Review Score
Gameplay
Humorous and strangely satisfying. Fairly enjoyable to shave strangers for cash.
Replay Value
After the novelty wears off, there won't be much to entice you to come back except to get a few chuckles.
Graphics
Some nice looking 3D objects, but nothing in the spectacular department.
Audio
Sounds and music fit the bill.

Overall
An entertaining novelty for a few hours that is good for a few laughs.

Introduction

If you have ever dreamed of opening your own barbershop to shave interesting patterns with facial hair and earn money doing so, then Barbershop Simulator by Shavetastic is your dream come true. This free, downloadable, windows, indie game was made by a group of game design students. Many a YouTube video was made and the game has practically gone viral. Personally, at first glance I thought that Bossa Studios had made another game in the same vein as Surgeon Simulator. While not as weird and wacky, Barbershop Simulator has much less gore and is fun for a few hours.

Gameplay

Shaving

As you can see in the gameplay video, it is pretty much as you would expect. Grab a razor or clipper and do away with facial hair. Use the WASD keys on your keyboard to rotate the camera around your victim, err customer and use left mouse button to shave. Holding right mouse allows you to rotate your shaving tool. After several funny looking customers later, you will get the hang of the controls. Be sure to match the customer’s desired look as accurately as possible. Don’t take too long either. You will be graded on your results.

Results and Customer Satisfaction

When you are done, clicking the “Finish” button will show a results screen indicating how well you did. You will be graded on accuracy, speed, and a third metric I’m not sure about. Your score will determine how much money you will receive for the job. Even though you will get less money for taking your time and messing up, there is not really any lasting penalties to worry about. Which in a way is a good thing because it makes the game relaxing and strangely therapeutic in a way. You will also receive an overall letter score. In order to unlock new facial hair cuts, you have to score high on existing hair cuts.

Shop

The money you accumulate can be used between shaves to buy better tools for your craft. There appears to be three tools in total: clipper, large razor, and small razor. Each tool also has more expensive versions, which I’m not sure they actually provide any additional functional benefit. In the beginning, you only start out with a basic clipper. You will eventually need to get the other tools to help get the job done more accurately and faster in the more complex hair cuts.

Replay Value

There is some novelty to the concept of virtually shaving people, but it does wear off after a few hours. The urge to perfect your barber skills to get maximum scores on every possible shaving request is one reason to come back for more.  Another is for completionists to buy every single item in the store.

Graphics

The 3D graphics are nice. That cash register is quite shiny and shiny things are always a plus. The paraphernalia help give the player the sense that they really are in a barbershop from the 1900’s. However you won’t find any breathtaking vistas, high-tech special effects, or ultra-realistic facial animations here.

Audio

Nothing noteworthy in the audio department. Sounds match with what is happening while cutting or clicking buttons in the UI. The oldies music in the background is a nice touch.

Conclusion

While this is a refreshing concept for a game, there isn’t enough here to capture your attention for long. Mastering the art of shaving does not take too long and there aren’t any more challenges other than learning how to cut and shave in a quick enough pace. There is some grinding required in order to purchase better tools, but once you have all the tools, all that’s left is improving your skill.

As stated on the game’s page, a fully fleshed out version is in the works. If you liked this free version, keep your razor peeled for the full version. I certainly will be.