Logan Skrzypek ‘27, Student Life Editor
Dress to Impress (DTI), a new and trending fashion/dress-up game, has been gaining popularity on a popular, free-to-play video game platform known as Roblox—a hub where developers can let their game ideas roam free, and is open to a variety of players online who wish to play their games. DTI allows you to become the fashion icon of your dreams, combining clothing, makeup, and other accessories to then strut your way down a runway. Players compete to gain the most votes out of the competition, attempting to create an outfit based on a theme presented for each round in-game; players only have five minutes and 25 seconds to finish their outfit.
On the runway, players can vote using stars for the opinionated overall impression of each outfit of the round. Users can also make the character perform different poses to assist in showcasing their outfit to competing players in attempts to gain stars from voters. Once all players have gone through the voting process, players receive their results. The top three outfits will be placed on a podium with the rest of the player’s voting statistics appearing shortly after. Players can also pay for in-game bonuses such as the ability to walk faster, create their own custom makeup, and have a wider catalog of outfits to choose from in the VIP section; all of the bonuses can be paid using Roblox’s in-game currency known as Robux. Sounds simple enough, right? How could a game so simple gain so much popularity in such a short span of time? What about the game makes it different from other fashion games online?
DTI stands out from various other games similar to it, such as IT GIRL and Fashion Famous, for quite a lot of reasons. Every piece of clothing can be customizable, from the color or pattern to the overall fit and design. Players can use this to their advantage as they use in-game patterns and techniques to create a complex outfit that would likely gain their way up to the top of the podium. This is what originally caused the game to receive such positive outlooks from players alike, and then find its way onto big social media platforms such as YouTube and TikTok. Coinciding with the viral content posted online, many celebrities and social media influencers have stated their opinion on the game, posting videos of them playing the game as well. One celebrity, however, by the name of Charli XCX, collaborated with the game to promote the release of her new album, brat. New outfits inspired by the theme of her album were added to the game, causing a huge outburst of popularity online. Not only did Charli XCX’s album receive positive reviews, but DTI as a whole did as well.
Today, the game has over 3.2 billion visits and around 250,000 concurrent users almost every day. DTI itself has brought many new players onto Roblox, creating around $1 million in revenue every month from DTI alone. Junior Maggie McCormick stated, “The game is really fun and I enjoy playing with friends. DTI got really popular during the summer, but I think it’s falling off a bit due to kids being in school now. The game became such a sensation that I played the game in real life with friends at a dance function. It’s definitely a lot more fun for a younger audience.”
Tagging along with McCormick’s statement, Sophomore Gemma Klett also remarked on the topic and said, “I really like the game, but I wish that more of the items within the game were more accessible to people who didn’t buy VIP. I just wish the game had more free-to-play aspects. I also wish that there was more diversity in the game, like different body types for example. But, the game is really fun the way it is currently.” Overall, DTI has become one of the biggest and most trending fashion games in video game history. Try the game out today using this URL: https://www.roblox.com/games/15101393044/Dress-To-Impress.
Lyon Life 