Lemonade Lane

Lemonade Lane is a relaxed little tycoon game about the oldest business on the street. Every morning you set the recipe for a jug: how many lemons, how much sugar, how much ice. You pick a price in coins and decide how many jugs to make, with one eye on the forecast. A heatwave wants plenty of ice, a rainy day wants fewer jugs, a school afternoon brings a rush of kids who like it sweet and cheap, and a parade or a football match sends a crowd past the stand at lunchtime. Lemons cost a little more or less each day, so a cheap morning is a good time to stock the pantry.

Then the day runs on its own from nine to five, at one, two or four times speed, or skip straight to closing for a quick day. People walk up, queue, take a cup and say what they think in a speech bubble: too sour, too sweet, too warm, too dear or simply perfect. Ice melts faster on hot days, a long queue sends people away, and whatever is left in the jugs at closing is poured out. The evening ledger shows every coin that came in and went out, line by line, and the day earns one to five stars.

Spend what you earn on eight upgrades: a bigger cooler, a parasol, a sign, a juicer, a cookie tray, a blender for smoothies, a loyalty card and a second stand down the lane. Twenty milestones lead from selling your first jug to a week of five-star days, and the endless Sandbox hands you unlimited supplies and lets you pick the weather and the crowd. If you ever run short of coins for lemons, Grandma lends you ten and takes it back from a good day, with no interest. It is a gentle brain teaser in daily planning, and it saves itself in your browser after every change.