You need a job, and hey, you love music, so when you see the “HELP WANTED” sign in the window of your local quirky indie record store, it’s like the stars have aligned. Next thing you know, you’re the “new kid” at Repeater Records and quickly meeting your vibrant colleagues.
This is the role that Wax Heads, out today from developer Patattie Games and publisher Curve Games, puts its players into. At Repeater Records, you’re quickly introduced to a lively group of employees, eccentric customers, and your new boss, Morgan, owner of the shop and former member of alternative ‘80s band Becoming Violet. The renowned band consisted of her, her sister Willow, and two others, Pat and James, before their tragic disbanding (and very public falling out).
Hey There, New Kid
The gameplay loop of Wax Heads is totally addictive. Each in-game day, you’ll receive different requests from customers and have to determine which album to recommend based on their preferences. When deciding the best vinyl to suggest, you’ll consult a handful of resources, including in-game social media site Phonogram, magazines, album reviews, summaries, covers, and even song titles, all in the hopes of getting the coveted “RAD!” ranking for your suggestion.
As I mentioned in my preview of the game’s February 2026 Steam Next Fest demo, Wax Heads initially seems like it will be far too easy. Thankfully, the game ramps up pretty quickly, turning into a really intriguing point-and-click puzzle game. Customer interactions get progressively more complicated to solve as the game goes on, ensuring puzzles always feel fresh even though they follow the same core principles.
If anything, the game can get quite tricky. After completing “Side B” of the game, customer requests become more complicated and easier to mess up. Often, multiple albums seem to fill the criteria, but only one will yield the perfect score. If you don’t take the time to review all the available information, it can be easy to sell customers the wrong records and get handed an “okay” rating (or, if you got things really wrong, a “SAD” one).
Wax Heads may require quite a bit of time and focus for those wanting to recommend the perfect record every single time, but the gameplay is generally super relaxing and cozy. It’s a low-stakes game with no time restraints and plenty of fun stuff to explore when not providing exceptional (or awful) customer service. I loved exploring the different records at the start of each “Side” (or chapter) of the game, reading the summaries and familiarizing myself with all the new stock (and some fun lore) before opening the store at the start of each new day.
Wax Heads a low-stakes game with no time restraints and plenty of fun stuff to explore when not providing exceptional (or awful) customer service.
The only real critique I have about the gameplay in Wax Heads is that some late-game puzzles involve particularly vague customer requests that seemingly don’t fit any of the available albums. Initially, I thought it was just a me problem, but I encountered this issue a couple of times later on and still couldn’t find the perfect record even after looking through every single one available on the shop floor. For the most part, these puzzles were solvable after a bit of digging around, but a few of them (particularly in rare instances when customers request multiple records at once) seemed to have no “right” solution whatsoever.
Selling records isn’t the only duty you’ll perform in Wax Heads. During each “Side” (which consists of four in-game days), you’ll also complete miniature organizational puzzles, design posters, and experience story-heavy moments at the start of each day. These stories and side activities help keep the game from getting repetitive, while still feeling well-rounded and consistent with the overall experience.
A Space Where Magic Can Happen
The story and writing of Wax Heads are going to hold a special place in my heart for a long time to come. The game’s world and environments feel so real, with a huge collection of characters, all of whom are well fleshed out (even the more minor characters), with their own strengths, flaws, desires, and struggles, making it really easy to connect with so many of them.
Without entering spoiler territory, the writing of Wax Heads does well at subverting expectations at certain points in the plot, making for a really beautiful story about personal growth, making mistakes, and family drama. In keeping with the cozy vibe of the game, the story never feels overly tense. It’s engaging and entertaining enough to feel like a real page turner (or the video game equivalent) without feeling stressful.
If you’re looking for a game with a really intense story that keeps you on the edge of your seat, Wax Heads probably won’t be the game for you, but for those wanting a nice story paired with some cozy gaming, it’s definitely worth a shot. The player doesn’t have any real agency over the story; dialogue options tend to influence other characters’ immediate responses rather than actually changing their actions or behaviours, so it does feel a bit like watching a television show at times as opposed to playing a game, making it a pretty stress-free experience.
Wax Heads also has a strong message against the use of generative AI in creative spaces, which it delves into mostly in the latter half of the game. Going into the game, I wasn’t expecting this to be such a major part of the story, but given the primary developers of the game, Murray Somerwolff and Rothio Tome (the duo that makes up Patattie Games), have been so open about not using generative AI in their work, it makes a lot of sense. Content creators, including game developers, who use their art to promote human creativity will always bring me a great deal of joy. To see this in Wax Heads immediately drew me in.
Content creators, including game developers, who use their art to promote human creativity will always bring me a great deal of joy.
The art and writing, meanwhile, are a perfect representation of the indie music scene and gay culture in the U.K., where Wax Heads is set. The game makes references throughout to cities like Liverpool and Manchester, both of which have incredibly rich musical histories and serve as prominent LGBTQ+ spaces. In-game locations like Repeater Records and The Apple Bed genuinely feel like locales you would see in art-heavy U.K. cities with booming safe spaces and clubs.
The game is full of LGBTQ+ representation in ways that never feel performative, with every gay relationship in the game being treated the same way as straight relationships. The diversity in Wax Heads, of sexuality, race, religion, gender, and more, felt approached with true care. The developers have a clear passion for players feeling seen and represented.
Get Your Groove Back
Wax Heads has more gorgeous art than you can shake a stick at. Not only are all of the characters beautifully designed, with adorable little details (some of which provide hints as to what exactly the customer wants), but every single background in the game is an absolute feast for the eyes. There are a couple of backgrounds used in the game that technically aren’t necessary from a gameplay standpoint, with no major story interactions happening specifically in those places, but I found they added a lot of charm and life to the game.
The amount of art created for the game, which is often presented in really subtle ways, is further evidence that the game was a labor of love for every person who worked on it. The game oozes passion and clearly cut no corners. It was really difficult not to get distracted looking at all of the fun little details, knowing I needed to play through the whole game while still having enough time to write this review. I could have easily spent hours just clicking through every album, and I still wouldn’t have run out of new tidbits to notice.
Not only were the songs created for the game, but they were crafted to match the very same albums you sell in the shop.
It would be wrong to write a Wax Heads review and not touch on the absolutely stunning soundtrack created for the game. Composer Gina Loughlin is heavily responsible for a lot of these songs, which the player can listen to using the record player in the staff room at the start of each day. Not only were the songs created for the game, but they were crafted to match the very same albums you sell in the shop, perfectly capturing the vibe of each artist, album cover, description, and the characters who enjoy them. Quite an impressive feat if you ask me, and one that makes the game even more immersive.
Final Thoughts: The Show Must Go On
Wax Heads is the new game for those who enjoy cozy life/job simulator games, with heartwarming stories and stunning visuals woven throughout.
I can truly see this game becoming a huge part of discussions around cute, stylized, relaxing video games, as well as a big name in the cozy gaming community. Patattie Games is definitely one to watch, and I can’t wait to see what dynamic duo Somerwolff and Tome create next.
Score: 9.3/10
Wax Heads, developed by Patattie Games and published by Curve Games, released on May 5, 2026, for PC (via Steam), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch. MSRP: $14.99. Version reviewed: PC.
Disclaimer: A review copy was provided by the publisher.
Scarlet (she/they) is a U.K.-based writer who recently graduated with a bachelor's degree in English and film from Manchester Metropolitan University. She loves a wide variety of games, but has a soft spot for horror games and cozy indie games. She loves achievement hunting and is passionate about queer stories being told in video games. She primarily plays games on PC, but sometimes dabbles in console gaming, usually on the Nintendo Switch with games like Animal Crossing and Mario Kart.
