I cannot stop creating beautiful garments in Dressmaker, a stunning tailor sim
Dressmaker is a simple concept done so well, it's one of my games of the year.
This is a year jam-packed with big budget games, including Grand Theft Auto 6, for god’s sakes, and I’m pretty sure that this little indie game about making dresses for a bunch of eclectic ladies in a cozy little village is going to make it onto my GOTY list. Dressmaker is exactly what the name implies: it’s a game where you make dresses. Rogue was granted a review code by developer Cozy Lives, and I’ve been playing it for hours each evening. I’m not alone, either — this game is blowing up on Steam, because it’s such a rare treat.
Dressmaker is a simulation game where you are a new tailor starting a shop, and your first client is a shy librarian. Before long, you have a whole client base of interesting characters, ranging from a Bridgerton Alley-style noble court to a haunted girl shadowed by a couple of ghostly companions. You begin with a few modest patterns and fabrics, and the more jobs you complete, the more your arsenal of fabrics and patterns expands.
Simulation games run along a gradient. On one extreme, you have those terrible mobile games that mimic surgery by having the player run their finger along a seam line. I’m not a doctor, but I’m pretty sure that an incision takes more care than that. On the other end, you have Microsoft Flight Simulator or hardcore space sims, where fans set up physical peripherals to best handle the challenging in-game physics. Dressmaker hits that sweet spot in the middle for me, where there’s just enough replication of the core craft that you feel like you’re achieving something.
So, a client comes into my shop and asks for an outfit for an upcoming soirée or gallery opening, and they have some specifications. One might want some romantic eveningwear, so they can be perfectly dressed for a romantic confession to a love interest. Another customer might want something silken and gothic. I buy the fabric, draft the pattern, lay out the cloth, cut out each individual piece of the dress, pin it to a mannequin, sew it together, and finish it off with accessories.