Taking it To the Next Level

Sally's Spa may be grounded in the old Diner Dash formula, but it takes all of the game play elements to a whole new level with much more depth than games of this sort usually contain. While the premise is simple - give customers various forms of makeovers - the play itself is surprisingly complex and offers players a wide variety of fun things to do.

Welcome to Sally's Spa

Unlike most games, where an underdog character must take a small business to the top, Sally is already running a booming salon franchise. While taking a much deserved break, she learns that her old friend Nell is having trouble with her Spa Product Shop since her neighbors retired and closed down their spa. That's when Sally decides to buy the old operation and get business back to normal.

A different Experience

At Sally's Spa, you'll meet a wide assortment of customers. This is the first thing that sets this product apart from all the rest like it. There are a total of twelve different patrons, each with his or her (or their) own set of attributes. For example, the busy mom is an average tipper, but she's very patient. The male model is a good tipper, but he's impatient. And then there's the rock star, who's very impatient, but also a very high tipper. This time around, it's not the best idea to just serve customers in the order in which they came. You'll have to grow accustomed to the different types and serve the least patient people first.

Another thing that makes this game unique is the ability to sell products along with your services. Sally's friend Nell sells a line of spa products that you can stock in your spa. Each day, Nell will visit and show you what the demand is for each product so that you can make an educated guess on what will sell well. It's just a small portion of the game but it greatly adds to the bigger experience of running a business.

Then you have the actual spa service. You'll place customers into sauna chambers, give them facials and massages, put hot stones on their back, and of course, put them in spas. There's a lot to do here and certain tasks, like giving facials and setting hot stones on someone's back, involve little mini-games that you need to complete. When giving a facial, you must scroll through the various face masks until you find one that the customer likes, which you'll know from the bright smile that shoots across their face. When setting hot stones, you'll be shown a close up of a customer's back, which is covered with all the stones except for one. Correctly pick out the missing one to complete this task.

A Great Day at the Spa

Sally's Spa is a fun little game that improves on an already successful formula. If you're looking for something that's easy to learn but difficult to master, I think this one may be right up your alley.