"It's such a massively underserved market in the gaming industry" – The creators of Dressmaker on why more games should be aimed at women
Dressmaker’s organic growth highlights an overlooked gaming audience, with sales exceeding 482,000 units without paid marketing in the West.
Dressmaker, an indie game by South African studio Free Lives, achieved unexpected success on Steam, selling over 482,000 units since its September 21 release. Developer Jonathan Hau-Yoon noted the game’s player base continued expanding post-launch, with daily concurrent users rising from under 8,000 on day one to over 43,000 by day 14. The growth occurred without traditional paid marketing in Western markets, relying instead on organic word-of-mouth and social sharing. Hau-Yoon attributed the surge to players’ enthusiasm and creativity, which fueled a snowball effect of engagement and recommendations.
The game’s appeal extended beyond traditional gamers, attracting players who might not identify as such, particularly women. Sabrina Becker, a real-life dressmaker and team member, emphasized the lack of games catering to this audience, citing historical gaps in fashion-focused titles. Becker and Hau-Yoon designed Dressmaker to fill this void, drawing inspiration from Becker’s personal interest in clothing construction and fashion history. The game’s social media following reflects this audience, with 85% of followers being women.
Dressmaker’s success was further driven by its creative tools, which encouraged players to design and share dresses, fostering a collaborative and generative community. Hau-Yoon highlighted playtester data showing a median playtime of 30 hours, with some exceeding 400 hours, despite the game’s relatively modest content. Players spontaneously created challenges, such as passing dress designs through generations via exported files, a feature not explicitly built into the game. This organic creativity underscored the game’s stickiness and player investment.
The game’s origins trace back to the COVID-19 pandemic, when Becker sought fashion-related games but found existing options lacking in depth or respect for players’ interests. Hau-Yoon, initially unaware of the market gap, created Dressmaker to fulfill Becker’s desire for a game about meticulous clothing design. The project evolved into a personal passion for both developers, blending Becker’s expertise in fashion with Hau-Yoon’s game design experience. The result was a title that not only served an underserved audience but also demonstrated the commercial potential of niche, player-driven experiences.