A surprisingly in-depth dressmaking simulator has the cosy gamers in a chokehold

I am a disastrously untalented individual, but my biggest failure of all? My inability to sew. Holes in clothes? Unpatched. Long trousers? Unhemmed. Thrifts? Unflipped. It is both a pure skill and creativity issue, and I forever look on longingly at those far more talented than myself.

Turns out that extends to one of the hottest new cosy games of 2026, too. Dressmaker has absolutely taken over my life—and the life of many new virtual sewists—with its relaxing yet devilishly moreish garment creation. It's genuinely brilliant, a testament to how good games can be when you zoom in on a niche and go all-in on it.

Sketch dresses with different bodies, skirts, sleeves, collars; doodle in rough colour schemes and lay fabric samples over each other to find the perfect combination. Sift through bolts of silk, lace, linen, cotton, and velvet in an absurd number of colours, before laying out all the parts of your bespoke pattern and sewing them all together. It's brilliant, but I am naff at it. Literally, look at this dress I tried to design with the brief "what if Geralt of Rivia was my client?" in mind.

Where's the pizzazz, the drama? Thankfully, social media has been blessing me with people who actually understand how to make the most out of Dressmaker's gorgeous adornments and fabrics—for both good and evil. Here are some of my absolute favourites for you to feast your eyes upon:

This incredible armour-inspired piece

A stunning Van Gogh ballgown

This recreation of an upcoming Genshin Impact character, Tsaritsa

Of course, I had to include this amazing Emet-Selch dress from Final Fantasy 14

And finally, this deeply cursed but also peak artistic Excel minidress that I would 100% wear in real life