The Velvet Chair

What is The Velvet Chair?

The Velvet Chair is a hair salon and barber shop game where the hair really changes. Every head is drawn from numbers, so when you cut along a line the strands fall, when you fade the sides the skin shows through, and when you paint in color it stays. Each look is a short run of hands-on steps, every step gets a grade, and the client walks out with one to three stars.

Coins and reputation buy chairs, stations, tools, staff and decor, and new looks open up as you go. The lookbook holds 62 looks, from a Trim and a Buzz Cut to Balayage, a Skin Fade and a Bridal Updo, plus 10 signature looks taught by regulars. It's free and runs in your browser on a phone, tablet or computer.

How to play a day at the salon

Tap Open the salon and clients sit down. Each ticket shows the look they want, a mood badge and a patience bar that runs from green to red. Tap a client to start, or press Space to take whoever has the least patience left. The steps happen in the middle of the screen, with a hint at the bottom and the goal look in a brass frame in the corner. Then comes the before and after, the stars, and the payment.

A day lasts 2 minutes 55 seconds. After that nobody new walks in, and the day ends when the chairs are empty. A client whose patience runs out walks out and resets your combo. But the client in your chair never loses patience, and everyone else loses it at half speed while you work, so once you start, take the time to do it well.

Every step and how it's graded

All 72 looks are built from 15 steps, each graded Perfect, Great, Good or Oops. The first time you meet a step, a little hand shows you what to do. If a step ends in an Oops, you can tap Try again and the hair goes back to how it was when the step began, or Keep going. In a normal day you get one try again per client, and in the Studio, the Relaxed salon and the first day it's unlimited. In a Hair Show each model gets one. The Daily has no second tries.

Controls on phone and computer

On a phone or tablet it's all taps, holds, drags and circles with one finger, and a mouse does the same on a computer. The whole game also plays with the keyboard. Hold Space or Enter to do the current step and the tool follows the guide for you. Between clients Space starts the most impatient one and 1 to 6 pick a chair. In a braid, Left and Right (or A and D) pick the strand. Esc pauses, and the arrow keys look around the salon.

Because the keyboard follows the guide for you, it tops out at Great on most steps. Foils and processing are timing steps, so they can still be Perfect, and so can braids if you pick the sides with the arrows.

Stars, tips and prices

Your step grades are averaged into one, two or three stars. In the salon two Greats, or a Perfect and a Good, are enough for three stars, and in a look of four or more steps one Oops among Perfects can still make it. The Daily keeps a stricter bar. One star sells for 30% less, three stars for 30% more, and the tip swings even further. Tips also shrink the longer a client waited. Looks of two stars or better in a row build a combo worth 5% more on tips each, up to ten, with a Hot streak bonus at 3, 5, 8, 12, 16 and 20.

Moods matter too. Clients in a hurry or after just a trim tip extra if you start them early, and clients feeling bold or having a big day tip extra for three stars. Other bonuses stack on the price:

• Look of the day: one look pays 80% more today.
• Theme day: one kind of work, such as Barber or Color, pays 20% more today.
• Season: color pays 20% more in winter, styling in spring, barber cuts in summer and cuts in autumn.
• Location focus: each salon's favorite kinds of work pay 20% more.
• Mastery: three star a look 2, 6 and 12 times for Bronze, Silver and Gold, worth 10%, 20% and 35% extra.

Magazine editors and celebrities get a gold ticket. Three stars for an editor means a rave review and a big jump in reputation, and celebrities tip like celebrities. Kids wiggle in the chair, so go carefully.

Finishing touches, photos and charms

After the last step, many clients get a finishing touch: a flower, a bow, a star clip, a headband, pearl pins or a butterfly. Three sit on a tray under the mirror, and a thought bubble over the client shows the one they're hoping for. Pick that one and they light up, with a 25% bigger tip plus a little extra. Any of the three looks lovely, so there's no wrong choice, just a happier one. You can spot a client's favorite early, too: it's the small picture in the corner of their ticket.

The first time you give each kind of favorite you earn its charm, six in all. Every three star look you finish for a client in the salon also gets a photo on the Photo Wall (the newest nine stay up). Tap the wall, or open the Lookbook and choose Photos, to see them and your charms.

Rushes and events

From reputation 3, most days have a walk-in rush: for 26 seconds clients arrive twice as fast and tip 20% more. Some days open with an event, like a Rainy Day of frizzy, patient clients, a Team Buzz Rush, a Birthday Party where three stars earn double reputation, a Senior Social, Prom Night, a Photo Shoot, Fashion Week (color pays 50% more) and a Wedding Morning with a bridal party and big tips.

The Studio and the Relaxed salon

The Studio is the calm mode. Pick any unlocked look and do it on a model with no clock. It pays half price, but three star results count toward mastery and the Studio daily goal, so it's the place to practice before a client asks.

For whole days with no clock, turn on Relaxed salon in More, Settings (or from the pause menu, starting with your next day). Clients never walk out, steps forgive more, kids sit still, nothing over processes, and the day ends after a set number of clients. Prices and tips are a little smaller and there are no streak bonuses. The Daily always uses normal rules.

Daily Challenge and leaderboards

The Daily is the same for everyone: the same six looks, the same clients in the same order, three chairs and 2 minutes 40 seconds. Everyone gets the same tools, whatever they own. Your score is your coins, plus 12 for each three star look, plus 50 if nobody walks out. It goes on the daily leaderboard and builds your streak, and your first play each day pays a bonus into your salon.

There are also three daily goals, the same for everyone. Each pays coins, and finishing all three gives a skill point. Total reputation goes on a second leaderboard. Sign in on the site to keep your salon on all your devices.

Growing your salon

Every client earns reputation, more for more stars, up to level 50. Each level gives a skill point and can unlock looks, gear, stations or a new location, while your title climbs from Apprentice to Legend.

• Chairs and stations: add chairs up to six. The Wash Station, Barber Corner and Color Bar unlock the basin, clippers and razors, and color and foils. The Dryer Wall makes processing 30% faster, and the Styling Lounge makes clients wait longer and tip more.
• Gear: 10 tools, from Shears to the Foil Set. Each one unlocks looks, and its three upgrades widen the guide so steps forgive more. The last is a gilded tier for the late game.
• Skills: Scissor Hands, Clipper Control, Color Eye, Styling, Quick Hands and Consult Charm, six levels each. From reputation 14, a Masterclass trades coins for an extra point.
• Staff: Remy washes for you, Dot the receptionist makes everyone more patient, Kiki takes a waiting client now and then, and Sal takes barber clients and later does your clipper work. They also earn coins while you're away, up to two hours' worth.
• Decor: seven kinds, from floors to music. Better decor makes clients more patient, better tippers and quicker to arrive.

The long game

Renovate each location up to five stars, each worth 6% on prices there and 1% on tips everywhere. From reputation 20, stage a Hair Show: three models, three looks, no clock, for a gold, silver or bronze trophy and 1% on all prices for good, up to 20%. There are 31 awards too, including one for petting Biscuit, the salon dog, 20 times.

Regulars and signature looks

Ten clients have names and stories, like Marisol from the flower stall, Big Walt the old boxer, seven year old Tilly, Grandma Ivy, DJ Ren and the model Lux. Two or three stars counts as a happy visit, and on the fifth one they teach you a signature look, like Rose Gold Balayage or Champion Fade, that you can't get any other way. New regulars turn up as you open new locations.

Tips and strategy

• Take the most impatient client first. A flashing red ticket is about to walk.
• An Oops isn't the end of a look. Tap Try again, slow down and follow the glowing dots. In a normal day you get one per client, so save it for the hard steps.
• Check the little picture on each ticket before you start: it's the finishing touch that client loves.
• Slow down on clippers. The Slower warning means you're leaving lines.
• Processing drifts. Let go a little before the needle reaches the edge of the green.
• Never park the dryer. Small, steady movement along the dots keeps the grade up.
• For foils, watch the shrinking ring, not the foil.
• Three stars pays far better than two once the tip is counted, so careful beats rushed.
• Build the Wash Station and Barber Corner early, and hire Dot as soon as you can.
• Finish all three daily goals every day. The free skill point adds up fast.

Questions