Review: Dressmaker - A Gorgeous Cozy Sewing Game That's Worth the Hype
An incredibly addictive dressmaking simulator with beautiful fabrics, satisfying sewing mechanics and an unexpected Bridgerton feel
I am completely obsessed with Dressmaker. It's a cozy sewing game for PC and Mac, and I knew I'd enjoy it, but I wasn't expecting to be quite this hooked.
I've spent well over an hour designing a single dress, choosing fabrics, experimenting with different sleeves and trying to find the perfect accessories. Then I'll finish, start another commission and somehow another hour has disappeared.
The amount of customisation is incredible, the sewing mechanics are surprisingly satisfying, and the whole game has a lovely Bridgerton feel that I really wasn't expecting.
I've seen plenty of excitement surrounding Dressmaker, and having played it myself, I can absolutely understand why. It's gorgeous, incredibly addictive and easily one of my favourite cozy games of the year.
Story
In Dressmaker, you run a dressmaking business, creating outfits for the local townspeople and gradually getting to know them through their commissions.
Each customer has their own personality, preferences and occasion to dress for, whether they're after something romantic, elegant or a little more extravagant.
There's a lovely Bridgerton atmosphere to the whole game, with charming characters, beautiful gowns and plenty of little social dramas unfolding between commissions.
I hadn't expected to be particularly invested in the story, but I've really enjoyed getting to know the characters and seeing what they'll ask me to create next.
Their requests also give the dressmaking a sense of purpose, and I like having to consider someone's personal style rather than simply making whatever I fancy, although there are options for this too!
Related: Love cozy games where you run your own shop?
Check out my full list of the best cozy shop and job simulations here!
Gameplay
Dressmaker gives you an enormous amount of freedom when designing your outfits, with different bodices, sleeve shapes, skirts and patterns to choose from. As you complete commissions, you'll unlock additional patterns, and I've really enjoyed gradually expanding my options and experimenting with new combinations.
The selection of fabrics and accessories is particularly impressive. I've played plenty of games with huge customisation catalogues where half the options are quite ugly, but almost everything in Dressmaker is genuinely stylish. Some of the brooches and buttons are especially beautiful, and I've found myself wanting to design an entire outfit around one particular accessory.
Once you've chosen your design, you'll need to cut the individual pattern pieces from your fabric. Arranging everything to minimise waste is a surprisingly enjoyable puzzle, and I love that it reflects a genuine consideration when dressmaking.
My favourite mechanic has to be the sewing machine, though. You use the mouse and spacebar to guide your fabric along the stitching lines, and if you wander off course, you can feel the thread catching and the needle getting stuck.
As someone who has used a sewing machine rather poorly in real life, I found this hilariously accurate! The controls actually feel quite close to using a machine, and I really enjoy the concentration involved in getting everything sewn together.
There's also a nice amount of challenge in meeting customer requirements. Each commission has different style preferences, with categories such as romance, elegance and casualness that your choices need to satisfy.
I've had to rethink a few outfits to meet the brief, which I appreciate. There's plenty of creative freedom, but you do have to put some thought into your designs.
Between the designing, cutting, sewing and fulfilling commissions, there's a surprising amount to do. I can spend ages working on a single dress without getting remotely bored, and I'm always excited to see what I can make next.
Graphics and Visuals
Dressmaker is absolutely gorgeous, and the attention to detail in the fabrics is fantastic.
Velvet has a lovely rich texture, sequins actually sparkle, and you can clearly see the different materials you've chosen on the finished dress. It's particularly impressive when you're combining several fabrics in one design.
The accessories are equally detailed, with beautiful brooches, buttons, bows and embellishments that make even the simplest outfits look lovely.
I also really like the character illustrations and the overall period inspired aesthetic. Everything fits together beautifully, and I think the developers have done an excellent job of making the enormous catalogue of clothing options feel genuinely fashionable.
Longevity - How Long is Dressmaker?
Dressmaker offers an astonishing amount of content, with the developers estimating around 35 hours of story commissions, but you could technically design forever.
There are more than 150 dress components, 450 fabrics and 350 accessories to experiment with, and you'll continue unlocking new patterns as you progress.
Considering I can happily spend an hour or more making a single dress, I can see myself getting considerably more than 35 hours out of it!
The price is particularly impressive. At a US base price of just $14.99, I think it's an absolute steal, especially considering the quality of the mechanics and the amount of customisation available.
For such a small development team, it's an extraordinary achievement.
Conclusion
I genuinely cannot recommend Dressmaker highly enough.
The sheer amount of creative freedom is fantastic, and I'm still amazed by how beautiful the fabrics and accessories are. I've spent hours experimenting with different designs and haven't come close to running out of ideas.
I particularly love the sewing machine mechanics and the little cutting puzzles, which make the process of actually constructing your dress just as enjoyable as designing it.
The customer requirements add enough challenge to keep things interesting, and the charming characters and unexpected Bridgerton atmosphere give the game plenty of personality.
I've honestly struggled to find anything I dislike about Dressmaker. Every time I finish a commission, I'm excited to start another, and I'm already looking forward to unlocking more patterns and seeing what else I can create.
The quality, the amount of content and the incredibly reasonable price make this an absolute triumph from a small indie team.
Dressmaker deserves every bit of the hype it's received, and it's an easy five stars from me.
Find Your Next Cozy Game
Whether you want a relaxing farming sim, a gentle puzzle game, a cozy adventure, an emotional story or something easy to play on the sofa, my Cozy Games Directory is full of ideas to help you choose what to play next.
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