and interactive mini-games, it is a lot of fun to explore and unwind to. What’s more, it plays well, with little to no half-baked clutter or poor transitions between panels or puzzles. It feels like a complete work of art, is what I’m getting at here — and that speaks volumes.

Verdict

Wax Heads dials in to shout the gospel of the unsung heroes of vinyl with a rigorous sound and a charming crescendo that feels both authentic and blissful to the aching soul. With a vast collection of records and a well-rounded roster of listeners, the game falls into its rightful place on the turntable as a solid track that you’ll want to stick on repeat for hours, maybe even more. The puzzles are provoking, and the process of solving them is surprisingly rewarding. And as for everything else—the rugged punk aesthetic, the small talk and the dynamic atmosphere, for example—Wax Heads delivers in spades, mainly with the intent to capture an experience that is, while a little rough around the edges, about as relatable as they come.

If you’re a fan of Tiny Bookshop, Coffee Talk or Strange Horticulture, then you’ll probably enjoy dropping the needle on Wax Heads’ discography for a couple of hours or so. Whether it’s Mimi or another underground artist that tickles your fancy, Wax Heads ought to be able to accommodate your cravings for a well-rounded beat.