Cat Spa has been around for a couple of years now, and during that time it has become one of the more popular mobile games on the market with more than five million downloads and more than a hundred thousand reviews. Although Cat Spa comes with a cute art design, don’t let the appearance fool you as it features quite a few gameplay mechanics that interact with each other in interesting ways, so let’s break them down and see what Cat Spa is all about.
Photo: Hyperbeard
What is Cat Spa
Cat Spa is a free-to-play management simulation game that was developed and published by Hyperbeard, a mobile development studio based in Mexico City. The game was released on the 22nd of April 2021 and is available for both Android and iOS.
Photo: Hyperbeard
Cat Spa – The Basics
Cat Spa allows the player to assume the role of a cute cat who is tasked with managing a Spa and providing various services to other animals who choose to visit it. Running a successful Spa will require the player to equip it with furniture, hire staff for it and later unlock various new facilities which visitors can enjoy. Each facility comes with its own requirements and provides a unique set of services and features which in turn award the player with unique currency and rewards.
Photo: Hyperbeard
Massage Parlor
The massage parlor is the first and main facility that you will be running throughout the course of the game. This is where your game begins and where the majority of your income will come from. You as the owner will be tasked with equipping the massage parlor with mats and other furniture which will be used to provide massages to customers who visit your shop.
Photo: Hyperbeard
Once the customer arrives, they will have a specific massage request that you will have one of your employees perform. Once the massage is complete, you will receive payment for your services in the form of one of many currencies.
Hair Salon
The hair salon is the first expansion that you will be able to purchase for your spa. Just like the massage parlor, you will be in charge of purchasing equipment and furniture for it as well as hiring employees who will provide services to customers who wish to get their hair done.
Photo: Hyperbeard
Compared to massages, hair salon services will take longer unless you purposely rush them and once completed, you will receive currency unique to the hair salon.
Waterpark
The Waterpark is the second expansion that you will unlock for your spa and is basically a pool where customers can relax and enjoy themselves. Just like all other facilities, you will be responsible for buying equipment and hiring staff for it. The Waterpark also comes with its own unique currency.
Photo: Hyperbeard
Fishery
The Fishery is the final expansion that you will be able to purchase and is basically a lake where customers can go fishing and relax after a nice massage. The fishery features a minigame of its own where you can help your customers fish and enjoy boat rides, and in return, you will receive a reward for whatever they catch in the form of currency unique to the fishery called Starfish.
Photo: Hyperbeard
Buying Furniture
Buying furniture is one of the main gameplay elements of Cat Spa. Each of the facilities that you unlock throughout your playthrough will require you to buy and upgrade furniture for it, which will in turn increase your Shop Rating and occasionally unlock new features for you to utilize.
Photo: Hyperbeard
Hiring Staff
For every single facility that you unlock for your Spa, you will be able to hire employees who will provide a variety of services to customers who come to your shop. There are two types of employees that you can hire.
Photo: Hyperbeard
The first one is the workers of specific facilities such as hairdressers for the hair salon or masseuses for the massage parlor who will provide specific services to your customers.
Photo: Hyperbeard
The second group is the managers and other important staff that will increase the amount of business that you receive and perform specific tasks important to ensure that your business is running smoothly.
Break Room
The break room is one of the facilities that you don’t need to unlock and is available to the player at the start of the game. As its name suggests, it is a place where all of your employees can take a break, rest, and recharge their batteries after a long day of hard work.
Photo: Hyperbeard
This is also where your computer is located which notes important events which provide you with Shop Rating. In addition, the break room is where the resting employees will speak to you and award you with more Shop Rating if you choose to partake in the conversation which you can do by tapping on the chat bubbles.
Cat Spa Currency
Like most mobile games out there, Cat Spa features its own elaborate currency system. Each of the game’s currencies can be obtained in a specific manner and can be used to acquire specific things or perform specific actions so let’s take a closer look at all of them.
Photo: Hyperbeard
Apples – Apples are the main currency of the game and can be used for a variety of things including purchasing furniture, buying wigs, and upgrading your employees. Apples are obtained by simply servicing the customers who come to your spa.
Photo: Hyperbeard
Apple Cores – Apple cores award the player with the main currency, Apples. However, they are worth significantly less compared to regular Apples and only appear if there is a lot of trash scattered around your spa. So as long as you keep things neat and tidy, you will not receive Apple Cores.
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Golden Apples – Golden Apples can only be obtained after you have watched an ad that doubles all of your Apple gains. This means that Golden Apples are worth twice the number of normal Apples, however, the ad bonus only lasts for five minutes, and after it expires, you will be required to watch another ad to receive the bonus again.
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Catnip – Catnip is the second basic currency of the game, however, it is somewhat rarer than Apples. Catnip can be obtained by providing specific massages to specific customers who visit your shop on a daily basis. You will also receive 30 Catnip every day by default. Catnip can be used to hire employees and train them to improve their skills.
Photo: Hyperbeard
Crystals – Crystals are the premium currency of the game and as such are significantly rarer than all other currencies. While crystals can be obtained from various sources such as customers, the roulette wheel, the toy train, etc. the only way to obtain them reliably is by purchasing them from the in-game shop. Crystals can also be exchanged for every other type of currency in the game.
Photo: Hyperbeard
Shop Rating – Shop Rating is a form of currency that the game primarily uses to prevent you from obtaining specific things before you are supposed to. It can be obtained via a multitude of ways including talking to your employees in the break room, purchasing furniture, or upgrading your employees.
Photo: Hyperbeard
Scraps of Hair – Scraps of hair are the main currency of the hair salon and as such can be obtained by providing services to various customers who visit your hair salon. Scraps of hair can be used to produce wigs which you can then sell to customers.
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Tube Shells – Tube Shells are a currency unique to the Waterpark. It can be obtained from customers who come to visit your Waterpark and it is used to purchase Waterpark furniture and swimsuits for customers.
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Starfish – Starfish is the basic form of currency used at your Fishery. It can be obtained by selling various items that you fish out of the lake and can be used for a variety of things including expanding shops, purchasing equipment and furniture, and upgrading your Fishery.
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Mileage Coins – Mileage Coins are a special currency that can only be obtained by opening the coconuts. The coconuts are obtained by shaking the palm tree which requires a large amount of other currency. The Mileage Coins can be spent at the Mileage shop in order to receive costumes, furniture, or even new customers.
Photo: Hyperbeard
Massage Types, Wigs, Bait, and Customers
We have put massages, wigs, and bait in the same boat because they all work in the same way. Each of the facilities that you unlock will provide unique services to customers which can be expanded by purchasing other types of it. The massage parlor lets you unlock new massages, the hair salon lets you unlock new wigs, the Fishery provides you with different types of bait, etc.
Photo: Hyperbeard
Each customer that comes through your door will require a specific type of one of these services, and if you have it unlocked, you will be able to perform them and charge the customer for them. Purchasing additional services will also increase your Shop’s Reputation.
Special Guests
Special guests are unique characters who will occasionally visit your massage parlor and each of them will offer unique services and rewards.
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The Human-faced Bird and Fan Cat Flora will attract customers if you watch an ad, Emperor Felininus will drop various currency if you keep taping on him while he is visiting your Spa, the Gamma Uto will ask you to play a game and if you beat him, he will reward you with Apples, etc.
Photo: Hyperbeard
Special Guests can be extremely useful to your business so make sure that you keep an eye out for them.
Cat Spa – Daily Goals and Achievements
Like most mobile video games nowadays, Cat Spa features its own mission system that comes in the form of daily goals and achievements.
Photo: Hyperbeard
Daily goals are small tasks that the player can complete on a daily basis and will provide the player with rewards in the form of a specific currency. These missions don’t take long to complete and the player should aim to complete at least three per day in order to receive a special gift.
Photo: Hyperbeard
Achievements are various tasks that mark various milestones on your journey to owning the best Spa out there. These tasks are bigger in scope compared to the daily goals and usually take longer to complete, sometimes multiple days. Completing each of the achievements will reward you with a specific amount of one of the game’s currencies.
Cat Spa – Tips and Tricks
Now that we have thoroughly explored the game and defined all of its features, as well as familiarised ourselves with all of its gameplay mechanics, it is time to take a look at some interesting tips and tricks which will most certainly come in handy and improve your gameplay experience.
Photo: Hyperbeard
Listen To Your Assistant’s Advice
As soon as you start the game, you will get an assistant who will be eager to provide you with advice and give you small tasks to complete. It is in your best interest to listen to your assistant and prioritize completing these tasks as they are an excellent way to earn rewards, unlock new features of the game, and learn the ropes of Cat Spa.
Photo: Hyperbeard
Prioritize Improving Your Counter
Right next to the entrance of your Spa, you will be required to put a counter, which is logical considering that you are running a business and you will need someone to welcome the customers and take their orders. While you will be tasked with buying a wooden counter early in the game, you should prioritize improving it as soon as possible. This is due to the fact that your counter will generate passive income for you over time, and the better the counter, the better the rewards.
Photo: Hyperbeard
Dispatch Hostile Customers Quickly
A large majority of the customers who visit your spa will be friendly animals who are just looking to relax after a hard day. However, every now and again, a rude customer may come through your doors with the intent to disrupt your business and drive your customers, and therefore your profits away. You should focus your efforts on getting rid of such customers as soon as you notice them, otherwise, your profits will suffer.
Photo: Hyperbeard
Focus On Improving Your Shop Rating
As you have probably noticed by now, you are not just running a spa, but are providing a whole variety of services and leisurely activities to your customers. However, most of those features come with rating requirements. This is why you should always aim to increase your shop rating as much as you can. This can be done in a variety of ways among which are talking to your workers while they are on a break, purchasing better furniture and improving your facilities, and many more.
Photo: Hyperbeard
Conclusion
All in all, Cat Spa is a fun simulation game that features a cute aesthetic and an interesting premise. While its gameplay loop is pretty simple, its other gameplay mechanics are interesting and have some depth to them so getting a hold of them can take a bit of time. We hope that you found this guide helpful and wish you well in your Spa business endeavors.
