Indie Spotlight: Wax Heads
Doesn’t get more indie than this!
My goal for The Indie Game Cafe is to introduce people to their next favorite video game experience, so it’s no surprise that I fell in love with Wax Heads. In this gem, you’re slinging records at a struggling shop, connecting people with their favorite artists, or introducing them to something you know they’ll love.
The game comes to us from Murray Somerwolff and Rocío Tomé; together, they are Patattie Games. Wax Heads was announced nearly a year ago for PC, and in the last year, they’ve released a colorful and charismatic demo (also on Mac) and signed with a publisher (Curve Games). It’s also coming to Xbox!
The demo starts in very 80s-coded MTV fashion, with the tale of Becoming Violet. The group, which included sisters Willow and Morgan, was successful and famous until Willow left the group to go solo. (Taking their producer with her, because what’s a band breakup without some DRAMA.) Morgan retreated from the public eye, and as the game starts, she’s your boss at Repeater Records.
In the short demo, you'll meet characters of all kinds, from the uber-Mimi (think Taylor Swift) fan to the gentleman who loves to chill out with some male choral ensembles. You may think there’s an equal opportunity for each to be mocked, but not in Wax Heads. Some people will straight up tell you what they’re looking for, making an easy sale for you. Some people, though, will only have a vague idea of what they’re looking for or tell you they would like certain things, leaving you to go on a hunt through the many records available for you to sell them. You also get to flex your creative muscles, using a plethora of provided assets and plucky spirit to create fliers for local acts.
The record shop itself is a character. Somerwolff’s art certainly adds to the vibes, and the music in the background is excellent, but the almost maze-like setup makes it easy to get lost (in a good way) in all the little details of the space. I’ve played through the demo a few times now and feel like I’ve found something new to interact with each time.
Wax Heads's release date is TBA in the Summer of 2026, but the Steam demo is still available as of this writing. Tomé streams game development on Twitch four days a week, which has been a great way to see more art and behind-the-scenes glimpses of the game.