How to Make a Dress-Up Game in 2025
So, you want to make a dress-up game? You've come to the right place.
Whether you want to build a digital paper doll, avatar maker, or full-on character creator, this guide will walk you through it, step by step.
Whether you want to build a digital paper doll, avatar maker, or full-on character creator, this guide will walk you through it, step by step.
Table of Contents
- Dress-Up Game vs. Character Creator
- Step 1: Make Your Art
- Step 2: Build & Publish It
- Bonus Tip: Keep It Simple
- FAQ
- About the Author
Dress-Up Game vs. Character Creator
A dress-up game has one fixed character. You swap clothes, accessories, hairstyles, maybe backgrounds.
A character creator (or doll maker) adds deeper customization: face shape, skin tone, body type, gender, etc. This guide covers both.
Step 1: Make Your ArtA character creator (or doll maker) adds deeper customization: face shape, skin tone, body type, gender, etc. This guide covers both.
Use any app that exports layered PSDs:
• Photoshop
• Clip Studio Paint
• Procreate
• Paint Tool SAI
• GIMP or Krita (free!)
Tips:
• Every item gets its own layer
• Keep colorable parts separate
• Never flatten your PSD
• Photoshop
• Clip Studio Paint
• Procreate
• Paint Tool SAI
• GIMP or Krita (free!)
Tips:
• Every item gets its own layer
• Keep colorable parts separate
• Never flatten your PSD
1. Meiker.io
• Tag your layers (like [fixed])
• Upload the PSD
• Preview, fix errors, re-upload
• Submit for moderation
• Fully mobile + desktop responsive
See advanced Meiker features here
2. Picrew.me
• Upload PNG assets one by one
• Manually sort layers and categories
• Tedious, but works well for simpler games
3. Unity or Godot
Godot is a free alternative to Unity.
You can build full games, but will need to script interactions manually.
Bonus Tip: Keep It Simple
For your first game:
• One character
• 5 outfits
• Add some hair + shoes
FAQ
Can I make a dress-up game with my own art?
Yes, all platforms support artist-made content.
Best site for custom OC dress-up games?
Doll Divine, Meiker, Picrew, DressUpGames, and Y8.
Why did old dress-up sites disappear?
The death of Flash made it harder to host free, browser-based games. Most platforms couldn't compete with app store fees and closed ecosystems.
Can I make weird games?
Yes. Please do. Centaurs? Goo blobs? Go for it.
I look forward to seeing your amazing game!
~Ola
About the Author
Ola Rogula is the founder of Doll Divine Entertainment Inc., a pioneer of digital dress-up games since 2002. She has created over 100 online games, reaching millions of players worldwide, and built the Meiker engine to help artists bring their games to life—no coding needed.
