There is something special about walking into a record store and feeling like you belong, even if you don’t know why. Wax Heads taps into that magic, spinning it into a cosy, narrative-driven experience that places you behind the counter.
Set inside the struggling Repeater Records, you help customers find the perfect vinyl, often from vague and wildly unhelpful descriptions. It is less about running a shop and more about understanding people through music. Not every moment hits the high notes, but being behind the register feels just right.
Drama on the B Side
Wax Heads’ premise is simple, but it adds just enough drama to keep the needle spinning. You step into Repeater Records on your first day, learning the ropes from a team that has seen better days. At the centre is washed-up superstar Morgan, now running the shop after a messy band breakup. When her estranged sister returns out of the blue after ten years, everything is thrown off balance.
To add to the troubles, their old bandmate James, is looking to buy out Repeater Records, putting the future of the shop, at risk. Between serving customers and navigating a lingering family feud, you are pulled into a story that asks a simple question: can this little record store survive?
What really sold me, though, were the smaller, more personal stories that play out across the counter. One customer, Winston, is searching for a jazz record he used to listen to with his late husband. There is something quietly powerful about that moment.
I found myself wanting to get it right for him, not because the game told me to, but because it mattered. These little interactions give Wax Heads its heart, turning each recommendation into something more meaningful than just finding the right track.
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Picking the Perfect Record
Once you open the doors, you serve quirky customers and help find them the perfect album. It feels like stepping into a world where you suddenly have great tatts, cool clothes, and somehow know everything about music.
The gameplay loop is simple but satisfying. Listen carefully to the customers requests, scan the shelves, pick the right record, and ring it up at the cash register. My favourite touch was customising receipts with little emojis, adding a personal flair to each sale. Nailing a recommendation and seeing a giant “rad” pop up never got old, while getting it wrong carried no real penalty beyond a bit of self-inflicted shame.
Each in-game day brings around five or six customers, which feels just right. Alongside this, there are fun distractions like designing posters, watching the chaotic Monster Music TV segments, and spending points to customise the shop with groovy decorations.
Wax Heads is a story-heavy experience, at times giving me Coffee Talk vibes. While I enjoyed the smaller, more personal customer interactions, the main story did not quite land for me. It meanders along, and with very few meaningful choices, my decisions rarely felt impactful. This left me more excited to get back to serving customers than sit through longer story moments.
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Looks That Pop, Beats That Loop
Wax Heads wastes no time showing off its style. The hand-drawn characters are genuinely gorgeous, each with a distinct look, while every colour pops off the screen. I was impressed by how good the game looks and feels, and I was always eager to see who would walk through the door next.
The music, however, is a bit more of a mixed bag. There is a great selection of tracks tied to the artists you discover, and using the jukebox to play them was a genuine highlight. It added to that feeling of curating your own little space within the shop.
That said, during the bulk of gameplay, one main track loops in the background. While it’s a nice, boppy tune at first, it starts to wear thin over time. It feels like a missed opportunity in a game so centred around music. Each new interaction could have brought something fresh, rather than dropping the needle back on the same track every time.
Worth a Spin?
Wax Heads is a game I enjoyed, even if it loses its rhythm at times. On one hand, it is an extremely fun record shop simulator, filled with quirky customers, light puzzle solving, and some beautifully hand-drawn visuals that are hard to look away from.
On the flipside, the story, which makes up the bulk of the experience, did not engage me as much as I had hoped. While there are some strong character moments, it never quite pulled me in the way I wanted, leaving the overall experience feeling slightly uneven.
If you are a music fan who loves vinyl, Wax Heads is still worth a spin. Just be aware there are a few scratches on the record that stop it from playing perfectly.
Quest Daily Scores Wax Heads:
7.5/10
Wax Heads will release on Steam, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch on May 5th for $22.99
A review copy of Wax Heads was supplied to Quest Daily for the purpose of this review.
