All past times were better. Every era has its virtues and its defects, and of course, believing that there is an era that was a utopia that we have lost is a mistake. That does not take away from the fact that there are good things in the past, particularly when we talk about culture. For example, the musical mainstream was richer and more diverse in the 80s and 90s than it is today. The physicality of cassettes, vinyl records, and CDs was a much more immersive experience than listening to something on YouTube or Spotify. And that is something we have lost.
That’s why it’s not surprising that new generations are returning to these things. That the music from that era is still being listened to, that we are seeing a resurgence of vinyl and CDs, that MP3s are making a comeback, and that there is generally a very particular awareness of an entire musical culture that perhaps had been lost in favor of pure convenience. That’s why it’s not surprising that there are video games that have decided to explore this relationship that we have started to cultivate again with music. And two of them have been released this very week.
Two games about the community
Wax Heads is a game developed by Patattie Games, released on May 5, which is defined as a narrative simulation of “cozy punk” where we have a clear purpose: to manage a vinyl store that is not doing well. Building community, talking to people, and suggesting which record might suit them best according to their tastes and needs, it is a simple game, but with heart, that will resonate with those who have or have had a trusted record store.
But there lies its great value. In demonstrating how community ties are established between people through simple and everyday gestures, such as recommending an album or having common tastes. Something much easier to share in a conducive context for it, like a record store.
The other game that has come out this week and has made quite a noise is Mixtape, a game by Beethoven and Dinosaur, developers of the also musical The Artful Escape. In this narrative game, we embody three friends who, on their last night of high school, decide to live one last adventure before parting ways in a classic coming-of-age journey. With one particularity. Its licensed soundtrack is filled with great hits from the 70s and 80s.
With songs from Joy Division, The Smashing Pumpkins, DEVO, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Iggy Pop, and Lush, among others, the game has an evident millennial bias and a certain unmasked angst, but also an unavoidable romantic tone. This is helped by the fact that the game is set up like a mixtape. A combination of songs carefully chosen by one person and then recorded onto a CD, a cassette, or, also, a playlist, for another person to enjoy.
Mixtape shows us how music has meaning. And how the act of choosing the songs, the order they go in, recording them, and giving a physical object to another person with them is loaded with meaning due to the thought and effort that has been put into it. That is exactly what the game aims to achieve.
A return to better things
That two games like Wax Heads and Mixtape have been released almost at the same time is pure coincidence, but the existence of both at this moment is not. There is an evident longing for a different relationship with culture. With the physical. With the community. One that both games perfectly represent, particularly in how we used to relate to music. In a much more organic and direct way. Less convenient, but more authentic.
It is normal for many games to be interested in these themes. There is a component of nostalgia because developers in their 30s and 40s are now in a position to create this kind of video games, but also because there is a young audience that, despite having no nostalgia for a past they did not experience, feel an interest in that kind of relationship with music and culture. This explains why games like Wax Heads and Mixtape emerge and why it makes sense that they succeed.
