Game ideas from fans

Here are some ideas for games from our fans on Facebook:
1. More anime games, more characters, not just Naruto, Pokemon and Sailor Moon.
2. Shugo Chara dress up game. Looks like Shugo Chara is a good subject for a game!
3. Halloween couples game. I'm talking to someone about making a Halloween couples game but I'm not optimistic it will be ready by Halloween. Or ever....

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Will I reject a game if the site it is on doesn't have a nice design?

Thanks Tudi for asking a good question! :) There are a few things that fall under site design that will make me reject a game:

1. Advertising. It is a fine line but if the user has to read instructions in small letters to go from the ad to the content is currently where the line is for me right now. A game has to be pretty good for me to accept if there is a long ad followed with a "click here to contine" in tiny letters under the ad. This, to me, is trying too much to trick the user into clicking the ad instead of the content. (Also, my mail gets flooded with messages telling me that the link doesn't work ;)

2. Game embedded too small. It really bugs me if a game that is made for 800x600 is reduced to 400x600 too make room for other content, usually ads. What a shame. :(

3. Main content way below the folder. Yes, websites need navigational system and they need ads to survive, but having to scroll below the folder to find the actual content is just plain frustrating.

I don't remember anything else at the moment. I never reject a site for having an ugly layout or anything like that. I'm all about usability, a studen of the Jakob Nielsen school of web design. By the way, his article on fresh vs. familiar is a must read for web designer!

What type of games am I looking for?

I was recently asked by a webowner what I look for in games I choose to link to. It's a perfectly understandable question from someone who wanted his own games to get more coverage on Dressupgames.com. I told him I couldn't possibly answer that question on the spot but promised to blog about it later. After thinking about it for days here is my answer; I can't answer that!! :) For me there are so many things I look at and I've been doing it for so long I just can't possibly put it down in words. For me it's like writing down what I'm looking for in a song to put on my ipod! But I do want to help so feel free to ask me questions about particular games, maybe games I have rejected or ask for reviews!

Dress up game tutorial with snap-on coding explained

I've never programmed a dress-up game but this makes me want to! Check out the Advanced DressUp Game tutorial by BonnieMcBop!

Review: Rock Chick Maker by Doll Divine

The game is Rock Chick Maker by Doll Divine. This game has two of my favorite things; a fun theme (rock star) and a huge wardrobe! Sure, the clothes are cookie cutter (the same piece in lots of colors) but this is an example of where cookie cutter works best, especially since the color palette is so well chosen. Besides the basic black and white you have bright colors that go together and more muted darker tones that go together. I really like how the clothes are layed out and you can click on them to dress her, it's quick and precise. The selection of wests, wraps and ties is really good, I can never have too much stuff to layer and add-on! My favorite thing in this set are the background options, they're really spot on! She's a rock star so of course you want to able to decorate the stage with light effects, backgrounds and screaming fans ;)
Pros: fun theme, large selection of add-ons and extras
Cons: would have been nice to have more styles of clothes

Review: Celtic priestess dress up by SmallDressUp.com

The game is Celtic Priestess Dress Up Game by SmallDressUp.com. First of all, I was skeptic before I opened up the game. I have to admit I don't know what a Celtic Priestess is, is it a fantasy term or based on actual religion? A quick Google search suggest a bit of both which is enough motivation for me not to link to it as I try my best to avoid anything religious and political. The doll itself (the base) is nicely done if a little demure in her pose and those are not the type of underwear I would pick for a priestess ;) The hairstyles are really nice. My favorite piece of clothing is the brown and beige top with the braids which I could match with two pants. There are enough clothes to make the games fun and playable but if the colors had been more carefully chosen they would have matched so much better and made much more variations of outfits possible. If this had been my game I think I would have changed the theme to a
Pros: doll and hairstyles well done, original idea in a field that is often repetitive
Cons: idea a little too original, clothes don't match well together