Sally's Salon

Sally's Salon is a beauty salon time-management simulator.

Developed by Big Fish games and aimed firmly at younger girls, Sally's Salon puts you in charge of your own beauty salon. It is one of the most popular games from developer Big Fish, and one of the earliest and most successful time-management games. Despite spawning many copies and clones, nothing can improve on the original, and Sally's is still one of the best.

You begin with a small-town salon in a shopping mall, doing customers' hair and make-up. The customers are all different, from brides-to-be to old ladies and punks, and they rate you on how well they think they have been treated.

The better rating you have, the more chance you have of being paid, and of getting a tip. Getting cash means you can upgrade your stuff, hire in more staff and buy better premises.

The graphics are bright and cute but are blocky and in need of an overhaul. However, the game is smooth and straightforward to play, with good tutorials for newbies.

The key is to keep everyone happy - which you can judge by their facial expressions - and keep everything running well at the same time. Don't leave anyone waiting too long, and prioritise your clients - some people will wait much longer than others. Buying more chairs attracts more people, but don't do it until you can cope with the demand, or your fed-up clients will storm off without paying! Getting comfier chairs makes everyone more relaxed, and serving coffee can calm customers down - so get the largest pot you can so it doesn't run out.

Designed with the casual gamer in mind, you progress steadily through the 50 different levels, unlocking new salons as you go along. The difficulty curve is not hard - it is all designed to keep you playing and coming back for more.

As you progress, you can offer more and more services, such as manicures and tanning, and light scented candles to create a more relaxed atmosphere. Your aim is to finish up as a Hollywood beautician with superstar status.

Sally's Salon is a simple premise that works really well, and one you will keep coming back to to hone your beauty skills.

Pros

• Good introduction to time-management games
• Combines makeovers with a strategy game

Cons

• Can become repetitive
• Dated graphics
• Very easy