Rothio Tome and Murray Somerwolff make up the punk rock indie duo Patattie Games. They have developed a cozy hand-drawn record store simulator that oozes with vibes and charm.
Repeater Records, open til’ Midnight
Right from the opening scene of Wax Heads, you are hit with the unique comic-booky art style with bold outlines and bright colours. It reminds me of collecting stickers as a kid, with the white border around the outside.
The background is a static image, with the characters sliding across the screen, as if choosing where to place the sticker. Every room in Repeater Records has its own feel, from the front room full of natural light to the grimy basement where all the heavy metal records are hidden away from the general public.
At its core, Wax Heads plays as a record store simulator. Your job is to serve customers and help them find their next treasured purchase.
But it’s so much more than that. In this digital age, people are spending less time talking to each other, person-to-person interactions are becoming less frequent, and we are losing the ability to have proper conversations with each other.
As someone who grew up working in record stores, some of my fondest memories happened there. I really feel for the younger generation that will never get to experience a real record store, as physical copies of almost everything are fading away.
Damn the Man! Save Repeater Records
Wax Heads is set in a struggling record store called Repeater Records and encompasses the community that revolves around them.
Wax Heads is full of quirky, weird customers who have no idea what they want, and it’s your job to figure that out and help save the store.
It might be a simple request, “I want the new Mimi album”. Or it could be a little vaguer. “There was this band that broke up a few years ago, one of the members joined the army. His brother started a new band. I don’t want anything like that. Can you help?”
Repeater Records works as a point-and-click adventure, moving your way around the store. In each room, there are different records for you to explore.
Every record is lovingly designed with covers, track listings, inside notes, picture discs, and even recorded tracks that can be listened to on the jukebox during your shift. With over 80 hand-drawn albums from all genres, each record has its own fanbase of eccentric music nerds and chaotic regulars.
Once you think you have the right album, you can take it back and offer it to the customer. They will either love it… or not.
You might also need to read through magazines and watch interviews to help you make the right recommendations on some of the more obscure requests.
There is a difficulty option where you only have one chance, no refunds. Otherwise, you will be told it’s not right, and you have to go off searching again.
As the story progresses, you are drawn into a magical world where music and friendship can topple the biggest obstacle. And no matter what has happened in the past, there should always be the possibility of forgiveness.
Performance
I spent almost 10 hours with Wax Heads on the Xbox Series X, and it ran like a dream.
I did run into one hiccup. There was a mini game where you had to design a poster for a local band. You are supposed to pick up stickers and place them on the page. I wasn’t able to pick anything up. Thankfully, I could turn in a blank page, and they still loved it. Crisis averted.
Verdict
Wax Heads is one of the best games I have played this year. It’s full of cozy stories, amazing music, and wonderful characters. I think anyone who is craving meaningful human connection could learn something from Wax Heads.
Now I want to go and watch Empire Records.
Wax Heads was reviewed on the Xbox Series X
The Gamer Social Club was provided with an early access copy of Wax Heads for the purpose of this review.
Wax Heads will be released on 6th May 2026 and will be available on PlayStation, Xbox, and Pc (via Steam), and Nintendo Switch
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