We wanted to share a clear overview of how we’ve made Wax Heads easier to play for more people! Accessibility is incredibly important to us, and we want everyone to enjoy the experience. Here’s how we approached it:
01 – Language
Language is an accessibility feature. Many games rely heavily on English, which can be a barrier in story-driven experiences.
Wax Heads is available in English plus four additional languages. All essential gameplay text is translated, and when images contain important embedded text, you can view it in your selected language.
We chose not to translate record covers, song titles, or band names, as they’re typically presented in their original language in real record shops. However, liner notes and any text relevant to gameplay are translated.
When a band plays at a concert, the lyrics are synced to the music in their original language – but if you’ve chosen a different language, the translation shows up just below, so you can follow along in both at the same time!
Patattie Games is just two people. A Spanish woman and a Scottish guy. Localization matters a lot to us personally. We really wish we could cover more languages, and hopefully we’ll be able to add more in the future.
02 – Skipping and Difficulty
Difficulty is one of those accessibility topics that doesn’t always get talked about, but it matters just as much as anything else. Not everyone plays games the same way, and for some people the challenge itself – not the story, not the characters, not the music – is what gets in the way.
Every minigame can be skipped. If one is getting in the way of the story, you can skip it and move on. Skipping may change the text outcome slightly in future conversations, but there are no extra penalisations.
Record recommendations are the heart of the game. There are two modes:
- Original mode – one shot per customer
- “The customer is always right” – unlimited tries, no penalisation
The second mode is great if you have a low frustration tolerance, want more breathing room, or enjoy exploring every record before making your pick. You can keep trying until you find the perfect match, or move the conversation on whenever you feel ready. Both ways of playing are equally valid.
03 Fonts and Reading
The game’s default fonts are already on the readable side: clean, sans-serif! But for people with dyslexia, even a well-designed standard font can make reading harder than it needs to be.
We include two fonts specifically designed to help with that:
- OpenDyslexic 2
- Atkinson Hyperlegible
Both can be switched on in the settings at any time. Because the game leans so heavily on reading, we felt it was important to get this right. If you have dyslexia, we wanted you to be able to enjoy that side of the game without the extra effort of fighting the text.
04 – Playing Your Way
Button interactions
We tried to make every interaction simple enough that you can play the game using just a mouse and a single left-click, or a touchscreen.
Something that feels completely natural to many people (like moving the left stick while holding a button, or controlling two sticks at the same time) can be hard or even impossible for others. We kept that in mind when designing every interaction, and we avoid any mechanics that require pressing or holding multiple inputs at the same time.
For items you can pick up and move, the game adapts to how you interact. Click and hold to drag; or just perform a single click and the item follows your cursor until you click again to place it – no holding needed. The game reads your intent and responds.
Cooperative play
Some people may find it hard to handle all the interactions on their own. A second person can plug in their own controller and their inputs combine with yours. It’s not a co-op mode itself – it’s more like having someone by your side when you need it, while you still have the full experience of playing the game!
05 – Everything else
Stick vs D-pad
The D-pad is a full alternative to the analog stick: it works for menus and anywhere in the game where you’d normally move a cursor or navigate.
Virtual cursor pointer sensitivity
In the few places where a virtual cursor is the right tool for the job, you can adjust how fast the pointer moves in the settings to match what feels comfortable. Your regular system mouse pointer is not affected.
Adapted controllers
The game works with adaptive hardware (such as the Xbox Adaptive Controller) as long as it is registered as a controller and follows the SDL standard.
Seeing things clearly
We made buttons, arrows, and key icons bigger than usual, and paired them with clear symbols so they don’t rely only on shape or colour to communicate meaning. Focused elements get a bright frame if they’re interactive so they’re easy to spot.
When you’re using a controller, objects show the button you need to press to interact with them – reducing the mental load of keeping track of controls. Button prompts are on by default, and you can turn them off if they become visual noise.
We spent a lot of time making sure important elements stand out clearly from their backgrounds, checking contrast ratios against accessibility standards.
Tutorials and help
The tutorial is a small zine available in the in-game store that explains the core mechanics in plain language. It’s easy to find and read – not interactive, but clear and friendly. It also reminds you of the core loop and the things you’ll do most often, which can be helpful if you find it difficult to retain instructions or just want a quick refresher!
That’s all for now. We really hope you enjoy Wax Heads!
Wax Heads
Curve Games
$14.99
$12.74
IMMERSIVE COZY-PUNK LIFE SIM
Lose yourself in an emotional, uplifting narrative about community, musical mysteries and underdog spirit. Help endearing and indecisive customers find their perfect records while debating all things music with your loveable colleagues. It’s your job to help Repeater Records find its rhythm again!
ORIGINAL KILLER SOUNDTRACK
Drop the needle on a stacked soundtrack featuring dozens of original tracks spanning across many genres, bands, and eras. Every song is crafted to feel like a nostalgic gem. From grimy basement bangers to dreamy indie deep cuts. It’s a playlist built to loop in your head long after you clock out.
HANDCRAFTED RECORD COLLECTION
Dig through crates packed with 80+ hand‑drawn albums, lovingly imagined bands, and liner note lore that rewards curiosity. Each record has its own personality, history, and fanbase. Did Scandinavian metal band Jarhead really murder their singer and put his head in a jar? Is it true big shot rapper RXXX used to be a kid’s TV presenter? Has anyone ever seen Mimi?
MOTLEY CREW OF LOVEABLE ODDBALLS
Repeater Records is staffed and frequented by a rotating cast of eccentrics, music nerds, and chaotic regulars. Every character is bursting with personality, quirks, and questionable opinions about what “real music” is. Get to know them and enjoy their banter. They’re the soul of the shop after all!
CRATES OF PUZZLES TO DIG THROUGH
From customer requests to store shenanigans, you’ll dive into a variety of cozy puzzles. Decode clues and hunt for the perfect music recommendation by browsing records, scrolling social media, and poring over local music zines. You might even find yourself running the lights for local bands, designing gig posters and packing orders!
CREATORS OF WAX HEADS
Patattie Games is the two-person indie punk duo made up of developers; creative doodler Murray Somerwolff (Welcome to Elk, Spitkiss, Dead Pets Unleashed) and creative programmer Rothio Tome (Former UNITY developer support engineer and top Spanish GameDev streamer).
The post Accessibility in our Cozy Punk Game, Wax Heads! appeared first on Xbox Wire.
