Renowned game developer Infold Games made its presence felt at this year’s Game Developer’s Conference (GDC), hosting a series of insightful talk sessions that delved into the creation of its two flagship titles, Love and Deepspace and Infinity Nikki. Infinity Nikki, which debuted globally in 2024, is the studio’s lauded free-to-play open world action-adventure game and the fifth installment in the enduring Nikki series, distinguished by its innovative emphasis on fashion and dress-up mechanics. At GDC, Dodie, the game’s art director, offered a glimpse into Infinity Nikki’s fashion design ethos, elucidating the meticulous process behind crafting the game’s ethereal outfits.
In this piece, we present the complete lecture by Dodie, as shared by Infold Games.
An open world that uses fashion to paint dreams
I cherished daydreaming as a child. Donning a long blanket, I felt like a fairy; draping it over my shoulders, I imagined myself as a wandering swordswoman. Upon joining INFOLD GAMES and grasping its distinctive design philosophy, those childhood feelings resurfaced. I realized that the core of fashion design lies in weaving dreams for those who seek beauty.
For me, Infinity Nikki is an open world where clothing serves as the brush to paint dreams. Unlike its predecessors, the open-world setting crystallizes the backdrop of these dreams, shifting from a hazy blur to a vivid clarity. The outfits act as portals into a dreamscape; don them, and you’re instantly immersed in this “illusion”.
So, how do we “create dreams?” This may seem abstract. Through our ongoing development, we’ve distilled certain dream-weaving techniques, which I’m honored to share on behalf of the Infinity Nikki art team.
“Create dreams,” begins with feeling-based design.
I’d like to discuss “dreams” first. We all dream, countless dreams over our lives. Everyone can recall their most unforgettable dream—the precise moment that comes to mind now. Why does it linger in our hearts?
I believe the answer, like mine, is this: not because the visuals were overwhelmingly rich, but because our hearts were profoundly moved in that moment. Whenever that memory resurfaces, it creates ripples in our souls—perhaps beautiful, warm, or sorrowful—but always stirring and unforgettable. This is my first point: we aim to create “dreams” that touch people’s hearts.
I believe great fashion design isn’t merely about stunning visuals, but about the deeper emotional design and communication it conveys. This is especially true in dress-up games, which feature hundreds or thousands of outfits.
The volume of visual information doesn’t equate to design depth. A design cobbled together haphazardly cannot move the heart; it’s like a flashy but hollow shell, a fleeting dream easily forgotten. Conversely, clothing that stirs our deepest emotions resonates more and makes us desire it. This demands that we construct and amplify “feelings” through design language, from overarching conceptual elements to the lace patterns on cuffs. Only then can those moving “ripples” be translated, layer by layer, into tangible stitches and threads, ultimately weaving a captivating “dream”.
Abstract theory aside, I’ve prepared two outfit examples from Infinity Nikki to illustrate the design thinking behind them. The first is “Behind Prayers.”
The Holy Maiden is wearing her “splendid imprisonment” through “Behind Prayers”
The design genesis for this outfit was a young girl chosen as a Holy Maiden. I’m sure many “Holy Maiden” characters or outfits have come to mind, right? Everyone loves this theme, but how do we make it unique and impactful?
Thus, before sketching, we first discussed with our writers to deepen the lore and establish the main color palette for this dream. The story developed further: this girl was elected by her people, dedicating her life to them, praying endlessly in a high tower. While revered as a Holy Maiden seems auspicious, she lost her freedom. A hint of sorrow and weight, wouldn’t you say? Now we have the first thread to weave this dream.
The Holy Maiden’s status brings her worldly honor, but it’s also a heavy chain of confinement. To convey this “splendid imprisonment,” the art team embraced maximalism in the overall design. The Holy Maiden is draped in layered, heavy garments, adorned with lavish and intricate artificial decorations, dazzling yet immensely burdensome.
The entire outfit employs an elegant pale gold as its main color, accented with delicate lace and complex embroidered patterns, using heavy fabrics of varying textures to create rich layers.
The hat design draws from Byzantine styles, creating a dazzling golden holy crown studded with fiery gemstones. At the back, we added a long trailing veil connected to the crown. The piece uses a layered tulle technique, fully covered in gorgeous gold-stamped patterns and adorned with ruby-inlaid beaded chains, creating a voluminous and draped visual effect.
To make the Holy Maiden more majestic and mysterious without obscuring her face, the face veil was crafted from pearls. The dangling pearls resemble tears silently sliding down her face; this touch of sorrow reflects both her compassion for the world and lament for her own fate.
The metal cage dangling at her wrist is the most direct symbol of a “shackle” in this outfit. Its design is exquisite yet cold, swaying at her wrist like delicate handcuffs, yet the cage is empty. We aimed to express the Holy Maiden’s inner yearning for freedom through this negative space; even in splendid imprisonment, her soul has long escaped the cage.
For the shoes, the “shackle” motif transforms into ornate gemstone decorations, layering and intertwining around the ankle. The heel features a hollowed-out structure with a sharp blade inserted diagonally, evoking fragility and unease, as if on the verge of collapse.
Additionally, to immerse players in the dream, when this outfit is equipped in-game, Nikki performs a sequence that echoes the concept vividly. This replaces conventional poses that mainly showcase clothing details, further expressing the outfit’s narrative and emotional design.
Designing the tragic fate of a scarred but resilient Goddess with “Born Flawless”
Next is another outfit, “Born Flawless.” Its starting point was the “Daughter of a God.” A Goddess—a familiar concept. We think of various goddesses in mythology: gentle, solemn, beautiful, but perhaps a bit conventional, right?
So, similarly, we first had an extended lore discussion with our writers, and we uncovered a crucial “thread”: the daughter of the god is an unknown deity who, from birth, bears the suffering and pain of her land. The immediate feeling is sorrow from an ill-fated existence, but we wanted a deeper expression. So, we shifted our perspective to view this story anew.
Mido