Wax Heads

I bought this game because I came across an Instagram reel by the devs, talking about how this game was a labour of love and an ode to music. Not only did the reel resonate, but the devs were also amazingly kind when I commented on it, so I bought the game to support them. If you love music, this game is for you. Its so nicely made, has a nice storyline, and the playstyle is fun and relaxing. The visual art is beautiful, and the music in the game is absolutely amazing. The fact that the devs went as far as to make all these songs and albums themselves, despite the albums in-game being of so many different genres and styles, is nothing short of amazing to me. I had so much fun playing this, and I've already started my second playthrough!

As someone who used to work at HMV, my favourite part of the job was finding things for people based on obscure, half-remembered details they gave me. I was over the moon when I found out they made that experience into a game! The vibes are immaculate, the mini-puzzles are varied and fun and the character design is especially good - they really feel like people you've met before! I didn't expect to get so caught up in the story and feel genuinely moved by the end, and all the little extras like the tape recordings really created a fully fleshed out nostalgic experience. Playing this game feels like hearing a great song for the first time, coming across an awesome band at a local bar, getting excited about a new album... Definitely my new favourite game, one of those ones you don't want to keep playing because you know it's going to end! I recommend it to anyone who loves music or wants to fall in love with music again.

The gameplay itself would be fun if you didn't have to watch 45 minutes of cutscenes and dialogue that can't be properly skipped through in between each transaction/at the beginning and end of each day. Making a mistake and being forced to rewatch the lengthy back-and-forth in which the character explains what they're looking for instead of just being allowed to go back and look again is unbelievably annoying (I'm looking at you in particular, mascot-dad encounters). Maybe if you were getting a *new* hint or dialogue each time, that would be a reasonable mechanic, but that's not what's happening. Most of the game is just sitting there waiting to be allowed to do something, and the story is so bland and riddled with typos and grammatical nonsense that it's just not worth it. I'm also getting pretty sick of games with unskippable song "performance" cutscenes that are just still images, forcing people with hearing impairments to stare at a silent image for multiple minutes.

Algunos juegos te cuentan una historia y otros te invitan a quedarte a vivirla. Siento que Wax Heads es uno de esos. Trabajás en una disquería un poco venida abajo, conocés a la gente que trabaja ahí y, entre música, vinilos, clientes bastante peculiares y charlas sobre música, terminás sintiéndote realmente dueño del lugar. En cuanto a la música, no está puesta solo para decorar. Hay que escuchar a la gente, entender los gustos de cada uno, prestar atención y encontrar ese disco que parece grabado para ellos. Vamos a encontrar pósters, pedidos, algunos puzles y toda clase tareas que simulan trabajar en una disquería, para que sea tan interesante como trabajar en una de verdad. Lo que realmente hace especial a Wax Heads para mí es esa sensación de comunidad. Esos lugares que existen gracias a la gente que los visita, se sumerge y habita. Un lugar donde la música termina siendo mucho más que música. El juego transmite nostalgia, pero sin quedarte atrapado en el pasado; tiene un estilo artístico hermoso y, cuando terminás de jugarlo, te deja esa sensación de que es un lugar donde no te va a molestar levantarte temprano para volver mañana a trabajar.

A self described cozy-punk narrative sim, Wax Heads is a delightful light puzzle game with a charming, authentic feeling cast of LGBTQ+ characters and a strong sense of community. Play as the new hire at a local record store run by one of the members of 80s band Becoming Violet, assisting customers with finding specific vinyl based off of one or two clues either given by them or based off items they may be wearing. Search through a rotating selection of over eighty hand drawn vinyl albums across multiple genres; checking covers, liner notes, and discs to find the right selection for your customers. Gameplay is usually a cycle of opening up the shop shutters, chatting briefly with your coworkers, checking online social media for music news, reading the latest issue of a locally made music zine, then opening up the shop for the day to handle customers. As an example, a customer might come in wanting something that is rap, but also has a bit of girl power, giving you a pretty decent idea of where to look in the shop and on what floor. When you think you've found the right record, add it to the cart and bring it by the till to ring it up for the customer. At times you will end up meeting a member of The Wax Pack, individuals who will give you a key for one of the backroom cabinets if you add the correct symbols to their receipt. There is the odd time where the store staff will head over to a local bar called The Apple Bed, run by another member of the band Becoming Violet, where you will have to pick out a drink for someone from a small selection as you do with vinyl for customers. The record store, Repeater Records, will expand into an upper floor and basement level with even more stocked records to browse through as the game goes on. Traversing the shop is done with quick arrow clicks, making it smooth and easy to get around the store. Much of the charm of Wax Heads comes from the very authentic feeling cast of characters, both in the shop and the customers who visit it. Repeator Records is struggling to stay afloat, going through something of an underdog story to try and save the place from a malicious landlord and another old member of Becoming Violet that is exploiting people, and the situation, for his own gain and personal satisfaction. Experience the strength of the relationships between your coworkers, the community itself coming together, and members of Becoming Violet coming to terms with things that happened 25+ years ago. Some of the stories surrounding your customers is quite touching as well, an example being assisting an older gentleman to find a record that reminds him of his deceased husband. Little side tasks come up here and there, having to organize inventory or stickers into a limited space, design flyers / posters for people using stickers, playing with a wee Tamagotchi and an arcade cabinet in the corner of the store. Visually, the art style is superb. I love the character designs, the look of the shop and vinyl, how they use colour to bring the world alive - all of it. Musically, things are pretty good overall, but I think YMMV depending on your personal tastes. I vibed with more of the music than not, enjoying a lot of the performance animations quite a bit, having the default song be quite an earworm that gets stuck in your brain. Wax Heads is such an easy recommendation; having satisfying gameplay, an excellently executed concept, and a heartwarming story and cast of characters. There is a demo available at the time of this review, so you can have a taste of the game if you are on the fence. [quote]Follow [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/45701624-CthulhusMonocle-That-Next-Fest-Guy/]CthulhusMonocle - That Next Fest Guy[/url] for more game and Steam Next Fest demo reviews.[/quote]

story and vibes were so good i started making zines again

I adore everything about Wax Heads. The heartwarming story is seasoned with an engaging puzzle mechanic that feels very rewarding every time you get a "Rad!".

O que é o ser humano sem a arte, e o que é a arte senão gerada pelas mãos humanas? Uma perfeita mensagem de amor de carinho para todos os criadores e amantes da arte!!!