Wax Heads adds languages, dyslexia fonts and skip options

Indie developer Patattie Games announced in a developer update that Wax Heads has added language support, dyslexia-friendly fonts, skippable minigames, simplified input options and adaptive controller compatibility.

The game ships in English plus four additional languages. All essential gameplay text has been translated and embedded-image text can be viewed in the selected language. Patattie Games will not translate record covers, song titles or band names in order to preserve their original presentation; liner notes and any text that affects gameplay are translated. When bands perform in the game, lyrics play in their original language while a translation appears below if the player has selected a different display language.

Every minigame can be skipped. Skipping may slightly change later conversation text but does not add penalties. The record-recommendation system has two modes: an Original mode that limits players to one selection per customer, and a mode called “The customer is always right” that allows unlimited tries with no penalty.

Reading options now include two dyslexia-friendly fonts, OpenDyslexic 2 and Atkinson Hyperlegible, which can be enabled in the settings. The developers noted the game relies heavily on reading and added the fonts to make text easier to follow for players with dyslexia.

Input and control options were simplified so the game can be played with a mouse and a single left-click or on touchscreen devices. Interactions avoid simultaneous button presses; items can be dragged by holding or picked up with a single click and placed with another click. A second player can plug in a controller to share inputs with the primary player without creating a separate cooperative mode.

Other accessibility features include a full D-pad alternative to the analog stick, adjustable virtual-cursor sensitivity, and support for adaptive hardware that follows the SDL standard, including controllers registered as standard devices such as the Xbox Adaptive Controller. Visual adjustments include larger buttons, arrows and key icons, symbols paired with icons so meaning does not rely on color, bright frames on focused interactive elements, and controller button prompts visible on objects. The team reported that contrast ratios were checked against accessibility standards. A non-interactive tutorial zine available in the in-game store explains core mechanics in plain language.

Patattie Games is a two-person team composed of creative doodler Murray Somerwolff and programmer Rothio Tome. The developers wrote they hope to add more languages over time and added, “Localization matters a lot to us personally.”