S3 E2 Episode Title: From Prototype to Princess Seams for Dressmaker with Sabrina Becker and Jonathan Hau-Yoon
Overnight success stories rarely happen overnight, and Dressmaker – one of September 2026’s Top 12 Steam New Releases – is a perfect example of intention and insight leading to an eventual overnight success. In this joyful episode, Dressmaker co-creators Jonathan Hau-Yoon, technical artist with successful credits including Broforce and Terra Nil and Sabrina Becker, former costume designer turned Creative Director for Dressmaker, join us just weeks after their wildly successful launch to walk us through their journey from breakout itch.io prototype to global creative phenomenon. This is also a unique look at a partnership that goes beyond game development, as Jonathan and Sabrina are partners outside the office as well. Their candid discussion about navigating a relationship while creating an indie game is truly inspiring. This is also a deeply personal episode, as we explore how Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome – a condition Enduring Play creator and host Cheryl Platz also lives with – interrupted Sabrina’s costume design career but sent her down the path that led to Dressmaker. For anyone who has struggled to balance disability and development, this conversation is a must-listen. As if that wasn’t all, we also explore a last-minute pivot that saw the Dressmaker team abandoning plans to release a demo to this fall’s Steam Next Fest – find out why, and how they adapted their approach instead. Other topics include the power of self-expression in gaming, specific game design and production choices on the Dressmaker journey, game narrative, constructive pushback in creative environments, the South African game development community, and so much more.
Listen Now: Season 3 Episode 2
Enduring Play Season 3 Episode 2 Transcript
AI disclosure: While no AI is used in the production of this podcast aside from background removal on some guest photos, Otter.ai is used to assist in transcription of these episodes as I have a physical disability that would prevent manual transcription in time for broadcast. I review these transcripts to catch major inaccuracies, but they may still be somewhat inaccurate. Please report major issues to info@ideaplatz.com.
Featured in this Episode:
Sabrina Becker, Co-Creator of Dressmaker
Sabrina has a background in costume design. Her career path was interrupted by the progression of her Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. She has since redirected her passion through working on Dressmaker as its creative director.
Jonathan Hau-Yoon, Co-Creator of Dressmaker
Jonathan has been working in the game industry since 2010, primarily as a tech artist. He has worked on seven consecutive hit games, including Broforce, Fortnite, BAFTA-nominated Terra Nil and viral sensation Dressmaker.
Show Notes
Episode Outline
| Level | Timestamp | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Demo Level | 00:27 | Episode preview content |
| Podcast Start | 3:01 | Introductions |
| Tutorial Level | 5:33 | Itch.io |
| Level 1 | 06:16 | The Power of an Early Prototype |
| Tutorial Level | 08:41 | Motivators of Play |
| Level 2 | 09:49 | Transitioning to Internal Development |
| Narrative Cutscene | 11:21 | The saga of Free Lives |
| Level 3 | 12:40 | A Prototyping Partnership |
| Level 4 | 14:21 | From Prototype to Production Overnight |
| Narrative Cutscene | 15:04 | The Definitely Not Married Couple |
| Level 5 | 16:19 | Flexible Working Environment |
| Tutorial Level | 17:52 | Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome |
| Level 6 | 19:15 | From Disability to Dressmaker Designer |
| Level 7 | 23:04 | Discovering Healing Through Passionate Purpose |
| Level 8 | 26:28 | Paving the Way for Self-Expression |
| Host Commentary | 29:36 | Workplace Inclusion |
| Level 9 | 29:55 | Supporting immersion and companionship through narrative |
| Host Commentary | 33:44 | Shared goals for decision-making |
| Level 10 | 34:11 | Opening the door to really, really good words |
| Level 11 | 39:55 | Embracing the scope of linear storytelling |
| Host Commentary | 42:12 | The Spilled Tea |
| Tutorial Level | 47:04 | Storylets |
| Level 12 | 48:09 | Constructive pushback in creative spaces |
| Level 13 | 51:20 | What’s next if not Next Fest? |
| Level 14 | 55:30 | Launching with the community |
| Level 15 | 57:51 | Private playtests as content incubators |
| Level 16 | 58:49 | The joy of creativity is for everyone |
| Level 17 | 1:01:21 | Making space after launch |
| Boss Level | 1:02:34 | Building a thriving South African game dev community |
| Bonus Level | 1:09:14 | Advice for our past selves |
| Final Level | 1:11:06 | Links and follow-up |
Jonathan and Sabrina’s Links
| Description | Link |
|---|---|
| Free Lives Dressmaker Official Page (Game) | https://freelives.net/games/dressmaker/ |
| Free Lives Official Page (Developer) | https://freelives.net/ |
| Dressmaker on Steam | https://store.steampowered.com/app/4019220/Dressmaker/ |
| Dressmaker on itch.io | https://elyaradine.itch.io/dressmaker |
| Cozy Lives Games on TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@cozylivesgames?lang=en |
| Cozy Lives Games on Instagram | https://instagram.com/cozylivesgames/ |
| Dressmaker Discord | https://discord.gg/Dressmaker |
| Engadget Indie Pitch: Dressmaker | https://www.engadget.com/2264203/engadget-indie-pitch-dressmaker/ |
| The Makers Massive | https://www.instagram.com/makersmassive/?hl=en |
| Playtopia Festival | https://playtopiafestival.co.za/ |
| Gamesindustry.biz: A Broforce to be Reckoned With | https://www.gamesindustry.biz/a-broforce-to-be-reckoned-with |
Supporting Materials
| Game Development Strategy Guide Chapter 1: What Makes Us Play (The Motivators of Play) | https://rosenfeldmedia.com/sample-chapter-game-development-strategy-guide/ |
| Wikipedia: Free Lives | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_Lives |
| Ehlers-Danlos: What is Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome | https://www.ehlers-danlos.com/what-is-eds/ |
| Emily Short Blog: Storylets | https://emshort.blog/2019/11/29/storylets-you-want-them/ |
| Steam Next Fest | https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/marketing/upcoming_events/nextfest |
Games Mentioned
A mention of a game is not an endorsement. Check ratings before playing. Mature games are not directly linked, but can be copy pasted; please use discretion.
| Game | Release Year | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Dressmaker | 2026 | https://freelives.net/games/dressmaker/ |
| Terra Nil | 2023 | https://store.steampowered.com/app/1593030/Terra_Nil/ |
| Broforce [Mature Audiences] | 2015 | https://store.steampowered.com/app/274190/Broforce/ |
| Gorn [Mature Audiences] | 2019 | https://store.steampowered.com/app/578620/GORN/ |
| Genital Jousting [Mature Audiences] | 2018 | https://store.steampowered.com/app/469820/Genital_Jousting/ |
| Hades | 2020 | https://store.steampowered.com/app/1145360/Hades/ |
| Hades II | 2025 | https://store.steampowered.com/app/1145350/Hades_II/ |
| Get Yoked | TBD | https://gregs-games.itch.io/get-yoked-2 |
| Fossil Quest | 2027 | https://gx.games/games/4xw39e/fossil-quest/ |
The Game Development Strategy Guide
Enduring Play is the companion podcast to The Game Development Strategy Guide: Crafting Modern Video Games that Thrive. Season 1 features the interviews that inspired the book, and Season 2 expands our understanding of how to create sustainable gaming experiences. The book is available at all major online booksellers and at publisher Rosenfeld Media’s website.
Use code ENDURINGPLAY2026 at RosenfeldMedia.com to get 15% off your order – and all physical orders at Rosenfeld Media receive a free ebook. Podcast Bonus Episode offer expires December 15, 2026.
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