Developer: Cozy Lives
Publisher: Free Lives
Platform: PC, MacOS
Tested on: PC
Dressmaker – Review
Recently, most cozy game enjoyers have been obsessed with Cozy Lives’ new release: Dressmaker, and so have we! What initially seemed like a simple concept turned into a game with untold stories, puzzles, and much more freedom in creativity than anticipated. Today we will look into it and see if the game is worth all of its virtual hype or not, as well as just what exactly we can do as a dressmaker.
Story
Dressmaker’s story takes place in an isolated setting: your newly set-up dress shop. Being the new face in town, you will attract curious customers who each have their own stories to share with you, as well as requests for a dress. These stories often intertwine, as clientele frequently come to you for the same social occasion. Once all customers have been dealt with, the ‘chapter’ finishes and a newspaper will indulge the player in how said event went on, as well as praise or critiques of the self-made dresses. By doing a good job, players will meet returning characters and grow their friendships with them, revealing more about who they are.
The story in this game is very welcome, considering we don’t ever leave our store. It creates this vibe of being outside in town, whilst staying seated in our atelier. The different customers and their antics are also funny, adding a good laugh to what otherwise would be a simplistic and perhaps monotonous game. The fact as well that customers sometimes may know of one another, or attend the same party, is an interesting way of storytelling. Though the dressmaker can be seen as a typical MC, the different POVs create plenty of ruckus, as well as some personality we would otherwise be lacking.
Graphics
Though mostly portrayed in an almost fairy-tale book-like style, Dressmaker has partially 2D and 3D assets. When we find ourselves in our atelier, everything looks cozy, gentle, and warm. Something we immediately noticed was how this game makes use of one particular color palette and really sticks to it. Greens and browns will take up most of your screen, unless a customer or fabric decides otherwise. This really leaves the player inside a protected safe space; that’s almost perfect to leave on as a wallpaper on your PC. Furthermore, we have a few interactive sprites in our atelier, like our little cat who is usually sleeping on a little plush seat beside our desk. Players can interact with them to change their pose, though this is mostly for immersion rather than utility.
As for the 3D assets, these come into play when the actual dressmaking begins. All the fabrics, pencils, accessories, and tools are fully three-dimensional. Given how ‘flat’ the world of the game has been up until now, this can come as a surprise at first. Yet, because of how these assets are presented, they never feel out of place. A nice addition, for example, is that upon selecting fabrics for a dress, the game will wrinkle the cloth to showcase what it looks like when it isn’t just straight. The sewing mini-game is also fully 3D, even revealing the main character’s hand when trying to move your fabric. It makes everything feel realistic, which is more than welcome, considering the details Dressmaker has you go through to create your dress.
Lastly, the UI is very optimized whilst still keeping it stylized so as not to be plain. Sticking to the aforementioned color palette, everything seems in place. Text borders are usually in an almost decorated postcard style, with this historic font used for the actual text itself. When players are looking into their sketchbook, they can clearly see the requirements for the customer, as well as the general stats the dress is currently showcasing. All in all, Dressmaker is very readable, with rarely seeing something that is oddly out of place.
Sound
Featuring a soundtrack of barely 25 minutes, Dressmaker doesn’t offer a lot in regard to the sound department of the game. All piano tunes featured are both composed and produced by Meydän, who did an outstanding job regardless of the length of their work. The piano that plays throughout your entire gameplay is essentially simple background music, meant to emphasize the easygoing and simplistic flow of the game. It really serves its purpose well, though during long playthroughs, we can see how players could grow a bit tired of the music.
Aside from the soundtrack, the game features plenty of sounds that are implemented for gameplay purposes. Cutting fabrics, the sewing machine, even the cat on its little plush chair…All these tiny details make the game feel alive.
Gameplay
In a game called Dressmaker, it would feel almost silly to explain what the main goal is here. Yet, to our initial surprise, there is so much more to this game than simply making a dress. The game partially plays like a visual novel. The main character sits at their desk in the atelier and accepts customers who each have their own story and request for a dress.
Once a request has been made, the real gameplay begins. Players get to start all the way from the beginning, rather than straight to the mannequin. Players measure the client’s sizes, draft the dress with pre-established options, and then purchase the fabric they want to use. Once those steps have been completed, they finally get to design the dress properly. By cutting out shapes in the fabric of choice, players get to puzzle around, fitting every piece to complete the dress. Each part has to be stitched carefully in order to raise the quality as well.
All these little steps can easily take more time than anticipated, making a simple idea into a wondrous game that offers far more than initially meets the eye. Furthermore, by fulfilling requests, players increase their friendships with customers, unlocking more design options for future dresses. Your store’s reputation can also increase, expanding the choice of fabrics and accessories to use. One thing we noticed on longer playthroughs was that the sewing-machine minigame can become rather tedious. Needing to sew even the smallest stitch can make relaxing moments feel bothersome or annoying.
Conclusion
All in all, we feel the online hype for Dressmaker is more than justified. Though many dress-up games exist, none follow through with the details as Cozy Lives’ game does. From gothic dresses to full-on Victorian princess gowns, the options are endless, as long as your till allows it. We definitely recommend this game for players who wish to do something creative or are looking for the next cozy game to boot up.
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