Review Insights · App Store
Sally's Spa: Beauty Salon Game
Games Cafe Inc. · 10,854 ratings · ★ 4.7
4.7
★★★★★
10,854 ratings
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Top complaints - extracted from 59 negative reviews
Recurring phrases mined from 1-2★ reviews. The bigger the percentage, the more users have the same problem. Fix the top 2-3 in your version and you have product-market fit on day one.
1
"game"
51 negative reviews mention this · 86% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Gross. Horrible. You can’t progress without in app purchases because the time limits and the way the game is structured makes you purposefully lose. Take me back to the time this was a pc game and not a scam of a mobile game." - that girl who
2
"money"
39 negative reviews mention this · 66% of all complaints
★★★★★ "TOO EXPENSIVE. This game is def a classic. But the amt of money you have to shell out just to beat the beginning stages is highway robbery." - islandgirl562
3
"play"
22 negative reviews mention this · 37% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Desktop version is much better. The iPhone version is too difficult to play. If you don’t pass a level it is very difficult to pass it by retrying because by then you have run out of tea, patience candles, etc., to give your customers. Those don’t reload when you replay a…" - Despina Denise
4
"level"
18 negative reviews mention this · 31% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Ads. Have to watch ads just to continue the levels. Loved this game back in the day but immediately deleted after the 5 forced ads to continue the levels." - ToyaBarnes
5
"levels"
17 negative reviews mention this · 29% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Ads. Have to watch ads just to continue the levels. Loved this game back in the day but immediately deleted after the 5 forced ads to continue the levels." - ToyaBarnes
6
"upgrades"
14 negative reviews mention this · 24% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Money grab. This is all about making an extra dollar. You can’t even earn some of the best upgrades without paying for it. So it’s just a straight money grab deleted the app within the first 20 minutes of having it. Really sucks cause I was excited to …" - fbhhffhdyhryddvjjbhdrg
7
"without"
12 negative reviews mention this · 20% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Gross. Horrible. You can’t progress without in app purchases because the time limits and the way the game is structured makes you purposefully lose. Take me back to the time this was a pc game and not a scam of a mobile game." - that girl who
8
"love"
12 negative reviews mention this · 20% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Ads. Have to watch ads just to continue the levels. Loved this game back in the day but immediately deleted after the 5 forced ads to continue the levels." - ToyaBarnes
9
"playing"
11 negative reviews mention this · 19% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Scam. Even if you spend insane amounts of actual money purchasing upgrades for this game… it still will not let you advance once you get to Fiji. I’ve spent over $200 playing this game and I still do not come even close to having all the upgrades…" - Madglitch
10
"real"
10 negative reviews mention this · 17% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Why is everything so expensive?. I redownloaded this game for the nostalgia, but the ads are SO over the top and long I can barely sit through them. Back in the day, to upgrade to the full game was only a couple dollars. Now it’s $20 AND you have to pay an additional $4-$5…" - AIR2518
11
"real money"
10 negative reviews mention this · 17% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Why is everything so expensive?. I redownloaded this game for the nostalgia, but the ads are SO over the top and long I can barely sit through them. Back in the day, to upgrade to the full game was only a couple dollars. Now it’s $20 AND you have to pay an additional $4-$5…" - AIR2518
12
"grab"
9 negative reviews mention this · 15% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Don’t trust the paid for reviews. This has none of the charm of the originals. Most definitely a cash grab. I miss the old school time management games. Get this if you don’t mind paying multiple times for one game or watching ads." - Kayjay3596
📋 All 59 negative reviews
Every 1-2★ review we fetched. Use the copy button to grab them all for your own analysis (paste into ChatGPT/Claude with a prompt like "summarize core user problems, group by theme, ignore bugs, focus on missing features").
Gross
Horrible. You can’t progress without in app purchases because the time limits and the way the game is structured makes you purposefully lose.
Take me back to the time this was a pc game and not a scam of a mobile game.
Take me back to the time this was a pc game and not a scam of a mobile game.
Ads
Have to watch ads just to continue the levels. Loved this game back in the day but immediately deleted after the 5 forced ads to continue the levels.
TOO EXPENSIVE
This game is def a classic. But the amt of money you have to shell out just to beat the beginning stages is highway robbery.
Desktop version is much better
The iPhone version is too difficult to play. If you don’t pass a level it is very difficult to pass it by retrying because by then you have run out of tea, patience candles, etc., to give your customers. Those don’t reload when you replay a level due to not passing it the first time. I thought by spending the money to purchase the game that it would be manageable but it’s not. I’m not able to pass any further levels and I’m not even halfway through the game. The desktop version was great, this one stinks! Waste of $20.
Why is everything so expensive?
I redownloaded this game for the nostalgia, but the ads are SO over the top and long I can barely sit through them. Back in the day, to upgrade to the full game was only a couple dollars. Now it’s $20 AND you have to pay an additional $4-$5 of real money to get the extra staff members? That’s absurd. No one in their right mind would pay that for an app that requires little to no upkeep. Either lighten the ads to make them more bearable or significantly lower the costs. Not worth it for me to play. Delete.
Not worth it
Game play is mid. I bought the world package where it claims you won’t see ad’s. They lied. Everytime I complete a level I see an ad to buy something else. Don’t waste your time.
Money hungry
They make the levels nearly impossible without spending money. I love this game, and the challenge but it’s a money grab, having to pay for all the assistant’s who do half of the job, the candles and tea. It’s a big money and after paying darn near 30 dollars and still not beating a single board I uninstalled
Disappointing
this game use to be fun. And it got ruined. No one is spending actual
Money to get the helper. Ridiculous
Money to get the helper. Ridiculous
Not free
You have to watch videos to play levels
I NEVER Write Reviews
To the creators/developers of Sally’s Spa: This is one of the first games I have ever fallen in love with and played on IOS. I played this game on my iPod touch over 10 years ago. Before it was riddled with ads and in-app purchases. I decided to redownload it for old time’s sake, and to put it bluntly, I am disgusted. $4.99 FOR EACH SPA HELPER? ADS BEFORE EACH LEVEL? How disgusting and greedy. This game is one of my favorite games, I would absolutely not have been opposed if it was no longer free to download, or if there was an all-inclusive bundle for no ads in game, the helpers, etc. However, asking for that amount of money for each small in-game boost is straight up ridiculous. I really hope you all read these reviews. As I am writing this, the app store has this game rated at 2 stars. That does not reflect the actual quality of the game, but rather the greedy, money grabbing buffoonery that you all have subjected every single player to. What a shame. I will be happy to support the game if you all ever come back down to Earth and stop scamming your fanbase.
Money grab
This is all about making an extra dollar. You can’t even earn some of the best upgrades without paying for it. So it’s just a straight money grab deleted the app within the first 20 minutes of having it. Really sucks cause I was excited to leave I haven’t played it since I was a kid.
Money scheme
I spent a ton because I’m willing to pay money to play but after $50 I still couldn’t beat some levels. What you pay for just evaporates.
Not the only one
I see I’m not the only one that came back to this game to get disappointed,to many ads, not updated yet. Like I use to love this game
Scam
Even if you spend insane amounts of actual money purchasing upgrades for this game… it still will not let you advance once you get to Fiji. I’ve spent over $200 playing this game and I still do not come even close to having all the upgrades. Disappointing to say the least.
Too many ads
As a recent advertising graduate, and now getting my masters in AdPR, I have some advice for y’all. I decided to download this game because it was one of my childhood favorites. I understand the need for ads to sustain revenue in the game, but you’re truly pushing consumers away from the game instead with having ads after every level. Have less ad space- make it 5 sec ads after every level if possible. Nobody’s going to continue playing if not, because people’s attention spans aren’t going to measure up to the ads! They will simply delete the game (like me) then go to TikTok.
What happened?!?
I used to be obsessed with this game. Now it’s impossible to complete even the easy levels unless you spend money to get upgrades?!?! This took all the fun out of it. It’s a 1/10 now. Very sad
Money and ads like every other game. I purchased this ten years ago but still have to pay
I purchased this game nearly 10 years ago before anyone knew what it was. It was a paid game and I bought it because it was cheap and fun. I’m using my iPad again and just played it for the first time in years and my money was wasted. I never had to pay money after buying the actual game, the people in the shop cost coins and not real money. There were no ads. There were no ads or having to pay to replay any levels. The time is shorter and made to encourage you to pay. I’m deleting this and never playing it again. Everything has ads now and requires money or a subscription. If I bought the freaking game already eons ago I shouldn’t have to pay for it again to get access to things that were once free or included in my one time payment. All games suck now. I won’t be the sucker go pay for this bs. I barely play any games at all now because all them are greedy.
You have to pay to move on
This game use to be great but you have to use real money to advance on. It use to be great but even to hire employees you MUST pay and will not be able to move to the next level.
What a bummer
I used to love this game as a kid and was so excited to see it offered on my iPad but it’s completely oversaturated with paid content and ads. So unenjoyable. Can’t move forward without upgrading so you have to backtrack cities but having to wait 8+ hours for a flight to said city unless you want to pay. Absolutely insane. I completely lost interest between the excessive ads and waiting periods. Whoever designed this marketing strategy was an idiot. Ruined my favorite childhood game. Sadly deleted.
garbage developers
insanely greedy developers have RUINED this game. I used to play this nonstop I loved this game so so so much and I re visited to see you can't do ANYTHING without paying a ton of money... I can't even begin to explain the disappointment
Used to be good before update
Now it’s a money grab asking you to buy upgrades and watch ads. Will never play this game again and I have played it for years and years.
Upgrades
So, this game has turned into a money grab. There should be no way that I’ve bought multiple staff and bought several candles and still can’t get past this one level. One time all of my people had 5 hearts AND I used all candles and still couldn’t pass it. I assume the only way is to pay extra for the additional add ons which I will not do. It was addicting and fun at first..but I am about to delete it now.
HORRIBLE
Don’t waste your time with this scam of an app… it’s rigged with having to pay to progress…they have robbed me…smdh
Just want your money
It’d be a great game if you didn’t have to have a choice of watching an AD or paying your own money to play a level. Uninstalled for this reason.
Fun but money grabber
I was so happy when I saw that they updated this game. I use to love playing it for hours but this game not so much. The levels are so hard and in order for you to move on you have to keep on purchasing upgrades. And it’s confusing when you do move on because sometimes you might have to go back to the previous spa to purchase more upgrades, which cost even more money. I’m sorry but I’m done playing this and I am so disappointed ☹️
Purchases not restored
The one and two star reviews are absolutely correct! Played this previously lovely game years ago along with other iterations like Sally’s Salon; long before the upgrades, changes, and the constant requests for feedback. Purchased the packs and Helpers and little upgrades in the most recent 2020 release. (Already beat the game but love to replay.) Fast forward to 2025 - only proof that I achieved “ZEN” and location mastery is Game Center: 12/19 achievements. Support isn’t supportive or responsive and I’m basically at level one all over again. Deleting because who wants to spend the same money twice?
I don’t recommend it.
It’s a really good game, but there are way too many ads - it just doesn’t make sense. I used to play it on my computer and loved it, but now after just a few levels, I got so bored of the ads that I deleted it.
If you want to spend money go ahead
This game was a hugeeee nostalgia hit for me as I used to play when I was younger but I don’t remember the game being this hard. You can only go onto the second location and the second level before it gets way too hard and you need to have assistance which, mind you, its $4.99. Theres a certain amount of stars and experience you need to unlock these helpers BUT you have to pay real money! Like??? So disappointing for me because I used to love playing this game.
So terrible
they force you to pay so much to even do one level in the game. Just find the original it’s in the App Store with the same name and it’s like $6 but it’s so worth it
Money Grabbing
Sadly, this game requires purchase after purchase for you to proceed to the next level. They intentionally make the game harder; unable to complete levels unless upgrades are bought.
Greedy
Have to pay $5 to get a guy to run your sauna. Was an upgrade you can get with in game currency in the original. Instantly deleted and went back to the original.
Money wasting game
If you love spending money on your games than this is the one for you! If you want a game that doesn’t allow you to ever earn enough to upgrade properly no matter how well you play or how much time you give it go ahead and download this. The spa has helpers available at the checkout counter, facial chairs and massage tables but you can only purchase them with real money. No options for earning gold or some kind of in-game currency to pay, no options to earn their services temporarily, for example the way auto chef works in cooking games. There’s no option to even pay a single price for the game to unlock the helpers. Nope! You’re asked to pay $4.99 for EACH one. After getting to stage 2 you can maybe win one or two more rounds before it becomes impossible to pass without additional help. Don’t get me started on the ads either. Long, annoying, loud and numerous. A complete money grab which is a shame because the idea is a good one. I like time management games and spas so I thought this would be a great fit but ended up deleting in under two weeks.
I owned the app and now need to pay extra for no ad
I purchased this app before and it was 4.99. And now I reinstall the app and it requires,e to pay extra for no add. I doubt if I have the title of this app or not despite I pay again
Don’t Give Them Your Card Info
The game was fun for a bit. I’ll admit that, but whatever you do don’t make any in-app purchases. Otherwise they’ll continue to make purchases for you on your behalf. Fortunately I have an alert set up on my account when money goes out. I got my refund through apple so that’s not an issue. I just want everyone else to know and be wary.
Don’t waste your time
They made the game IMPOSSIBLE to even play. They want you to spend money on this app and it’s not even worth it! You have to keep re buying and re buying upgrades. The time goes to fast it’s impossible to play. LAME! Game was better 10 YEARS AGO!
greed
this game used to be a lot of fun and relaxing. Surprised how far corporate greed and ads destroyed a simple fun game.
Greedy game, money pit!
I really like the game but they really nickel and dime you. You can upgrade something but it only lasts for a limited time and you have to keep paying to upgrade it. You have to upgrade all the staff and all the equipment constantly. After spending about 40 bucks I decided to delete the game. It’s just greed straight up greed.
used to be fun
this game used to be fun before the devs became
money hungry. at one point all you had to pay for was the game and you’d be able to do everything. now you’re expected to spend real money on the employees and there is a time limit that didn’t used to be there. great game turned greedy
money hungry. at one point all you had to pay for was the game and you’d be able to do everything. now you’re expected to spend real money on the employees and there is a time limit that didn’t used to be there. great game turned greedy
Pay to Play- Used to be Free
How disappointing. I downloaded this game cause I used to play it as a kid and wanted to relive some nostalgia. Now you have to pay real money just to hire the helpers? The ones that make the game playable in later levels? What a rip off. Deleted immediately.
The tips makes this game unplayable
The game itself is fine and I understand they need to make money. When playing the tips menu comes up constantly. When this menu it pauses your game and anything you have clicked is forgotten. If you use coukd disable the tipsnon how to play the game would be better.
Must Pay to Continue Playing
To fully enjoy the game and move forward through the levels, you need to end up paying for enhancements. Either release new levels so we can earn in-app money, or reduce the costs of the enhancement. I love the original game and it’s sad that this one doesn’t just allow you to have the fun of playing without spending so much for your own money.
Not what it used to be
I’ve been playing this game for literal YEARS. It’s obvious the creators are desperate for money now a days. I paid for this game a long time ago so they had to come up with ways to make more money I guess. Paying for helpers, you have to use coins to travel from place to place now,. Use coins to get more tea, candles, etc. it’s sad. If you want to make more money come up with a new game. Deleting and never playing again.
Ruined a classic
Why add in adds to a game that was perfect to begin with? Watching an add to replay a level? No thanks. Ruined. Deleted immediately.
Updated and now more money
The previous version was great and I’ve played it and all of the other Sally’s since they first launched. However, they’ve updated it adding additional paid transactions that are necessary to progress, and are not restoring previous purchases.
Why Are There Timed Levels?
Recently got back into playing this game, and why are the levels timed? That’s counterintuitive since it’s a spa game… next update needs to get rid of the timers.
To many ads
Would like to be able to play without constantly having ads. Can’t do anything without an ad watching an ad first, very disappointing
Ads
No bc there should not be ads to play the next level. So annoying.
Don’t trust the paid for reviews
This has none of the charm of the originals. Most definitely a cash grab. I miss the old school time management games. Get this if you don’t mind paying multiple times for one game or watching ads.
HORRIBLE
Used to play this game when I was a kid. It was SO addictive and I absolutely loved it. I just redownloaded it and it’s actually impossible. You can’t get extra time without paying and they give you so little time to complete the levels that you wind up losing every time. I wish this game was how it used to be. Now it’s just a money grab….so sad to see. I would without a doubt spend some (key word SOME) money if I knew it didn’t immediately just go to waste. So so so disappointing.
Money grab
I’ve played this game years ago and loved it but now it’s just like all the other games, full of ads and purchase! Never had to pay actual money for the spa assistants in the past. Deleted the app.
+ 9 more in the clipboard copy
Sentiment summary
92%
Positive (4-5★)
1%
Neutral (3★)
6%
Negative (1-2★)