Art of the iPhone

Sally’s Spa ($1.99, download) is an enjoyable and surprisingly detailed business simulator that puts you in charge of running a spa. While the subject matter is clearly aimed at girls, the game is challenging and fun enough that some dudes might like it too. Overall, Sally’s Spa is a well-designed game that adds new challenges and bonuses from beginning to end, creating hours of engrossing gameplay. I found it addictive and rate it 7.9 out of 10, recommended.

If you’ve ever dreamed of giving manicures and plucking eyebrows for a living, then Sally’s Spa is probably the perfect game for you. But even those who don’t have beautician dreams can find it challenging and, perhaps for men, somewhat educational. The object of the game is to manage your time and efforts in order to satisfy customers who enter the spa, as your revenue is tied to putting a smile on customers’ faces.

To do that, customers can’t wait too long for their next steam bath, facial, massage, etc, before losing patience. The game is based around earning (or losing) hearts that measure customer happiness. Apply the right kind of bubble bath and you’ll earn a heart. Ignore a customer too long and eventually they’ll get fed up and storm out of the spa.

A cucumber treatment will make her skin glow!

To take care of a customer, you either drag them to the next station with your finger or tap on them to apply the treatments. Some of the stations have secondary tasks, such as choosing the right type of bubble bath or applying the right kind of hot stone for the heat massages.

After you successfully navigate the customers through the various spa treatments, they pay for your services based on how satisfied they are, which is visualized via a row of red hearts attached to each customer. You can also earn bonus cash by selling beauty products that customers purchase while waiting. To pass to the next level, you must meet the minimum revenue for each level.

Probably the funnest part of the game is buying upgrades to your spa. You can purchase workers who will control certain stations such as the steam baths or massage tables, freeing up your time to take care of other services. You can also purchase helpful items like scented candles that will soothe customers and make them more patient and herbal teas that will have the customers feeling a little bit more groovy about sitting in your spa.

As the game progresses and you become more successful, you travel to spas across the globe where new treatments are introduced, including fingernail trimming, eyebrow clipping, and foot massages.

Things soon get hopping at Sally's Spa.

My only complaint with Sally’s Spa is that it takes too long before the game becomes difficult. Perhaps it’s my familiarity with time management games (see my review of the similar Hell’s Kitchen), but I was about 2 hours into the game before I lost my first customer.

Conclusion

Sally’s Spa is a whimsical business simulator that is impressive in its detail and polished design. New challenges and bonuses provide hours of gameplay, making the game a value at lower prices (currently $1.99). We give it a recommended rating of 7.9 out of 10.

Sally’s Spa $1.99