| Rating: | 5 (1 votes) |
| Played: | 1 times |
| Classification: | Skill Games |
When I first learned to sew, I did what a lot of beginners do. I skipped the pillowcase practice and jumped straight into elaborate dresses. A few of them were not wearable. So when I found Dressmaker, it felt great to cut and sew without worrying about ruining an expensive bolt of fabric.
Dressmaker is a cozy sewing simulation. You run a small boutique in a town, choose fabric, cut patterns, sew on a machine, and decorate your garments. It is developed by Cozy Lives and published by Free Lives, a team best known for Broforce, so this is quite a surprising change of direction.
A pattern placed on the grain looks different from one cut on the bias. You can't just toss a pattern onto expensive fabric and cut, and that is where the game respects the craft.
After measuring a client, the game calculates how much fabric you need. Sometimes I only had enough money for one extra yard of silk for an accent, and I used cheaper fabric everywhere else. It is more fun than I expected, even though I hate fractions.
When I saw the seam ripper icon, I dreaded it a little. But you just select the faulty piece and pull it away. If you cut wrong, you can redo it without buying a new bolt.
Every customer in town has their own tastes and occasions. You can make dresses that please them, or mischievously ruin them for fun, because the game leaves both options open. Before cutting, I usually sketch and pin fabric samples into the sketchbook, then preview the dress on a mannequin.
You can also display your own designs in the shop window and sell them. And yes, there is a dedicated pet-the-cat feature.
One day after launch, the game reached 96% positive reviews and Steam's Overwhelmingly Positive badge. According to the developers, it recouped its development costs within 24 hours. For a game priced around $15, that is quite rare.
According to its Steam page, no. The game is released on PC and Mac via Steam.
Yes. I recommend beginners try it, since the game teaches step by step and has easy-to-use tools for fixing mistakes.
Not very. You play at your own pace, and if you mess up, you can redo it.
If you love creativity and fashion, or just want a relaxing game with real depth, Dressmaker is worth trying. I'm still playing, because there are plenty of dresses I haven't sewn yet.
Skill Games
