"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, an indie game that has gained unexpected success on Steam, is praised by its creators for filling a niche market in the gaming industry. Jonathan Hau-Yoon, a developer on the game from South African developer/publisher Free Lives, was surprised by its massive popularity, selling over 482,000 units since its release on September 21.

The game's user base has continued to grow steadily after launch, with daily concurrent users (CCU) increasing from 8,000 on day one to over 43,000 by day 14, without any paid marketing in the West.

Creator Sabrina Becker emphasizes that Dressmaker was designed with a specific audience in mind – women who might not typically identify as gamers. She notes that 85% of the game's social media followers are women, and the game's appeal comes from its unique gameplay, where players can create and share customized dresses. Becker states that the lack of games catering to feminine interests in the past led to a decline in women's participation in gaming, but Dressmaker aims to rectify this by offering a platform for creative expression.

According to Hau-Yoon, the game's success demonstrates the untapped potential of targeting previously underserved audiences, suggesting that more indie studios should consider developing games aimed at these groups. The developers created Dressmaker during the COVID-19 pandemic when Hau-Yoon searched for games about costume design or fashion, only to find shallow mechanics.

The idea for Dressmaker emerged from this search, and the developers are pleased with the game's reception, believing it could have even greater success.