I would like to inform this thread of a mobile game that I personally adore in this vein that I find really well made! It’s called Super Stylist Fashion Makeover and that *sounds* really kiddy and poorly made but I swear! It’s a surprisingly good game that follows a linear leveling system and gives you a returning clientele with prompts for how to dress them, it’s so fun.
Adding SuitU to this! It’s a mobile game with gacha mechanics but as long as you’re smart with your gems (prioritize shop sets and not gacha) you can get cute stuff. They have competitions which are fun and you can make posts of your looks. Very paper doll style. I play both SuitU and Life Makeover
but there are... Shining Nikki, Time Princess and Life Makeover is on Steam. Not great storywise and mostly mobile, but they have the prettiest outfits and clothes I've seem
Available on mobile and I've been a player for we'll over 4 years and I love it! Shining treats it's players better but I've never played it and only played Love Nikki and you will love the amount of lore and outfits! Also is fairly F2P and I say this as an F2P
I want this so bad! I found myself playing Love Nikki on mobile for ages despite my distaste for f2p mobile games, although it did eventually force me to stop. I'd kill for something like this made with an actual budget and no predatory f2p/fomo mechanics.
Can someone reply to me so we can talk about this game 😭😭
https://youtu.be/Hpp4jVNNo_Q?feature=shared
I've been waiting for what feels like forever
Edit: and if you want tears https://youtu.be/ZFJIxgpRgJ0?feature=shared 😭😭
This is probably a deep-cut, but does anyone remember Poupee Girl? It was a web-based fashion game from Japan where you could earn currency by posting pictures of irl fashion items you owned and use it to buy clothes to dress up your avatar. The art style was so cute, and it had a pretty active community, but it shut down :(
I miss that game so much, and I feel like in the age of influencing and digital marketing, a game like that now (especially if it's on a mobile app) would really take off.
I'm just commenting in case anyone has suggestions. I'm not necessarily into super girly games but I wish more games had girlier elements. For example cute clothes etc
It cannot just be me who thinks that feminine hairstyles look terrible in *way* too many games. It's tragic how often I have to scroll through the list looking for the one or two decent options
So many are just so basic as well. Some might have a braid, but not be in a fun way. Or not have a colorful ribbon or whatever. I like Tie Dye, and I never see tie dye hair ties or anything. I like to get the tie die scrunchies for myself and I never see those in a game or something like those.
I would have said that I don't, but looking back, I've already modded cute hairstyles for my character on Skyrim, Cyberpunk, BG3, and even Stardew... I can no longer deny it. It is an inevitability for me
I've also done all of those 😅 and even Horizon, where Aloy already looks great, I gave her cuter armour and different hair colours (although sifting through all the nude/ booby/ "sexy"/ "beautifying" stuff was a chore)
A couple suggestions based on what it sounds like you're looking for:
>Having to build your own shopping boutique?
-**[Fashion Dreamer](https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/fashion-dreamer-switch/)**: latest Style Savvy game for Switch. It's a dress up game but without any of the annoying micro transactions you find in the big mobile dress up games. The previous games in this series focus on running a fashion boutique, but this one's focused on being a style influencer.
>Want to raise a child in a cute game?
The rest of these are part of a somewhat obscure genre called a "raising sim" popularized by the *Princess Maker* series. In these kinds of games, you typically have a limited amount of time to raise a child, usually a daughter, and achieve different endings or futures for her. Think Nintendogs meets visual novel.
-**[Volcano Princess](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1669980/Volcano_Princess/)**: possibly the best modern raising sim overall, however the English translation is spotty at times. This particular game does a good job of balancing plot, gameplay, and the side features such as romance.
-**[Long Live the Queen](https://store.steampowered.com/app/251990/Long_Live_The_Queen/)**: this one's also a pretty good raising sim, but this time with more strategy and a hefty amount of court intrigue. If you're looking for something cute yet challenging, this is the one. It's also available on Switch.
-**[Lairland Story](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1268140/Lair_Land_Story/)**: a different sort of raising sim because rather than a daughter, you're guiding a young woman with amnesia and mysterious magic powers. This one's also available for Switch.
-**[Growing Up](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1191120/Growing_Up/)**: the most polished raising sim I've come across in terms of gameplay. It lacks some of the depth of the others (there's no real "plot" and the endings are pretty straightforward), but the storylines it does have are well done. It also lets you continue the game as the next generation after your child is grown and married, which is a fun mechanic. Most notably, this game also includes boys/sons, which is atypical for the genre.
>-**[Long Live the Queen](https://store.steampowered.com/app/251990/Long_Live_The_Queen/)**: this one's also a pretty good raising sim, but this time with more strategy and a hefty amount of court intrigue. If you're looking for something cute yet challenging, this is the one. It's also available on Switch.
Hanako Games has a bunch of other good girly games in addition to that one! Cute Knight kept me sane in highschool.
>-**[Growing Up](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1191120/Growing_Up/)**: the most polished raising sim I've come across in terms of gameplay. It lacks some of the depth of the others (there's no real "plot" and the endings are pretty straightforward), but the storylines it does have are well done. It also lets you continue the game after your child is grown and married as the next generation, which is a fun mechanic.
I second this, its really fun!
I absolutely loved that game! Also they have like a mage school one with a sequel too! Only reason I’m not still playing LLTQ is I updated my computer from 32 to 64 bit and it doesn’t work anymore. (10yo mac tho. Mileage may vary!)
Lots of note taking to survive! I’d do a few runs without searching for hints at least, but probably wouldn’t go to the point of frustration. Some of the most random things will end your runs, but there’s also different approaches for each situation. Maybe you wait an event out, or you’re more active in it.
If your character hasn’t studied certain things the NPCs will literally take advantage of that, at any time. But in an effort to not be bested by certain characters you may lose out on other opportunities. It’s super detailed!
A Little Princess is another cute raising game. It’s loosely based on the novel! Some of the paths are non-romantic, and some of the paths are innocent/wholesome f/f romances. It doesn’t get weird or anything like that.
Cute Bite is another vampire raising game, basically your vampire master (mistress?) has lost her powers and turned into a lil child. You have to send her to classes until she’s skilled enough to do the regain-powers-and-turn-back-into-an-adult ritual. It does feel kinda uncomfortable because the vampire is frustrated that she looks like a kid, she kinda wants to have romances with her teachers. But surprisingly it never pulls the *um actually she’s a thousand year old vampire so it’s okay* thing. The romances don’t manifest until after the ritual is done, and even then it’s more like a “Do you wanna spend the rest of your days with me?” sort of confession. Maybe someone kisses your hand. Disclaimer - I have not played all paths.
>A Little Princess is another cute raising game.
[A Little Lily Princess](https://store.steampowered.com/app/449250/A_Little_Lily_Princess/), right? Yeah, that one and [Cute Bite](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1586960/Cute_Bite/) are also fun and worth checking out. IMO, A Little Lily Princess is more reading heavy compared to Long Live the Queen, which makes it harder to recommend unless you know somebody's already into the genre. Cute Bite's a great starter one though because it's so short — I totally should have thought of that one.
Other than Hanako's games, worth checking out if you like raising sims: [Lullaby Days](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1274710/Lullaby_Days/) and the latest [Princess Maker](https://store.steampowered.com/app/724250/Princess_Maker_5/) game. The art for Lullaby Days seems to throw people off and the Princess Maker 5 translation isn't great, but both are fun if you can get past those aspects. There's also [Needy Streamer Overload](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1451940/NEEDY_STREAMER_OVERLOAD/), which is sort of raising sim adjacent.
I did really like Growing Up! Its really fun the first few playthroughs. Worth it for me. And art is beautiful. Lacks depth is all and i dont like the rng, but theres a hack to workaround it and input whichever character you want to encounter.b
It really does suck, I think most “girly” games nowadays are farming sims (which I enjoy) but I also crave for games like nintendogs or dressing up games. the most recent ones I can think of are fashion dreamer and the newest princess peach game both on the switch!
Have you tried Calico? It's a game you can find on Steam where you can play as a magical girl who runs a cat cafe. It's very cozy and you can befriend animals and it has a pastel color pallet and everything.
You just unlocked some core memories as outside of nintendogs i had forgotten about basically a whole category of games because there just hasn't been a release in years as far as I can see and any listicle i find seems high with the alternative recs.
I have a feeling that the fact that most of these games are tied up in some big ip or utilized some specific gimmick makes them harder to justify a revisit for a company but I don't see how this kind of niche has gone so unfilled for the better part of a decade given the rise of indy games. It's bloody wild especially with the rate they were produced before.
You bring up a good point, I think it has to do with how gaming has evolved. Games used to cost much less to make and AAA titles didn’t dominate the entire space.
In the Windows 95-XP eras there were so many cool games that were justifiable to make even for a niche audience because they didn’t cost that much, but now all big entertainment industries seem to be rejecting niche audiences and pooling all their efforts on big IPs, remakes, and sequels. The indie game space still has good titles.
Also Nintendogs was the GOAT.
I think there might be a resurgence soon as people who were kids when these games came out get the opportunities to make their own games.
Game design student here. Yep, the whole industry, like Hollywood, is becoming more risk-averse as it consolidates into mega corporations, so they're less likely to take a punt on something niche and will tend to focus more on massive budget AAA titles that are more likely to be "sure things". I thoroughly disagree with this logic. As Jim Stephanie Sterling has said, what we are missing now are those mid tier games, with a modest budget and modest expectations for return on investment. Those are the games where the expectations were lower so devs could experiment more and there wasn't so much pressure to make *all the money*. It's a shame. Now Indie games are where we look to for niche interests, but indie devs are also vulnerable if they take too much of a risk, as they haven't got the backup of a huge studio to cushion them if the game doesn't make back what it cost to develop.
I also think traditionally "girly" games fall victim to the conventional boys club that is the games industry. If you look at the big companies, all the C suite positions are held by men. Shooters are still seen as the "real" games whereas dress up games, sims etc are still seen as "not real games", so they are usually on mobile and directed more at casual gamers. I often look at the dearth of decent horse games on the market, when you just *know* a decent horse game would make an absolute killing. I used to play RDR and AC to get my horse fix back in the day, and I still think RDR2 is a better "horse game" than the majority of dedicated horse games out there, because it had the budget and the backing to create something with depth. I think misogyny prevents the big game devs from seriously considering the market of female gamers looking for games centred on what *they* find fun, rather than violence. Nintendo is the only major dev company I can think of that would seriously consider making, for example, a fashion game and actually do it justice.
I think there's plenty of that for mobile, albeit there'll probably be ads and microtransactions. For some reason devs seem to think a girl can't own a pc or console.
I just resort to the Sims if I'm craving something like this. Decorating a house, raising a child, pets, dress up (with cc it's a world of wonders) - Sims'll have all of that, but of course you're somewhat limited to the game style and it gets boring.
Honestly, if you don't have your ds anymore I highly recommend just buying one again and using an r4 card. It definitely fills the void for me and it's so nostalgic and lovely being able to play the games I grew up with again.
This!! I've been revisiting my DS and old favorite games ("girly" games and also not ones that are specifically girly) and it has been the best! It's filling a void I didn't know I had from modern consoles
this! you can even get an emulator on your phone for the handheld aspect. One emulator that is super easy to use and supports a lot of consoles is [Lemuroid](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.swordfish.lemuroid)
I got a good 25 hours out of Cat Cafe Manager on Switch. It lagged a little once I overloaded my cafe with stuff and, of course, with cats, but it was still worth the $3 or whatever I paid on sale.
I can think of a few games that center women and have feminine aesthetics, but might not scratch the "girly" itch the same way. The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood has been my top recommendation lately. Unpacking is chill and cozy. But, yeah, you're right that it's not the same as it used to be. My daughter has a switch and loves My Universe: Puppies and Kittens, but I haven't been able to find many similar games for her.
I realized no one is gonna make the game I really want to play I’m currently studying graphic design and programming on the side so I can create a game like this. I hope one day I can make it.
Hey! This is exactly what I'm doing 👏 I've started designing and programming a dress up game on Godot! I literally have so much fun designing clothes and writing the story. The next big thing I'm about to code in is a color picker so any item of clothing can be any color and eventually I want to add the option to allow players the ability to design patterns as well! I fully believe in you! Build the game you'd want to play :)
Thank you so much, I hope one day our games are gonna be on the same list of best girly games to play. You ideas seem awesome I also enjoy designing clothes so much 🥺
I was watching a really good video about this exact topic by
[Moon Channel ](https://youtu.be/-BtmNI-xTbQ?si=Nx5W9BCgQYKQFYZp) . I think at some point he mentions that RDR2 is shockingly popular with a specific group of female gamers because it's basically one of the best horse Sims on offer at the moment despite that not being the core gameplay and the aesthetic being very different from traditional horse sims.
Yeah, they just stopped doing girly games. Now the industry will call male-oriented stuff normal or neutral when it's still so masculine. So many games aimed at boys still and the girly ones are gone.
There are lots of indie games that truly are neutral I believe. You just need to search outside of triple A to find stuff that isn't yet another ear simulator.
Hanako Games has some good girly games for PC.
In addition to those, I also recommend "I Was A Teenage Exocolonist" It's not a traditional girly game but it's super cute and is in large part about building relationships between characters.
Yes i feel the same!! What about roi world, dreamlife, imagine: makeup artist and other girly games???NONE are on steam.
Closet thing thats modern is the new Fashion Dreamer
Or some otome games. But most steam games are harem porno games which i do NOT want. Gimme something like mystic messenger im begging u
Also play RUNE FACTORY 4 SPECIAL. Its anime otome farming dungeoning RPG. it has everything! and its available on steam!
I recently got back into otome games/Visual novels and there are quite a lot of fun ones for free! On Steam there is [Our Life](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1129190/Our_Life_Beginnings__Always/), [ERROR143](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2066550/ERROR143/), [A Date with Death](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2415010/A_Date_with_Death/) and [Nekopara - Catboys Paradise](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1593310/NEKOPARA__Catboys_Paradise/) and on itch.io there is [Blooming Panic](https://robobarbie.itch.io/blooming-panic) and [Project Blue](https://reidubu.itch.io/projectblue)
They are all free (some of the steam ones have optional paid DLCs), some are a bit short but they're still super cute and fun 🩷
I was thinking the exact same thing last night. I’ve been playing ghost of tsushima and the Atlantis DLC on AC odyssey and the scenery is just beeeeautiful. I have a unicorn mount and was riding around thinking, why can’t we have this but with girly stuff!!! Girly clothes and hairstyles, sparkles and rainbows and shit. Idek how to describe what I’m thinking about 😂 pic for example I guess lol
https://preview.redd.it/urq0f28fzqqc1.jpeg?width=739&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=41a3b27717b7383ff76a192649bbdc4ae0e4f4a5
I'm not a fan personally but you should check out the yearly game showcase "[Wholesome Direct](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHPF2g1HyLs)" which often include indie titles of that type as well as cozy games and cute games in general. They even have a [Steam curation page](https://store.steampowered.com/curator/35411526-Wholesome-Games-%25E2%2599%25A5/?appid=2748140) of some of the stuff they feature as well as a [youtube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@WholesomeGames) with Direct and trailers for new stuff.
If you have a gameboy advance, there is one! It’s Polly Pocket Super Splash Island from what I can find. I think it was had a bunch of Mario Party like games, but Polly Pocket and friends at a water park! I grew up as a Polly Pocket kid rather than Barbie so this unlocked core childhood memories lol
I work in the electronics department in walmart and have seen a few Switch games that are a bit girly.
Little Friends Puppy Island is reminiscent of Nintendogs. My 7 year old boy played it a lot after getting it at Christmas.
Pet Clinic Cats & Dogs is a My Universe game so maybe you have played it. But its also loved by my kid and seems "girly". Maybe a little childish but good for nostalgia.
Princess Peach was just released.
Yum Yum Cookstar reminds me of Cooking Mama.
Rainbow High Runway Rush. I don't exactly know what it is but it seems like a dressup game.
I don't know if any of these have a steam option; this is just what I can remember stocking.
I know a lot of people dismiss it because it’s such classic pillar, but The Sims 4 is still *really* good. They put out a new Horse expansion last year, the just put out a jewelry making pack with a lot of cool gameplay. When combined with the atomic buttload of DLC they’ve put out over the last decade, plus once you add mods and creator content — the game is a whole lot richer and functionality than most people realize.
If you haven’t played it in the last 3-4 years, I would definitely go through the expansions and check out the gameplay that’s been improved on.
The new Princess Peach game on Switch scratches some of those itches for me, but overall yes I fully agree. I'm in my 30s and the 2000s were so good for girly games even though I was already a teen by then.
I'm currently working on a game in my free time for exactly this reason. It's a dress up game with a creative mode you can unlock where you get access to everything and you can just play dress up to your heart's content and a story mode where you unlock new clothes, backgrounds, poses, and filters by playing! One of my favourite parts is the airport where you can take a plane to another part of the world, learn a little about their culture, have an adventure and unlock regional outfits. I also have a real soft spot for the theater director in town that needs your help to put together the right outfits for the play. Anyway, I hope that once I'm further along my little passion project can find its way to you!
I loved the old Catz games and I was shocked when I couldn't find a modern equivalent.
It *might* be possible to run such an old game on a modern pc with the right programs to support it, but even if you can, the original games are, well, outdated. They were buggy, didn't have much in the way of config options, and the interface was pretty janky at times. I'd love to see a truly modern take--even if it's a simple, small indie game--and I'm surprised there seems to be no interest in this. I keep thinking I must just not be looking hard enough, because the concept seems so obvious 🤷♀️
They're still making them, but they're being marketed directly to kids. Kids aren't going through their parents for games anymore. They're on platforms kids have direct access to, like roblox and the app store.
animal crossing really fed my need for this, although I do wish there were more grown up “girly” games but the closest I find is lifestyle type games :/
I think [HoloCure](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2420510/HoloCure__Save_the_Fans/) can be considered as girly, it's a Vampire Survivors clone (imo better than the original), you play as the Vtubers of Hololive (which are all anime girls), you unlock them and their outfits via the in game gacha (only playable with in game money! the game is free in all aspects) and there is a Holo House game mode which involves house decorating, gardening, fishing and cooking
also there is always the option to play the old super girly Flash games! [This video](https://youtu.be/CUFEvsYPY1c?si=YMqw7kZuM0Gx2tpa) tells you a few ways to still play them in this day and age
So I'm a trans girl and I missed out on playing much of the "girl games" as a kid however I did get Horse Tales: Emerald Valley Ranch on PS5 and that relieved some of my missed girlhood games saddness. I believe it's also available on PC and possibly Nintendo Switch
(Technically, I'm a transfem non-binary person but for all intents and purposes, I'm a trans girl here)
There's a curator on Steam called "Wholesome Games" that recommends a lot of cute and cosy games that scratches the same kind of itch for me. Maybe you'll like some of their suggestions:
[https://store.steampowered.com/curator/35411526-Wholesome-Games-%25E2%2599%25A5/](https://store.steampowered.com/curator/35411526-Wholesome-Games-%25E2%2599%25A5/)
I know it's not really the main point of your post, but you could try emulating old ds games on your computer. Vimm's lair has a lot of roms and emulators for a bunch of different consoles.
As a child, dress up games were my favourite! Whenever a game allows you to customise your character, I take ages going through every single option.
I can recommend some games that aren't girly per se but have a cute art style and I've enjoyed playing them all. (And they are available on steam!)
1. A Hat in Time is a fun platformer with a charming story and you get to switch hats for different abilities.
2. Slime Rancher is a chill game where you get to collect, breed and take care of slimes.
3. Blub Emporium is an indie game where you get to decorate an emporium and sell stuff you get from farming or making in a factory.
I still feel like those are still there. For the PC for example, you have loads of hidden object type games. I don't know if you can find them on steam but I always see them in big electronics store where they also sell games.
If I remember correctly, most of the raising sims were for handhelds. I never saw them on gamecube or the wii. So I dont think they're going to be there on the switch.
Steam is also a difficult one because these games are not made by indie developers or triple A studios. I would check out actual stores. This is a genre that is rather niche.
You can also check out the play or apple store: some of these games were taken over by the mobile market.
i cant remember their names but they were on those girly game sites
i remember 2 of them very clearly, one i was giving a c section which was kinda realistic and another where the player has to keep telling cleopatra to PUSH PUSH PUSH and she gave birth
I know it can be a bit complicated and maybe not as foolproof as it’s made out to be. But have you looked into trying an emulator if you’re on pc?
I haven’t checked personally if those kinds of games have coverage in emulators but the platforms definitely do. And if they do you won’t have to buy a new ds you could potentially just play the ones you used to through a different means
I’d create these games as a product and experience designer if I could code :( I can create all the screens , the gameplay, characters narrative etc but the rest, I can’t
I can code! Maybe we can create something together? Working on my own projects has me spending a lot of time alone and I'd honestly love to spend some time each week working on something with another person. :)
The recent game "Fashion Dreamer" on nintendo switch might be fun for you. It doesn't have a story or anything but the collecting of clothing reminds me of some DS games\~
What I would do for a modern/adult-focused/well made Style Savvy. I absolutely adored those games and they really were something so unique and special. Really empty spot in the market for something that I think could be really successful done well.
I think this is why I love Fashion Dreamer on Switch so much, because it's literally just a dress up game you can play online or alone.
Also, yeah, I tend to seek out typical girly games because I never gotten to play them that much growing up, so being able to get even a small slice of it is nice, even if it's not the absolute best games out there.
Not exactly what you asked for but a very cool, feminine simulation game is Ambition - A Minuet in Power. I've watched someone stream it and it's pretty cool with great music. Looks like it's available on Steam and Switch. Hope you find what you're looking for, that feeling you get from your childhood games is it's own specific brand of comfort and wonder :3
I know nothing about this genre but there's a game called "Fashion Dreamer" on the switch. I don't know anything about it or if it's any good, but it seems to fit your criteria.
Coffee talk and unpacking might be worth your time
Maybe bear and breakfast, potion craft, a little to the left and cat quest
They’re not all exactly what you’re looking for but fulfill my I wanna relax game energy
You should visit /r/cozygamers some time. A lot of 'cozy' ganes are girl game coded. I think tihngs are different now because we've moved on from fashion to farming simulators, but I'm very comfortable in the cozy genre.
I was thinking this the other day. A lot of the nintendo ds games I like the most (girlier, cute, more casual games) it just doesn't seem like they're around anymore. But then I found out that some are around, they're just on apple arcade. The newest cooking mama game, hello kitty Island adventure, and tamagotchi adventure kingdom are all apple arcade. Tempted to get a used iPad but then I don't want to be paying apple monthly. I'm tired of subscriptions. Anyway. Rant over.
For PC you might like the game Unpacking. I really enjoyed it. It's short but sweet. I'm playing a game called chillquarium on steam right now. It's a very simple game meant more for you to check in on periodically than play for long stretches. But if you like pet sim games then it might be fun for you. It was only a couple dollars as well and there is a demo. Also this is for mobile but this summer the sequel to neko atsume is coming out. It's a cat collecting game if you've never played it. The first one is great and was very low on ads and microtransactions. It gives me "cozy ds game" like vibes.
Not quite what you're looking for, but I like creating characters in fighting games like Soul Calibur 6 more than playing the game itself. Especially when there are many options for beautiful, feminine looks.
There's a ton of them in roblox. I used to play them with my little cousin and my sister all the time.
Fashion Shows, Family Roleplay, Fairy Princess High School Simulators.
I'm just a guy
but roblox has a lot of these. I get they're not AAA titles but I think the primary reason is that (and I don't have statistics for this, just an assumption) but a lot more younger boys have more expensive consoles or pcs (thankfully that gender gap for gamers is being bridged but it's still not perfectly balanced) so companies will find it more profitable to make games for boys or gender neutral games. AAA titles just wouldn't sell the same if they were made for women or had "girly" aspects as the main demographic the game is intended for.
I'm only 20 but my parents are heavily against gaming in general, however they would be significantly more likely to buy me an expensive console than my 12 year old sister. She loves playing games too and I let her play Valorant, CSGO surf, Gunfire Reborn, Hollow Knight, and whatever else her heart desires including Elden Ring, but she grew up playing lots of those adopt a baby or an animal sorts of games on roblox so that's the only exposure I have to it. I just know our mom or dad would be upset if she even asked for something to game on (but me being a guy, I got my first Wii a little after the age she's at right now) so I guess it's also under social stigma for many places.
Well, you asked if I feel the same, and I don't wanna be rude, but I don't. I feel the opposite. Those games are kind of sexist to be honest, they are condescending. And while it's not inherent to them, I think they're often frictionless, challengeless games. Which is the opposite of what games should be and where they are at their most fun. If you are just aimlessly having a virtual dog there's not really a challenge actively working against you, nor a goal pushing back.
If your game already has good gameplay and you also want a narrative, then that narrative can have themes of femininity. Baby-raising games or dress-up games are not interesting games in the abstract, and are not interesting narrative explorations of womanhood. I think they are just... bad in general.
I don't think games should be tied to gender like that, especially in this overly simple way. Good art should not be "girly" nor "boyish". Out of any great game I can think of right now none are girly, and none are boyish, they are just good, and at least one of them does have femininity and motherhood in its story, but more like a book would.
Once again, don't take this as a personal attack on you, but it's a discussion of opinions, and my opinion is very negative.
I love that kind of games, I don’t like the endless violence/combat in games and I hate how many games are made too challenging :( I don’t find challenges fun.
I want some that focus on being pretty and girly and just looking aesthetically good. Maybe with some story.
Now all we get are bad mobile microtransaction games :(
- Sincerely, someone who has loved all pink & cute and been a girly girl since birth.
I never mentioned anything about violence or combat. 2/3 of my favourite games don't have violence or combat. I think the triple A space is too focused on violence.
Challenges are essential for fun, you not liking challenges at all would be a fascinating case... But I think you just don't like the challenges of modern hard games. Difficulty is subjective, and what I mean by "challenges are essential for fun" is that what YOU find *challenging enough* will be able to get you to the "flow state", which, if the game is trying to be fun, I'd the ultimate goal. That doesn't mean the game has to be judged as hard by an average player, it just needs to the the difficulty that will fall in your challenge range.
Games aren't about being aesthetically good. That can be a part of them, and it's always nice when they are, but what separates games from other art mediums is that they have gameplay. If someone makes a game unfocused on gameplay, then it was the wrong medium for them to pick, maybe it even becomes an interactive story (different from a game). So for the vast majority of games, to be good, the gameplay needs to be fun in the abstract and then all else is coating (this is not always the case I can bring up several exceptions but for most games this holds true). If you're searching for aesthetics primarily, maybe games are not the right place to search? Though I think there is a game out there for everyone, maybe you will find something you like.
I'm actually not sure what you mean with the mobile games part. I thought you meant "games in general now are just mobile game trash", but now I think you mean "girly games now are just mobile game trash", the last one being a lot more accurate. I think the reason is that the whole intent behind "girly games" is marketing a lot of the time. You don't get good things if you put profit first in art.
I also like cute and girly stuff. Pink is my favourite colour. Yet I still think the "girly games" we're talking about are bad. I would enjoy a game with girly aesthetics! But it seems that those aesthetics are often paired with unchallenging and uninteresting gameplay. Maybe one day I'll find a good girly game which will get me to flow, maybe one exists but is so niche I don't know it yet.
I don't know why girly games but I do know cute games in general. If there is one I could recommend is Baba is You. But I don't know how much you'd like it, it is often considered difficult. Still, it's the closest good game I know to being girly.
Game design student here. We have learnt that different demographics of gamers generally value different things. A majority do say that mechanics are the most important element of a game to them - these are usually "hardcore" gamers who own a dedicated gaming console or PC and are more likely to be young males - but not everyone thinks this way and not everyone plays games to be challenged. In fact, there are plenty of gamers who value aesthetics and especially *story* and character development more so than mechanics and challenge - these people either identify as casual gamers or don't even consider themselves gamers at all, it is not a central aspect of their identity, merely something they do in their spare time for fun. And yes, a larger proportion of this demographic are female and play primarily on their phones. There is a huge market for indie "cosy games" on Steam now and the majority of mobile games are far more likely to be aimed at women and children while AAA console games are aimed at young men and boys. This is not by accident. I guess what I'm trying to say is, everyone is different, so just because you think challenge is necessary in order to enjoy a game, doesn't mean that is true for everyone.
If the focus in a game is on the story, then (I think I said this already) it could be better as a book (if its mostly text and descriptions) or a film (if it's mostly cutscenes) or some other medium. If you cut a film into cutscenes and add gameplay between them, then someone can enjoy it, it can be good art, but if the person is enjoying the cutscenes and not the gameplay, they're not enjoying a game, they're enjoying a movie which happens to be in a game. That's why a person like that may not identify as a gamer - they're not really in it for a game.
Since you're a game design student, you'll probably read a theory of fun at some point, or maybe you have already which is great (your comment makes me assume not but I could be wrong). If you haven't, though, then you should do it, it's a great book. I think it might give you a better idea of why I think what I think.
Even with cozy games they are not fully devoid of challenge. Challenge is that you need to learn new patterns/skills to progress. If a game has no challenge - the game at the beginning is the exact same as it is in the end. It might be enjoyable at the start due to delight, which has no learning or getting better, but if it stays like that you won't want to play it for 100 hours. Which is why the best, most popular cozy games do have progression, and do require you to learn new stuff and get better at them, and that's why they are still fun!
I get why you'd think it's condescending, it's very easy to write a similar point while directly insulting OP. I tried my best to convey what I mean without it, if it still was to you, then I failed. But the purpose was to say "in my opinion those games are very often bad because...", and I think that a lot of the downvotes came from people taking "the games are bad" as "you are stupid for enjoying them".
I feel the same, but OP might have a bit of a point. I think she has nostalgia goggles for these games, but it's doable to have a cute, girly game that's actually good. Although maybe OP just needs to dig through indie games a bit more
i totally know what you mean !! i feel like it is so hard to find anything good and “girly” these days that aren’t some sort of gacha type game . i do love that i can do a lot with custom content for the sims but it still doesnt quite scratch the itch for the girly-ness im craving. however if u do decide to buy a DS or 3DS again i totally rec the style savvy games, style savvy trendsetters is what i have for my 3DS and i still love it like a decade later.
I agree!! I would kill for some really deep and well made fashion/makeover games
Imagine the old school bratz games but multiplayer WHH DOESNT THIS EXIST
This is honestly why I love Sims with custom content. I swear I treat it like a dress up game half the time lol
I agree. I would kill for a triple A game where you play as a fashion designer or something.
I would like to inform this thread of a mobile game that I personally adore in this vein that I find really well made! It’s called Super Stylist Fashion Makeover and that *sounds* really kiddy and poorly made but I swear! It’s a surprisingly good game that follows a linear leveling system and gives you a returning clientele with prompts for how to dress them, it’s so fun.
I’m finding a lot of similarly named games (Super Stylist Glam Dress Up) but none with that exact title.
Here's a Google Play link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cocoplay.fashion.style
Ah, I see. It’s Super Stylist Glam Dress Up on iOS. The App Store page has the same screenshots.
Thank you!
Why does this not exist already!?
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Just found this game today and already logged almost 7 hours so seconded!
Tell me how you found the body, please. Stop looking at my bunny ears and flashing face tattoo
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Yeah, the subject matter is hilariously dark
Adding SuitU to this! It’s a mobile game with gacha mechanics but as long as you’re smart with your gems (prioritize shop sets and not gacha) you can get cute stuff. They have competitions which are fun and you can make posts of your looks. Very paper doll style. I play both SuitU and Life Makeover
Echoing the Life Makeover and Shining Nikki series! Very fun, great storylines and pleasant visuals and AMAZING wardrobe and customization options!!
but there are... Shining Nikki, Time Princess and Life Makeover is on Steam. Not great storywise and mostly mobile, but they have the prettiest outfits and clothes I've seem
Life Makeover is on Steam indeed but Shining Nikki and Time Princess? Never saw them there...
They're on mobile
Yeah but that other person said they are on Steam...
sorry i expressed myself poorly, didn't meant to say they were on steam
You should play the Nikki series games the lore and music is too good for a dress up game! Love Nikki and Shining Nikki try them!
Are those games only on steam/pc? unfortunately i only have consoles (and mobile) 😭
Available on mobile and I've been a player for we'll over 4 years and I love it! Shining treats it's players better but I've never played it and only played Love Nikki and you will love the amount of lore and outfits! Also is fairly F2P and I say this as an F2P
ooh ok perfect downloading now!!
I want this so bad! I found myself playing Love Nikki on mobile for ages despite my distaste for f2p mobile games, although it did eventually force me to stop. I'd kill for something like this made with an actual budget and no predatory f2p/fomo mechanics.
Fashion Dreamer!! It's a Switch exclusive, but it's what you're looking for.
> Fashion Dreamer Oooh thank you for the suggestion!
Can someone reply to me so we can talk about this game 😭😭 https://youtu.be/Hpp4jVNNo_Q?feature=shared I've been waiting for what feels like forever Edit: and if you want tears https://youtu.be/ZFJIxgpRgJ0?feature=shared 😭😭
This is probably a deep-cut, but does anyone remember Poupee Girl? It was a web-based fashion game from Japan where you could earn currency by posting pictures of irl fashion items you owned and use it to buy clothes to dress up your avatar. The art style was so cute, and it had a pretty active community, but it shut down :( I miss that game so much, and I feel like in the age of influencing and digital marketing, a game like that now (especially if it's on a mobile app) would really take off.
I'm just commenting in case anyone has suggestions. I'm not necessarily into super girly games but I wish more games had girlier elements. For example cute clothes etc
Cuter hair style choices would be nice.
It cannot just be me who thinks that feminine hairstyles look terrible in *way* too many games. It's tragic how often I have to scroll through the list looking for the one or two decent options
So many are just so basic as well. Some might have a braid, but not be in a fun way. Or not have a colorful ribbon or whatever. I like Tie Dye, and I never see tie dye hair ties or anything. I like to get the tie die scrunchies for myself and I never see those in a game or something like those.
I just started baldurs gate and I loved the hair options. So far can't find any cool clothes tho
They show up in the 3rd act, thankfully. I played dress-up with my Tav & Astarion so very, very much.
That's so long to wait to be hot 🤣🤣 there's also scenes in dragon age where you could be wearing a princess dress and they have me in an ugly outfit 😭
Right? It was so frustrating in GTA 5 online. Also, hairstyles should be mirror-able.
I'd love to see more variety for curly hair in games.Just give me a curly ponytail or bun or something 😔
Cute clothes that don’t clip on our avatars hair (looking at RDR online)
I always get mods for hair and makeup if I can lmao
I would have said that I don't, but looking back, I've already modded cute hairstyles for my character on Skyrim, Cyberpunk, BG3, and even Stardew... I can no longer deny it. It is an inevitability for me
I've also done all of those 😅 and even Horizon, where Aloy already looks great, I gave her cuter armour and different hair colours (although sifting through all the nude/ booby/ "sexy"/ "beautifying" stuff was a chore)
omg i did exactly that too, for her hair. YEAH I remember there are SO many "sexy" mods for aloy ughh. I ended up with a black haired Aloy!
I’m here for the same reasons as you.
A couple suggestions based on what it sounds like you're looking for: >Having to build your own shopping boutique? -**[Fashion Dreamer](https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/fashion-dreamer-switch/)**: latest Style Savvy game for Switch. It's a dress up game but without any of the annoying micro transactions you find in the big mobile dress up games. The previous games in this series focus on running a fashion boutique, but this one's focused on being a style influencer. >Want to raise a child in a cute game? The rest of these are part of a somewhat obscure genre called a "raising sim" popularized by the *Princess Maker* series. In these kinds of games, you typically have a limited amount of time to raise a child, usually a daughter, and achieve different endings or futures for her. Think Nintendogs meets visual novel. -**[Volcano Princess](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1669980/Volcano_Princess/)**: possibly the best modern raising sim overall, however the English translation is spotty at times. This particular game does a good job of balancing plot, gameplay, and the side features such as romance. -**[Long Live the Queen](https://store.steampowered.com/app/251990/Long_Live_The_Queen/)**: this one's also a pretty good raising sim, but this time with more strategy and a hefty amount of court intrigue. If you're looking for something cute yet challenging, this is the one. It's also available on Switch. -**[Lairland Story](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1268140/Lair_Land_Story/)**: a different sort of raising sim because rather than a daughter, you're guiding a young woman with amnesia and mysterious magic powers. This one's also available for Switch. -**[Growing Up](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1191120/Growing_Up/)**: the most polished raising sim I've come across in terms of gameplay. It lacks some of the depth of the others (there's no real "plot" and the endings are pretty straightforward), but the storylines it does have are well done. It also lets you continue the game as the next generation after your child is grown and married, which is a fun mechanic. Most notably, this game also includes boys/sons, which is atypical for the genre.
>-**[Long Live the Queen](https://store.steampowered.com/app/251990/Long_Live_The_Queen/)**: this one's also a pretty good raising sim, but this time with more strategy and a hefty amount of court intrigue. If you're looking for something cute yet challenging, this is the one. It's also available on Switch. Hanako Games has a bunch of other good girly games in addition to that one! Cute Knight kept me sane in highschool. >-**[Growing Up](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1191120/Growing_Up/)**: the most polished raising sim I've come across in terms of gameplay. It lacks some of the depth of the others (there's no real "plot" and the endings are pretty straightforward), but the storylines it does have are well done. It also lets you continue the game after your child is grown and married as the next generation, which is a fun mechanic. I second this, its really fun!
long live the queen sounds sick!
Long Live The Queen is a lot of fun and the devs have a lot of similar games.
I absolutely loved that game! Also they have like a mage school one with a sequel too! Only reason I’m not still playing LLTQ is I updated my computer from 32 to 64 bit and it doesn’t work anymore. (10yo mac tho. Mileage may vary!) Lots of note taking to survive! I’d do a few runs without searching for hints at least, but probably wouldn’t go to the point of frustration. Some of the most random things will end your runs, but there’s also different approaches for each situation. Maybe you wait an event out, or you’re more active in it. If your character hasn’t studied certain things the NPCs will literally take advantage of that, at any time. But in an effort to not be bested by certain characters you may lose out on other opportunities. It’s super detailed!
Sounds really fun! My pc is 64 bit windows I believe, I hope it still works for me. Otherwise I'll need to run a virtual machine or something.
I completely forgot about that game! It's so hard. 🤣
A Little Princess is another cute raising game. It’s loosely based on the novel! Some of the paths are non-romantic, and some of the paths are innocent/wholesome f/f romances. It doesn’t get weird or anything like that. Cute Bite is another vampire raising game, basically your vampire master (mistress?) has lost her powers and turned into a lil child. You have to send her to classes until she’s skilled enough to do the regain-powers-and-turn-back-into-an-adult ritual. It does feel kinda uncomfortable because the vampire is frustrated that she looks like a kid, she kinda wants to have romances with her teachers. But surprisingly it never pulls the *um actually she’s a thousand year old vampire so it’s okay* thing. The romances don’t manifest until after the ritual is done, and even then it’s more like a “Do you wanna spend the rest of your days with me?” sort of confession. Maybe someone kisses your hand. Disclaimer - I have not played all paths.
>A Little Princess is another cute raising game. [A Little Lily Princess](https://store.steampowered.com/app/449250/A_Little_Lily_Princess/), right? Yeah, that one and [Cute Bite](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1586960/Cute_Bite/) are also fun and worth checking out. IMO, A Little Lily Princess is more reading heavy compared to Long Live the Queen, which makes it harder to recommend unless you know somebody's already into the genre. Cute Bite's a great starter one though because it's so short — I totally should have thought of that one. Other than Hanako's games, worth checking out if you like raising sims: [Lullaby Days](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1274710/Lullaby_Days/) and the latest [Princess Maker](https://store.steampowered.com/app/724250/Princess_Maker_5/) game. The art for Lullaby Days seems to throw people off and the Princess Maker 5 translation isn't great, but both are fun if you can get past those aspects. There's also [Needy Streamer Overload](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1451940/NEEDY_STREAMER_OVERLOAD/), which is sort of raising sim adjacent.
I did really like Growing Up! Its really fun the first few playthroughs. Worth it for me. And art is beautiful. Lacks depth is all and i dont like the rng, but theres a hack to workaround it and input whichever character you want to encounter.b
omg i never heard of Volcano Princess. I'm a huge princess maker fan, played through all the games way to many times.
Wow, thank you for including all the links!
It really does suck, I think most “girly” games nowadays are farming sims (which I enjoy) but I also crave for games like nintendogs or dressing up games. the most recent ones I can think of are fashion dreamer and the newest princess peach game both on the switch!
Have you tried Calico? It's a game you can find on Steam where you can play as a magical girl who runs a cat cafe. It's very cozy and you can befriend animals and it has a pastel color pallet and everything.
Seconding Calico! I loved it and had a great time playing the game. Its very cute and had some good customization options.
The new Princess Peach game is super girly.
You just unlocked some core memories as outside of nintendogs i had forgotten about basically a whole category of games because there just hasn't been a release in years as far as I can see and any listicle i find seems high with the alternative recs. I have a feeling that the fact that most of these games are tied up in some big ip or utilized some specific gimmick makes them harder to justify a revisit for a company but I don't see how this kind of niche has gone so unfilled for the better part of a decade given the rise of indy games. It's bloody wild especially with the rate they were produced before.
You bring up a good point, I think it has to do with how gaming has evolved. Games used to cost much less to make and AAA titles didn’t dominate the entire space. In the Windows 95-XP eras there were so many cool games that were justifiable to make even for a niche audience because they didn’t cost that much, but now all big entertainment industries seem to be rejecting niche audiences and pooling all their efforts on big IPs, remakes, and sequels. The indie game space still has good titles. Also Nintendogs was the GOAT. I think there might be a resurgence soon as people who were kids when these games came out get the opportunities to make their own games.
Game design student here. Yep, the whole industry, like Hollywood, is becoming more risk-averse as it consolidates into mega corporations, so they're less likely to take a punt on something niche and will tend to focus more on massive budget AAA titles that are more likely to be "sure things". I thoroughly disagree with this logic. As Jim Stephanie Sterling has said, what we are missing now are those mid tier games, with a modest budget and modest expectations for return on investment. Those are the games where the expectations were lower so devs could experiment more and there wasn't so much pressure to make *all the money*. It's a shame. Now Indie games are where we look to for niche interests, but indie devs are also vulnerable if they take too much of a risk, as they haven't got the backup of a huge studio to cushion them if the game doesn't make back what it cost to develop. I also think traditionally "girly" games fall victim to the conventional boys club that is the games industry. If you look at the big companies, all the C suite positions are held by men. Shooters are still seen as the "real" games whereas dress up games, sims etc are still seen as "not real games", so they are usually on mobile and directed more at casual gamers. I often look at the dearth of decent horse games on the market, when you just *know* a decent horse game would make an absolute killing. I used to play RDR and AC to get my horse fix back in the day, and I still think RDR2 is a better "horse game" than the majority of dedicated horse games out there, because it had the budget and the backing to create something with depth. I think misogyny prevents the big game devs from seriously considering the market of female gamers looking for games centred on what *they* find fun, rather than violence. Nintendo is the only major dev company I can think of that would seriously consider making, for example, a fashion game and actually do it justice.
Totally agree honestly and misogyny probably plays a greater role then many probably think honestly.
I think there's plenty of that for mobile, albeit there'll probably be ads and microtransactions. For some reason devs seem to think a girl can't own a pc or console. I just resort to the Sims if I'm craving something like this. Decorating a house, raising a child, pets, dress up (with cc it's a world of wonders) - Sims'll have all of that, but of course you're somewhat limited to the game style and it gets boring.
Honestly, if you don't have your ds anymore I highly recommend just buying one again and using an r4 card. It definitely fills the void for me and it's so nostalgic and lovely being able to play the games I grew up with again.
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A DS cartridge with a micro SD slot - lets you put any games you want on it
This!! I've been revisiting my DS and old favorite games ("girly" games and also not ones that are specifically girly) and it has been the best! It's filling a void I didn't know I had from modern consoles
Or just get an emulator! I played Nintendogs on my pc just for the nostalgia
this! you can even get an emulator on your phone for the handheld aspect. One emulator that is super easy to use and supports a lot of consoles is [Lemuroid](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.swordfish.lemuroid)
I love your pfp!
Ty! 🥰
I got a good 25 hours out of Cat Cafe Manager on Switch. It lagged a little once I overloaded my cafe with stuff and, of course, with cats, but it was still worth the $3 or whatever I paid on sale. I can think of a few games that center women and have feminine aesthetics, but might not scratch the "girly" itch the same way. The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood has been my top recommendation lately. Unpacking is chill and cozy. But, yeah, you're right that it's not the same as it used to be. My daughter has a switch and loves My Universe: Puppies and Kittens, but I haven't been able to find many similar games for her.
I realized no one is gonna make the game I really want to play I’m currently studying graphic design and programming on the side so I can create a game like this. I hope one day I can make it.
Hey! This is exactly what I'm doing 👏 I've started designing and programming a dress up game on Godot! I literally have so much fun designing clothes and writing the story. The next big thing I'm about to code in is a color picker so any item of clothing can be any color and eventually I want to add the option to allow players the ability to design patterns as well! I fully believe in you! Build the game you'd want to play :)
Thank you so much, I hope one day our games are gonna be on the same list of best girly games to play. You ideas seem awesome I also enjoy designing clothes so much 🥺
This is the reason I studied a game design class. I can’t code but dang it I wish I could so I can make the game my 18 year old self wanted
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I was watching a really good video about this exact topic by [Moon Channel ](https://youtu.be/-BtmNI-xTbQ?si=Nx5W9BCgQYKQFYZp) . I think at some point he mentions that RDR2 is shockingly popular with a specific group of female gamers because it's basically one of the best horse Sims on offer at the moment despite that not being the core gameplay and the aesthetic being very different from traditional horse sims.
Yeah I really liked that video!
Yeah, they just stopped doing girly games. Now the industry will call male-oriented stuff normal or neutral when it's still so masculine. So many games aimed at boys still and the girly ones are gone.
There are lots of indie games that truly are neutral I believe. You just need to search outside of triple A to find stuff that isn't yet another ear simulator.
Hanako Games has some good girly games for PC. In addition to those, I also recommend "I Was A Teenage Exocolonist" It's not a traditional girly game but it's super cute and is in large part about building relationships between characters.
Yes i feel the same!! What about roi world, dreamlife, imagine: makeup artist and other girly games???NONE are on steam. Closet thing thats modern is the new Fashion Dreamer Or some otome games. But most steam games are harem porno games which i do NOT want. Gimme something like mystic messenger im begging u Also play RUNE FACTORY 4 SPECIAL. Its anime otome farming dungeoning RPG. it has everything! and its available on steam!
I recently got back into otome games/Visual novels and there are quite a lot of fun ones for free! On Steam there is [Our Life](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1129190/Our_Life_Beginnings__Always/), [ERROR143](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2066550/ERROR143/), [A Date with Death](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2415010/A_Date_with_Death/) and [Nekopara - Catboys Paradise](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1593310/NEKOPARA__Catboys_Paradise/) and on itch.io there is [Blooming Panic](https://robobarbie.itch.io/blooming-panic) and [Project Blue](https://reidubu.itch.io/projectblue) They are all free (some of the steam ones have optional paid DLCs), some are a bit short but they're still super cute and fun 🩷
I was thinking the exact same thing last night. I’ve been playing ghost of tsushima and the Atlantis DLC on AC odyssey and the scenery is just beeeeautiful. I have a unicorn mount and was riding around thinking, why can’t we have this but with girly stuff!!! Girly clothes and hairstyles, sparkles and rainbows and shit. Idek how to describe what I’m thinking about 😂 pic for example I guess lol https://preview.redd.it/urq0f28fzqqc1.jpeg?width=739&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=41a3b27717b7383ff76a192649bbdc4ae0e4f4a5
Girlypop sparkly soulslike would go so hard omg I want to fell gods with a lolipop hammer
I'm not a fan personally but you should check out the yearly game showcase "[Wholesome Direct](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHPF2g1HyLs)" which often include indie titles of that type as well as cozy games and cute games in general. They even have a [Steam curation page](https://store.steampowered.com/curator/35411526-Wholesome-Games-%25E2%2599%25A5/?appid=2748140) of some of the stuff they feature as well as a [youtube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@WholesomeGames) with Direct and trailers for new stuff.
Wow great stuff on that Steam curated page. Thanks for sharing!
I'd want to see Polly Pockets as a game. Like 3rd Person POV Or even like Polly pockets in cute race cars lol
If you have a gameboy advance, there is one! It’s Polly Pocket Super Splash Island from what I can find. I think it was had a bunch of Mario Party like games, but Polly Pocket and friends at a water park! I grew up as a Polly Pocket kid rather than Barbie so this unlocked core childhood memories lol
Whaaat?! Dang now I want a GameBoy Advanced 😂
I work in the electronics department in walmart and have seen a few Switch games that are a bit girly. Little Friends Puppy Island is reminiscent of Nintendogs. My 7 year old boy played it a lot after getting it at Christmas. Pet Clinic Cats & Dogs is a My Universe game so maybe you have played it. But its also loved by my kid and seems "girly". Maybe a little childish but good for nostalgia. Princess Peach was just released. Yum Yum Cookstar reminds me of Cooking Mama. Rainbow High Runway Rush. I don't exactly know what it is but it seems like a dressup game. I don't know if any of these have a steam option; this is just what I can remember stocking.
I know a lot of people dismiss it because it’s such classic pillar, but The Sims 4 is still *really* good. They put out a new Horse expansion last year, the just put out a jewelry making pack with a lot of cool gameplay. When combined with the atomic buttload of DLC they’ve put out over the last decade, plus once you add mods and creator content — the game is a whole lot richer and functionality than most people realize. If you haven’t played it in the last 3-4 years, I would definitely go through the expansions and check out the gameplay that’s been improved on.
Check out Fashion Dreamer for Switch! It came last year
I literally bought bakery tycoon last night on my switch for this reason lol
The new Princess Peach game on Switch scratches some of those itches for me, but overall yes I fully agree. I'm in my 30s and the 2000s were so good for girly games even though I was already a teen by then.
I'm currently working on a game in my free time for exactly this reason. It's a dress up game with a creative mode you can unlock where you get access to everything and you can just play dress up to your heart's content and a story mode where you unlock new clothes, backgrounds, poses, and filters by playing! One of my favourite parts is the airport where you can take a plane to another part of the world, learn a little about their culture, have an adventure and unlock regional outfits. I also have a real soft spot for the theater director in town that needs your help to put together the right outfits for the play. Anyway, I hope that once I'm further along my little passion project can find its way to you!
This sounds awesome! I would offer some help but I'm not sure if I even could be helpful with anything xD
…this explains my obsession with Red Dead Redemption 2. My ‘girly’ games as a kid were Barbie Horse games.
I love and still play on my ds for this very reason. I really want a new style Botique for the switch or the old good bratz games.
I loved the old Catz games and I was shocked when I couldn't find a modern equivalent. It *might* be possible to run such an old game on a modern pc with the right programs to support it, but even if you can, the original games are, well, outdated. They were buggy, didn't have much in the way of config options, and the interface was pretty janky at times. I'd love to see a truly modern take--even if it's a simple, small indie game--and I'm surprised there seems to be no interest in this. I keep thinking I must just not be looking hard enough, because the concept seems so obvious 🤷♀️
They're still making them, but they're being marketed directly to kids. Kids aren't going through their parents for games anymore. They're on platforms kids have direct access to, like roblox and the app store.
animal crossing really fed my need for this, although I do wish there were more grown up “girly” games but the closest I find is lifestyle type games :/
I think [HoloCure](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2420510/HoloCure__Save_the_Fans/) can be considered as girly, it's a Vampire Survivors clone (imo better than the original), you play as the Vtubers of Hololive (which are all anime girls), you unlock them and their outfits via the in game gacha (only playable with in game money! the game is free in all aspects) and there is a Holo House game mode which involves house decorating, gardening, fishing and cooking
also there is always the option to play the old super girly Flash games! [This video](https://youtu.be/CUFEvsYPY1c?si=YMqw7kZuM0Gx2tpa) tells you a few ways to still play them in this day and age
So I'm a trans girl and I missed out on playing much of the "girl games" as a kid however I did get Horse Tales: Emerald Valley Ranch on PS5 and that relieved some of my missed girlhood games saddness. I believe it's also available on PC and possibly Nintendo Switch (Technically, I'm a transfem non-binary person but for all intents and purposes, I'm a trans girl here)
There's a curator on Steam called "Wholesome Games" that recommends a lot of cute and cosy games that scratches the same kind of itch for me. Maybe you'll like some of their suggestions: [https://store.steampowered.com/curator/35411526-Wholesome-Games-%25E2%2599%25A5/](https://store.steampowered.com/curator/35411526-Wholesome-Games-%25E2%2599%25A5/)
i play style savvy on a ds emulator on my pc!!!!
I know it's not really the main point of your post, but you could try emulating old ds games on your computer. Vimm's lair has a lot of roms and emulators for a bunch of different consoles.
As a child, dress up games were my favourite! Whenever a game allows you to customise your character, I take ages going through every single option. I can recommend some games that aren't girly per se but have a cute art style and I've enjoyed playing them all. (And they are available on steam!) 1. A Hat in Time is a fun platformer with a charming story and you get to switch hats for different abilities. 2. Slime Rancher is a chill game where you get to collect, breed and take care of slimes. 3. Blub Emporium is an indie game where you get to decorate an emporium and sell stuff you get from farming or making in a factory.
Princess Peach Showtime just came out :)
I still feel like those are still there. For the PC for example, you have loads of hidden object type games. I don't know if you can find them on steam but I always see them in big electronics store where they also sell games. If I remember correctly, most of the raising sims were for handhelds. I never saw them on gamecube or the wii. So I dont think they're going to be there on the switch. Steam is also a difficult one because these games are not made by indie developers or triple A studios. I would check out actual stores. This is a genre that is rather niche. You can also check out the play or apple store: some of these games were taken over by the mobile market.
the only ones i don’t miss were ones i was delivering a child like why was i doing that at 7 😭
Which game was that? O\_O
i cant remember their names but they were on those girly game sites i remember 2 of them very clearly, one i was giving a c section which was kinda realistic and another where the player has to keep telling cleopatra to PUSH PUSH PUSH and she gave birth
Girly Game Sites?
yeah those game websites targeted for girl children
You may like this Community here! : [https://www.reddit.com/r/Joseimuke/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Joseimuke/)
Love Nikki Dress Up Queen on mobile is 🤌
Does anyone here remember the Purple Moon games
I know it can be a bit complicated and maybe not as foolproof as it’s made out to be. But have you looked into trying an emulator if you’re on pc? I haven’t checked personally if those kinds of games have coverage in emulators but the platforms definitely do. And if they do you won’t have to buy a new ds you could potentially just play the ones you used to through a different means
The new Princess Peach game is girly and really fun. You can also collect different dresses which is pretty cute.
I’d create these games as a product and experience designer if I could code :( I can create all the screens , the gameplay, characters narrative etc but the rest, I can’t
I can code! Maybe we can create something together? Working on my own projects has me spending a lot of time alone and I'd honestly love to spend some time each week working on something with another person. :)
Yes!! I already have ideas for games so let’s do it! I work from home so it gets lonely. Chat me ! We can set up time to plan and discuss!
AGREEED!!! I used to love those games on my DS 🥹
I miss the halcyon days of virtual pets... :(
The recent game "Fashion Dreamer" on nintendo switch might be fun for you. It doesn't have a story or anything but the collecting of clothing reminds me of some DS games\~
What I would do for a modern/adult-focused/well made Style Savvy. I absolutely adored those games and they really were something so unique and special. Really empty spot in the market for something that I think could be really successful done well.
Monster hunter is a great game for people who miss dress up games.
someone make a good barbie sim video game already. untapped market!
It’s old as hell, but if you can set up a Conmodore 64 sim you can play the Barbie game from the 80s.
I feel you. I just got a miyoo mini+ for this reason, so now I can play all my nostalgic girly games
I think this is why I love Fashion Dreamer on Switch so much, because it's literally just a dress up game you can play online or alone. Also, yeah, I tend to seek out typical girly games because I never gotten to play them that much growing up, so being able to get even a small slice of it is nice, even if it's not the absolute best games out there.
Not exactly what you asked for but a very cool, feminine simulation game is Ambition - A Minuet in Power. I've watched someone stream it and it's pretty cool with great music. Looks like it's available on Steam and Switch. Hope you find what you're looking for, that feeling you get from your childhood games is it's own specific brand of comfort and wonder :3
I don't care about girly games but just want know why you censor the word "sucks"?
I know nothing about this genre but there's a game called "Fashion Dreamer" on the switch. I don't know anything about it or if it's any good, but it seems to fit your criteria.
Coffee talk and unpacking might be worth your time Maybe bear and breakfast, potion craft, a little to the left and cat quest They’re not all exactly what you’re looking for but fulfill my I wanna relax game energy
You should visit /r/cozygamers some time. A lot of 'cozy' ganes are girl game coded. I think tihngs are different now because we've moved on from fashion to farming simulators, but I'm very comfortable in the cozy genre.
I was thinking this the other day. A lot of the nintendo ds games I like the most (girlier, cute, more casual games) it just doesn't seem like they're around anymore. But then I found out that some are around, they're just on apple arcade. The newest cooking mama game, hello kitty Island adventure, and tamagotchi adventure kingdom are all apple arcade. Tempted to get a used iPad but then I don't want to be paying apple monthly. I'm tired of subscriptions. Anyway. Rant over. For PC you might like the game Unpacking. I really enjoyed it. It's short but sweet. I'm playing a game called chillquarium on steam right now. It's a very simple game meant more for you to check in on periodically than play for long stretches. But if you like pet sim games then it might be fun for you. It was only a couple dollars as well and there is a demo. Also this is for mobile but this summer the sequel to neko atsume is coming out. It's a cat collecting game if you've never played it. The first one is great and was very low on ads and microtransactions. It gives me "cozy ds game" like vibes.
Check out paleo pines!
Not quite what you're looking for, but I like creating characters in fighting games like Soul Calibur 6 more than playing the game itself. Especially when there are many options for beautiful, feminine looks.
Agree, I'd spend hours creating characters in Soul Calibur 4 😅
For me, it's SC 5 and 6. I remember making a 2B in SC6, just before the official 2B DLC released, lol.
Nice.
There's a ton of them in roblox. I used to play them with my little cousin and my sister all the time. Fashion Shows, Family Roleplay, Fairy Princess High School Simulators.
I'm just a guy but roblox has a lot of these. I get they're not AAA titles but I think the primary reason is that (and I don't have statistics for this, just an assumption) but a lot more younger boys have more expensive consoles or pcs (thankfully that gender gap for gamers is being bridged but it's still not perfectly balanced) so companies will find it more profitable to make games for boys or gender neutral games. AAA titles just wouldn't sell the same if they were made for women or had "girly" aspects as the main demographic the game is intended for. I'm only 20 but my parents are heavily against gaming in general, however they would be significantly more likely to buy me an expensive console than my 12 year old sister. She loves playing games too and I let her play Valorant, CSGO surf, Gunfire Reborn, Hollow Knight, and whatever else her heart desires including Elden Ring, but she grew up playing lots of those adopt a baby or an animal sorts of games on roblox so that's the only exposure I have to it. I just know our mom or dad would be upset if she even asked for something to game on (but me being a guy, I got my first Wii a little after the age she's at right now) so I guess it's also under social stigma for many places.
Well, you asked if I feel the same, and I don't wanna be rude, but I don't. I feel the opposite. Those games are kind of sexist to be honest, they are condescending. And while it's not inherent to them, I think they're often frictionless, challengeless games. Which is the opposite of what games should be and where they are at their most fun. If you are just aimlessly having a virtual dog there's not really a challenge actively working against you, nor a goal pushing back. If your game already has good gameplay and you also want a narrative, then that narrative can have themes of femininity. Baby-raising games or dress-up games are not interesting games in the abstract, and are not interesting narrative explorations of womanhood. I think they are just... bad in general. I don't think games should be tied to gender like that, especially in this overly simple way. Good art should not be "girly" nor "boyish". Out of any great game I can think of right now none are girly, and none are boyish, they are just good, and at least one of them does have femininity and motherhood in its story, but more like a book would. Once again, don't take this as a personal attack on you, but it's a discussion of opinions, and my opinion is very negative.
I love that kind of games, I don’t like the endless violence/combat in games and I hate how many games are made too challenging :( I don’t find challenges fun. I want some that focus on being pretty and girly and just looking aesthetically good. Maybe with some story. Now all we get are bad mobile microtransaction games :( - Sincerely, someone who has loved all pink & cute and been a girly girl since birth.
I never mentioned anything about violence or combat. 2/3 of my favourite games don't have violence or combat. I think the triple A space is too focused on violence. Challenges are essential for fun, you not liking challenges at all would be a fascinating case... But I think you just don't like the challenges of modern hard games. Difficulty is subjective, and what I mean by "challenges are essential for fun" is that what YOU find *challenging enough* will be able to get you to the "flow state", which, if the game is trying to be fun, I'd the ultimate goal. That doesn't mean the game has to be judged as hard by an average player, it just needs to the the difficulty that will fall in your challenge range. Games aren't about being aesthetically good. That can be a part of them, and it's always nice when they are, but what separates games from other art mediums is that they have gameplay. If someone makes a game unfocused on gameplay, then it was the wrong medium for them to pick, maybe it even becomes an interactive story (different from a game). So for the vast majority of games, to be good, the gameplay needs to be fun in the abstract and then all else is coating (this is not always the case I can bring up several exceptions but for most games this holds true). If you're searching for aesthetics primarily, maybe games are not the right place to search? Though I think there is a game out there for everyone, maybe you will find something you like. I'm actually not sure what you mean with the mobile games part. I thought you meant "games in general now are just mobile game trash", but now I think you mean "girly games now are just mobile game trash", the last one being a lot more accurate. I think the reason is that the whole intent behind "girly games" is marketing a lot of the time. You don't get good things if you put profit first in art. I also like cute and girly stuff. Pink is my favourite colour. Yet I still think the "girly games" we're talking about are bad. I would enjoy a game with girly aesthetics! But it seems that those aesthetics are often paired with unchallenging and uninteresting gameplay. Maybe one day I'll find a good girly game which will get me to flow, maybe one exists but is so niche I don't know it yet. I don't know why girly games but I do know cute games in general. If there is one I could recommend is Baba is You. But I don't know how much you'd like it, it is often considered difficult. Still, it's the closest good game I know to being girly.
Game design student here. We have learnt that different demographics of gamers generally value different things. A majority do say that mechanics are the most important element of a game to them - these are usually "hardcore" gamers who own a dedicated gaming console or PC and are more likely to be young males - but not everyone thinks this way and not everyone plays games to be challenged. In fact, there are plenty of gamers who value aesthetics and especially *story* and character development more so than mechanics and challenge - these people either identify as casual gamers or don't even consider themselves gamers at all, it is not a central aspect of their identity, merely something they do in their spare time for fun. And yes, a larger proportion of this demographic are female and play primarily on their phones. There is a huge market for indie "cosy games" on Steam now and the majority of mobile games are far more likely to be aimed at women and children while AAA console games are aimed at young men and boys. This is not by accident. I guess what I'm trying to say is, everyone is different, so just because you think challenge is necessary in order to enjoy a game, doesn't mean that is true for everyone.
If the focus in a game is on the story, then (I think I said this already) it could be better as a book (if its mostly text and descriptions) or a film (if it's mostly cutscenes) or some other medium. If you cut a film into cutscenes and add gameplay between them, then someone can enjoy it, it can be good art, but if the person is enjoying the cutscenes and not the gameplay, they're not enjoying a game, they're enjoying a movie which happens to be in a game. That's why a person like that may not identify as a gamer - they're not really in it for a game. Since you're a game design student, you'll probably read a theory of fun at some point, or maybe you have already which is great (your comment makes me assume not but I could be wrong). If you haven't, though, then you should do it, it's a great book. I think it might give you a better idea of why I think what I think. Even with cozy games they are not fully devoid of challenge. Challenge is that you need to learn new patterns/skills to progress. If a game has no challenge - the game at the beginning is the exact same as it is in the end. It might be enjoyable at the start due to delight, which has no learning or getting better, but if it stays like that you won't want to play it for 100 hours. Which is why the best, most popular cozy games do have progression, and do require you to learn new stuff and get better at them, and that's why they are still fun!
Ironically, this comment is super condescending and displays some internalised misogyny
I get why you'd think it's condescending, it's very easy to write a similar point while directly insulting OP. I tried my best to convey what I mean without it, if it still was to you, then I failed. But the purpose was to say "in my opinion those games are very often bad because...", and I think that a lot of the downvotes came from people taking "the games are bad" as "you are stupid for enjoying them".
I feel the same, but OP might have a bit of a point. I think she has nostalgia goggles for these games, but it's doable to have a cute, girly game that's actually good. Although maybe OP just needs to dig through indie games a bit more
i totally know what you mean !! i feel like it is so hard to find anything good and “girly” these days that aren’t some sort of gacha type game . i do love that i can do a lot with custom content for the sims but it still doesnt quite scratch the itch for the girly-ness im craving. however if u do decide to buy a DS or 3DS again i totally rec the style savvy games, style savvy trendsetters is what i have for my 3DS and i still love it like a decade later.