Tails by the Foxfire

Dressmaker by Cozy Lives Indie Spotlight Review

Each day after work this week, my evenings have been spent poring over my latest design in Dressmaker while Gilmore Girls babbles on in the background (it being Autumn, and all). So far, this combination has provided a wonderfully healing rabbit hole away from the stresses of my 9-5 and the impending teardown of my neighbourhood, and has allowed me to take hands-on control of something in much the same way as Pokopia helped me during my health scare earlier this year. Dressmaker takes me back to a more carefree time in my life: my days as a kid on dollmaker sites like Dressup Games and Dollzmania, combined with when I used to be big into cosplay but lacked the time, money, or skills to get really fancy with it. In Dressmaker, you earn money by completing commissions for local clients who come into your shop, and the closer you become with them, the more styles you’ll learn. You’ll also level up your skills and gain access to a seemingly endless supply of fabrics and accents to make the designs of your dreams a reality. It’s all so accurately done too, so you’re actually kind of learning a skill while you play.

It’s little wonder the game’s sewing mechanics are so accurate, as Dressmaker began as a passion project between partners Jonathan Hau-Yoon and Sabrina Becker: a talented artist who dreamed of pursuing e costume creation and fashion history until her diagnosis with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Using his game development experience, Dressmaker was Johnathan’s way of helping Sabrina continue to pursue her passion for design, and it’s her expertise that informs the game’s uniquely immersive dressmaking process from design concept to placing the last piece of trim. Little wonder, then, that Dressmaker feels so special: it’s not just a game!

I was generously provided with a review key for Dressmaker, but I’m still of the genuine opinion that it’s probably one of the better job simulation games I’ve ever played, if not the best. Keep reading for my honest review and wishlist today to show the devs some support!

TL;DR: Dressmaker by Cozy Lives Foxfire Review Score: 3.8

Price Point: Key received for free (but at $17.99 Canadian, I think the game is very fairly priced for the amount of content & time you can spend with it. I’m at 20 hours and I haven’t finished it yet. I’ll score it a 5/5)
Fun Factor: 4/5
Gameplay: 4/5
Story, Characters & Worldbuilding: 4/5
Maps & Environment: 3/5
Music: 3/5
Recommended: Yes!

What is Dressmaker?

Published by Cozy Lives, Dressmaker puts you in the role of a local dressmaker to a town full of vastly different characters requiring your services for their social engagements. Your job is to listen to your clients, draw up designs, select the fabric and accessories according to their specifications, and assemble the ideal gown that will ensure all eyes are on them… ideally in the good way, which will strengthen your friendship with them. If you don’t listen to a client’s requests, however, then they definitely won’t be pleased. You may even sabotage their chances at love or success, not to mention embarrass them horribly. If you want to be nice though, there’s also the option to gift a dress to your favourite client as a nice surprise.

Does Dressmaker Have a Story?

As well as its in-depth dressmaking mechanics, part of Dressmaker’s popularity is down to its story. You never leave the shop in Dressmaker, but you pick up gossip about the world beyond your door as your clients detail the kinds of dresses they would like and why. This might be in the client’s opinions of other characters and the dresses they’re seen in, or glimpses into their own day to day lives and how they aspire to change them. Dressmaker’s is a subtly woven story, but one with enough staying power that you’ll likely find yourself rooting for one of your many clients before long. You may even join the online masses showing off your best designs for your favourite character, sharing screenshots of their endearing or quirky dialogue, or defending their sometimes questionable fashion choices!

How Do You Unlock More Patterns, Fabrics, and Accessories in Dressmaker?

When you first start out in Dressmaker, you’re a new business with access to a limited range of fabrics, trims, accents, and patterns. As you complete commissions and improve your relationships with clients, you’ll become inspired and add new patterns for collars, necklines, skirts, and sleeves to your sketchbook. As well, the more dresses you make, the more your choice of fabrics and accents will expand as you rise up through the ranks from novice to journeyman and beyond. Basically, the more you play the game, the better you’ll become at dressmaking, and the more intricate designs you’ll be able to create.

Is Dressmaker Worth the Hype?

I can confidently say that even if I hadn’t been generously provided with a free review copy of Dressmaker, that I would still be generously singing its praises as well worth the hype you’ve heard online. For one, I’m pretty sure you could actually learn to sew based on its gameplay loop, as (based on my time in the cosplay scene in the past) you go through almost all the same steps as you would making a real garment, aside from actually threading the machine, operating a pedal, adding lining to your garments, and steaming them. You measure your client, you draw the pattern, you mock up a draft to ensure fit, and then you cut out your pieces, adjust your dressform, and sew everything together. That’s a big bonus in Dressmaker’s favour, is that it’s in some ways educational, promotes good habits, and is rekindling love in a craft that might help us move away from fast fashion options and preserve local businesses like your downtown fabric shop. More than once I’ve seen people on social media mention that the game is making them itch to start their own dressmaking shop, and I’m cheering them on for it, because indie fashion is fantastic and I’d love more opportunities to buy some rather than shop at the same old chain stores. Heck, even I’ve felt some of the same inspiration to pick up the sewing needle again and dip a toe back into the cosplay scene. That was something I thought for sure was behind me, but who knows? We’ll see what the future has in store!

As you’ve likely seen me mention before if you follow me on Twitter, Bluesky, Instagram, or Threads (and if you don’t, please consider taking a moment to!), it’s not just this lovingly accurate gameplay that makes Dressmaker special either: it’s the community that’s rallied around it in such a short time. We’re displaced Dollz Mania and Dressup Games kids with adult money and Dressmaker is like a dream come true for us, because we can design our dresses from the ground up and do incredible things like recreate classic art with just a spool of ribbon, several days, and no small amount of eye strain if we dream it. It doesn’t matter if you prefer a simple design or a showstopping art piece: Dressmaker people will see what you’re making and cheer you on and find something to love in it, because it’s pure whimsy and creativity, and you’re only constrained by the amount of patterns in the game and how much pretend money you have. It’s not about ability, it’s about sharing an interest, and Dressmaker is rivalled only by Final Fantasy XIV in terms of games I play that creatives are this passionate about. It warms my heart when a game can bring people together in this way, and I hope you’ll join us in our dressmaking journey as we suit and boot the ladies of town to live their best lives.

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Thank you again to Cozy Lives for providing us with a review key for Dressmaker! I completely adored it and needed this return to my past passions for fashion and sewing more than I realised.

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