Too often do we hear, “What’s the deal with all of these dress-up games? They aren’t even games! Frankly, they make me want to throw my mouse in fits of blinding rage.” Regardless of one’s opinion of the genre, they are here and they are here to stay. So what’s there to do other than complaining about how much you don’t like them? [snaps fingers] I got it.
Make a better dress-up game.
This edition of Design Workshop will look at how we can retool the currently underwhelming world of dress-up games. The Design Workshop series is dedicated to bringing focus to the game design aspect of game development and trying to approach the design element from a different angle. We’ll be spending time revisiting tired game mechanics and brushed off genres. We will also be trying to help stimulate those game design brain cells in creating new ideas and fueling your creativity.
For those who are not familiar with dress-up games, they are games where a player drags and drops articles of clothing onto a stationary model. They can dress the model up with whatever clothing options are available. Think of digital representations of paper dolls. Now that you have a good grasp of the game mechanic, what are some of the issues that have arisen in this particular game scene?
Issue #1: It isn’t a game.
This is probably the most common argument on why people dislike this genre of game. By conventional standards and definitions, a game is described as: “something which provides amusement through skill, chance, endurance or adherence to a set of rules.” So if I enjoy myself (amusement) by placing a set of clothing on a model (adherence to a set of rules), then it’s a game.
Issue #2: It still isn’t a game. You can’t win.
Some play games because they can win. There’s a sense of accomplishment when you are able to defeat another player, be it human or computer controlled. These dress-up games don’t present a challenge since there is no specific winning condition. You just do as you please. However, a game needn’t a winning condition to be qualified as a game. You probably are familiar with another game mechanic that doesn’t offer a winning condition, yet are quick to automatically accept it as having one. It’s the “last as long as you can” game mechanic. Let’s look at the game Tetris. Can you pinpoint the winning condition in Tetris? When are you able to finally sit back, relax and say that you finally beat Tetris? In that game, and others like it, you play as long as you can until you lose. The game always ends the same: game over.
Issue #3: Dressing up models isn’t my idea of fun.
Okay.
Idea #1: Adding a Scoring Element
How about making each article of clothing worth a certain amount of points? Part of the entertainment can then be tied directly with the discovery of which articles of clothing are worth more points. Combinations of outfits can then also yield bonus points (for example: matching a green shirt and yellow pants can lead to a “Brazil” bonus, its point value being over 9000), thus further extending the amount of secrets waiting to be unlocked. Now you’re trying to get a high score, which is a pretty standard response to, “so, what are you supposed to do in this game?”
Idea #2: Adding a Losing Condition / Increasing Difficulty
Have the game present the player with a random outfit card. This card asks the player to dress the model to match the card. They have to match as many cards as they can within the time limit. If they can match the number of required outfits, they progress to the next level and the difficulty increases. If they cannot match the number of required outfits, they are congratulated for their accomplishments and encouraged to try again. This then introduces skill as quick and accurate mouse movements are rewarded while randomized clicking and trying to place shoes on the model’s eyes is not.
Idea #3: Change the Content
Dress-up games don’t have to be about models or the most famous-right-now pop star. A dress-up game is just another way of giving a title to the “customization” or “create a character” mode we all love in games. Why not make a superhero “dress-up” game? Instead of the color of tights the superhero should wear, you can change the focus of the game to modifying the superpowers for a superhero. Now you can choose whether they should have claws come out of their forearms or their ears. Maybe it’s a game that lets you customize a gaming rig, while at the same time attaching prices to all of the components, thus allowing you to see how a potential system setup would be in real life.
There is limitless possibilty at your fingertips as game developers, so why not try your hand at creating a “customization” game the next time around? I’m sure naysayers of the genre will appreciate the change of pace and you could very well find a wonderful niche by being the first person to create a Action Figure Collector Display Case customization game… or make the game my coworker has been aching to see: Hobo Dress-up.
You are so spot on! I too thought the very same thing when I seen a dress up game for the first time. I was laughing at what one would call a game. The funny thing is that people love them and your right they are here to stay. You gave some great ideas now I can’t wait to see what comes from it. I had been thinking of making one but now I almost have to! Thanks a bunch!
There are really a lot of dress up ‘games’. It is a good idea to make some changes on it. I found “High School Makeover” from games2win.com matches your idea.
Here is the link:
http://www.nobleflash.com/index.php/game/4427/High-School-Makeover/
I don’t agree entirely with all you said: i think that the “celeb” part of these games is a must have. It works on the same principle as peoples magazines for me, which is a big big audience. A very casual audience.
In the continuity of this, i think it wouldn’t work to add gameplay components to this kind of game: you just don’t want to hassle yourself with gaming elements when you play this, you just want to mess with a photo/cartoon, in my opinion. Just silly fun, like humor powerpoints, etc…
Where i agree with you, is that there is room for the kind of game you described – customization game – that i’d looove to make/play. But for me it is another audience and another kind of game.
@pingu:
Fair enough. I do agree that there are players who are still interested in the traditional “dress-up” game mechanic where it is literally a digital paper doll. This article was more so focusing on employing this game mechanic and taking it a step further to emphasize that the game mechanic is indeed a valid one that needn’t be scoffed at.
A great example of this is iWin’s Jojo’s Fashion Designer.
I completely agree with this. I think it would be awesome to throw the dress-up genre on it’s ear and make some with explicit goals.
HOWEVER, there still that little nagging voice in the back of my head telling me their popularity could be precisely because they are NOT that way. That the players who dig these games really want nothing more than to engage in an entertaining form of self expression. It’s pure ‘look at what I made’ appeal. Adding challenge might just make 10 year old girls across the world go ‘meh’.
Let’s hope the makers of these games take note and make them better!
I’m personally going to be working on “Ultimate Door Designer 3000″ where you get to choose from a selection of door handles which you can use to dress up your door. Includes such classics as “stainless steel handle”, “brass handle” and “handle with paint dripped on it”. I’m also going to add a selection of hinges and you can choose interior or exterior doors, which you can then add a letterbox to.
@carl:
If doors is your thing, I imagine yourself to have an extremely good time making this one.
I, on the other hand, am much more interested in Mailbox Dress Up. I want mine to be shaped like a diner and on a really tall pole.
Interesting ideas. I like the way you are thinking about game design.
I have to say, though, I do agree with what Pingu and Ryan Nichols mentioned, that this new direction you suggest may only be appealing to a different, and possibly nonexistent, audience of players. Experimentation is pretty cheap though and I’d be intrigued to see what happens when someone does make a dressup game with points and goals and such.
Well, I’m really looking forward to more Design Workshop articles from you. Hurry up and write another one! :D
This article gave me some great ideas, thanks. How about a game where you work as an assistant in a high-end clothing shop. You would have customers lined up and you’ll choose outfit for each customer based on their physical appearance and mood. Then they’ll tip you a different amount depending on how they like their new look. There will be introduced new characters in each level with hints what they like doslike, but you’ll also watch their reaction and learn from it how to dress the next similar character.
I do like the point scoring ideas. You can also make items unlockable when certain clothing combinations are created. I’ve got one like that on Newgrounds or a new idea I’ve been working on is a draw-your-own dress-up game to let players doodle their own model and clothing. I’m thinking about adding some more features but what I’ve got so far is here:
http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/473230
The possiblities for coming up with creative ways to make this king of game are endless, but the drag-and-drop kind where you have to line it up pixel perfect are annoying to say the least.
This blog entry inspired us to create ‘Dress Up The World’. It has a point system. You receive points for how closely and how fast you dress up a character to match an existing character.
Check it out.
http://www.fupa.com/play/Dress-Up-free-games/dressuptheworld.html
You know, the irony quotes around dressup games are so “newgroundsish”…
I respect your opinion and I hope you’ll respect mine as well: just because I like cake, that doesn’t mean I have to hate bread, just because it’s easier to make.
Just because I like soccer doesn’t mean I have to hate baseball because I don’t understand its rules.
Not that I question your knowledge (I don’t have a lot of experience either, so who am I to judge?), but have you ever seen a small girl play one of these dressups? Well I have and I tell you, it’s a magnificent sight. You may not understand why placing a pink bow on some chibi’s hair would be fun, but you’ll understand once you see her face glow when she does it.
Just like she wouldn’t understand why I leaped in the air in nerd orgasms when I completed my T2 set in World of Warcraft back in the day. We all have our own joys, don’t ruin them for the other person if they don’t match your own.
@Tudi: I think you may have misinterpreted what this design workshop article was about. It was the rethink the genre and games, making them accessible to others who normally wouldn’t give the genre the light of day. By no means would I want traditional dress up games to be removed or for them to no longer be made. There’s room for all types of games and I encourage everyone to play them.
Alexander, I read the article then worked my way down through the comments and got a bit stirred up by irony quotes :) I liked the Tetris comparisson, you got me thinking why I would hypnotically play Tetris in my childhood (I suspect it was the equally hypnotic music).
One of the things that constantly get mentioned against dressups that you didn’t focus on is how “the market is bloated with them”. Thing is, I don’t think dressups are games that their audience picks up and adds to their collection of favorites like you do with arcades on kongregate for example. They’re 1-time consumables, they get played once then the next one gets its share of attention.
I also find it funny how people say that dressups aren’t real games because they require little coding (not taking into consideration the amount of time and effort put into making the graphics for a good game). It’s almost like saying ragdoll/stickmen games aren’t games because there’s no artwork involved.
Way cool. Love the monitor head!
You know what, City of Heroes was an amazing game, and a huge part of that fun came from, gasp, the dress up/designing portion of the game. That was insanely fun trying to come up with new costumes with friends!
Anyway, nice article, I’m totally with ya on this one. :)