Dressmaker Game Guide

Dressmaker at a glance

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Dressmaker trailers

New to the game? Our own 45-second explainer walks through a full commission step by step:

How Dressmaker plays

Every commission follows the same satisfying loop, and each step is something you do by hand rather than pick from a menu:

1. Take the order and measure. Read the card's targets and budget, record the client's bust, waist and hip, then set the mannequin to match. See our measurements reference.
2. Design in the sketchbook. Combine a bodice, collar, sleeves, skirt — each choice pushes style tags like Elegant, Cute, Gothic or Glamour toward the targets on the client's card.
3. Buy fabric. Cotton, Linen, Wool, Silk, Velvet, Lace, Sequin each suit different occasions. The card's budget is what the client pays you, so whatever you don't spend is profit.
4. Lay out and cut the pattern. Pieces follow a grain line; how you place them on the grain or the bias changes the finished dress.
5. Sew. Guide the fabric under the needle along each seam — accuracy sets the quality score.
6. Decorate and deliver. Add buttons, bows, brooches, feathers or silk flowers, then hand it over for a star rating that raises your reputation.

The full step-by-step version, with the mistakes that cost stars, is in the Dressmaker walkthrough.

The customers

Ten townsfolk of Twillford have full story arcs, each told through a run of commissions:

• Rose — town librarian — your first client · 7 cards
• Prudence Mortimer — would-be duchess with a secret at home · 9 cards
• Lady Priya Summer — artist, and the duke's sister · 9 cards
• Marie Laroche — diplomat's assistant, back from abroad · 7 cards
• Edith Swan — retired stage singer · 8 cards
• Fiona — farmer building a vegetable business · 8 cards
• Alice Wren — student followed by two spirits · 6 cards
• Lady Vivian Duskbourne — night owl with expensive taste · 7 cards
• Dorothy Parker — pigeon keeper and town gossip · 7 cards
• Adora Thimblethread — newcomer trained in five sports · 7 cards

Every card's requirements are on the commissions list.

Dressmaker screenshots

Image: Cozy Lives / Free Lives press kit

Where to play Dressmaker

The full game is on Steam for Windows and Mac. If you want to try it first, the original prototype is free on itch.io — it's a download, not a browser game. Details in our free demo guide.