Does the heart of a designer beat deep inside of you? Maybe you watch shows and read magazines about makeovers and tell yourself, "I can do that too." Well, in the world of Design Games you sure can!
Whether it's a home project, gardening or fashion design, you can find a game that is a delight to play.
This article highlights ten great Design Games based on their graphics, ease of use, objectives and rewards. Note that most of them were created for the Android and iOS systems. But thanks to Emulators like BlueStacks, you can also enjoy them on your PC!
Let's discover the world that Design Games has to offer:
10. Redecor - Home Design Game
Released in 2020 by Reworks Ltd.
Available on PC through Microsoft.
Also available on HoloLens.
Redecor is a great game which offers two types of challenges. In regular Challenges you design a room which is then judged by other players for positions 1-10. Podium winners (1st - 3rd), receive a box of free items. But no worries - every position collects different amounts of coins.
You can also enter Design Duels with another random player. You get to see their completed room and compare your design before you submit. The winner receives coins which can be used to purchase more design items.
Some challenges can only be opened based on your Design Status. There are ten status levels which start at Fresh and go up to the coveted Legend! Earn more podium finishes and you'll climb the ladder faster.
You should play Redecor if you:
- Enjoy learning about various interior decorating terms, techniques and trends.
- Want to find great ideas for your own home decor from paint options and floor decor to artwork and pillow accessories.
- Love one on one battles for the chance at domination.
- Enjoy earning rewards and free items to help you with future designs.
Redecor Gameplay:
Redecor's Official YouTube Channel
9. Design Home - Real Home Decor
Released in 2016 by Crowdstar Inc.
Isn’t she a beauty? One of my own five star designs!
Design Home (DH) is a great blend of Fiction and real life. Let's talk Fiction first.
There are many challenges to keep you designing for hours. Players vote on designs that they like in order to earn keys which are used to enter other challenges. If you don't want to vote you can pay to enter the challenges with diamonds.
Another part of DH is the 'My Homes' section. When you submit challenges you collect tiny homes which are used to unlock rooms in your own houses in 'My Homes'. Earn rewards and Designer Value as you unlock and finish designing your own dream homes.
And now for the real life part: There are 3D rendered items in Design Home from well known brand names like Burke Home and West Elm. For some challenges players receive DH inspired offers to buy home decor online. At a discount!
Here are five great reasons to play this game:
- Design Home gives you lovely ideas for designing your own home, from styles and materials to brands and patterns.
- You can purchase real life items for your home at discounted prices.
- You receive thousands of diamonds with DH inspired purchases which you can use back in the game to help with future designs.
- If you don't know how to budget, Design Home can teach you how to balance necessity and luxury with what you can afford.
- You can collect free diamonds and keys each day just for opening the game to play again.
Design Home - Real Home Decor Gameplay:
Design Home - Real Home Decor Gameplay
8. Home Design Makeover
Released in 2018 by Storm8 Studios.
Did Julia lose Troy’s hammer?
If you like designing and helping people this game is right up your alley! In Home Design Makeover, you’ll join Troy and Julia in helping different clients realize their design dreams.
In order to purchase design items, you need to play Match 3 puzzles and earn coins. The game has super easy instructions with pictures that even a four year old can follow. As the levels increase so do the degrees of difficulty as you solve puzzles within a limited number of moves.
You’ve earned enough coins to design. So what’s next? You purchase an item for design where you’re given three options to choose from.
And the beautiful thing about this game? Even after you buy an item you can still go back and change it to one of the other options if you want to. Free. Of. Charge!
There are lots of Match 3 puzzles out there, but here’s one way Home Design Makeover is different. As you match tiles and make combos the value of the tiles increases. This helps you to achieve your goals faster and earn more bonuses.
Take a look below at my own completed room in The Living Room Disaster.
Not a disaster anymore.
Choose this game if you:
- Want to improve critical thinking skills when playing puzzles.
- Enjoy storytelling and being part of the story as you play and make designs.
- Love to help others and want a chance to do the same in this game.
Home Design Makeover Gameplay:
Home Design Makeover Gameplay
7. Home Design: Caribbean Life
Released in 2019 by CookApps.
The sunbed on the left is mine. Which one is yours?
When you think of the Caribbean what comes to mind? The beaches and plant life? Maybe, it’s the music. Home Design: Caribbean Life has that and more in this design game.
I was super excited when I found this game. And the reason why? I’m from the Caribbean; from Barbados to be exact.
I couldn’t wait to see how they took a design game and gave it a touch of Caribbean flair. Let me walk you through it.
In this game you have clients needing design help but this time their homes are on different Caribbean islands. What’s really cool is that at the start of each client’s challenge a Caribbean map appears and homes into the island being featured. I haven’t found Barbados yet but I’ll keep playing and see what happens!
The music has a more Latin feel and the graphics show those crystal clear waters the Caribbean is famous for. There are also lots of palm trees and beautiful skies which help with the game’s vibe.
You have two interior decorators, Jennifer and Kevin, who introduce you to clients and help you remodel. This too is a Match 3 puzzle game. You play puzzles and earn coins. These coins are used to purchase items for designing.
But here’s how this game is different from other design games: You still have three items to choose from but they can have different prices! This means that you have to select carefully when designing or you’ll end up spending more money if you change your mind later.
You should play this game if you:
- Want to learn more about the Caribbean islands and their locations on a map.
- Enjoy the challenge of budgeting as you make design choices.
- Love helping people make their dreams come true.
Design Home: Caribbean Life Gameplay:
Design Home: Caribbean Life Gameplay
6. Gardenscapes
Released in 2016 by Playrix.
Available on PC through Microsoft:
Versions also available on HoloLens and Hub.
Your dog, your game.
It’s such a great day. We should step out of the house for a bit. So all of you HGTV and Alan Titchmarsh fans, here’s your chance to create masterpieces in Gardenscapes.
This is another Match 3 puzzle game. But instead of designing a house you will be remodeling a garden.
Your garden is full of weeds and broken furniture. It’s dark and depressing. It needs a serious touch up which only you can do.
Did I mention that you have a dog? So you get to name him and watch him explore the garden as you do landscaping. You also meet different characters who help you complete tasks in the garden.
You plant flowers and trees, build treehouses and dog houses, of course. You also fix bridges, build stepping stones and pretty fountains.
Gardenscapes has mini games and tasks which help you to earn more bonuses. These bonuses go a long way in helping you purchase materials for your garden. The many different activities keep the game interesting and give you plenty to do.
Choose this game if you:
- Love watching gardening shows and want to have your own personal platform in Gardenscapes.
- Want to get great ideas for your own gardens at home.
- Enjoy puzzles and want to improve your critical thinking skills.
Gardenscapes Gameplay:
Tour of Completed Gardens - Gardenscapes Gameplay
5. Property Brothers Home Design
Released in 2019 by Storm8 Studios.
Available on PC through Microsoft.
Can you tell who is who?
It’s time to come in from the garden and get back to our home designs. And who better to continue with than this duo? Fans would recognize Drew and Jonathan from Property Brothers on HGTV.
The TV show is really cool and so is the design game. Property Brothers feels like an extension of the TV Show. But this time instead of just observing the twins, you are a part of the team like the long lost triplet!
Property Brothers is a Match 3 puzzle game. You complete puzzles and win coins which are used to purchase furniture and other accessories like lamps, rugs and table decor. The game has easy instructions to follow as you walk through an unfinished project with the brothers.
Then it’s game on as you play, earn and design on your own. The brothers give advice and tips as you decorate which are useful and informative.
The game gives you a To Do List with great rewards for completing them. You also collect coins and bonuses which help with future puzzles. You’ll need them because some of these puzzles are downright challenging!
Play this game if you:
- Enjoy the TV Show and want to be personally involved in your own design story with Drew and Jonathan.
- Are fascinated by twins and want to feel like part of the team as you play with them.
- Like to exercise your brain with challenging puzzles.
- Enjoy interior design and the thrill of turning the shabby into chic.
Property Brothers Home Design Gameplay:
Property Brothers Home Design Gameplay - Living Room
4. Covet Fashion
Released in 2013 by CrowdStar.
Available on PC through Microsoft
Rock it, ladies!
Let’s enter the world of fashion design now. Here we have Covet Fashion, a fun, casual ‘dress up’ game which can keep you busy for hours.
In this game you enter challenges with specific clothing or accessories needed. Voters decide on their favorite designs and you earn a rating. Once you earn at least 4 stars you receive a special prize. A 5 star rating earns you a better reward.
What’s lovely about the game is that you can change the model's ethnicity, hair type, hair color and make up options. You can look like ‘you’ if you want to, which makes the game feel more personal. Covet Fashion also keeps up with real life events and sets challenges around famous females and events in history and current time.
Clothing changes with the seasons and you earn bonuses for only wearing the current season's clothing. You also score bonuses for wearing new items.
The game offers props like flowers, balloons and cellphones. These give your model that extra flair which can help you earn that coveted 5 star rating.
You can join a Fashion House and borrow one piece of clothing or accessory a day. This is a lifesaver for Coveters who can’t afford that one article of clothing for their challenge.
Play this game if you:
- Love fashion design and want the chance to create your own designs for prizes.
- Enjoy a good story. Each challenge has a short backstory. And some players are allowed to make up the backstory on occasion. The winning one is used for the challenge!
- Enjoy community. You can get fashion tips and advice from your Fashion House which can help your next design shine.
- Want to learn more about real life fashion brands and trends. Some are featured in the game.
Covet Fashion Gameplay:
COVET Fashion - Official Game Trailer
3. SimCity: Build It
Released in 2014 by Electronic Arts (EA).
If only we really owned it.
SimCity: BuildIt is a delight to play. You are the Mayor of a city that needs to be developed. Building and progress encourage residents to move in and your job is to keep them happy.
The aerial view is magnificent and full of bright colors and cool graphics. As you build roads you see cars drive along, stop lights change color and little people walk around the town. In SimCity you watch the scene change from night to day and back again.
As Mayor, you build factories which produce materials like steel and wood which are used to develop the town. You are given tasks to complete in order to earn coins and other bonuses.
The townspeople have opinion bubbles which tell you what they need. You must keep track of how happy they are and do your best to keep the town growing and thriving. If not, they'll move away and that will affect your City.
Play this game if you:
- Love building and construction and want the chance to make your own city, your own way.
- Enjoy games of strategy which can help improve critical thinking skills.
- Want to practice patience. This game is a slow burn especially if you don’t have much funds. But if you stick with it, and slowly get your materials and build, you’ll be satisfied with your city.
SimCity: BuildIt Gameplay:
Sim City BuildIt Gameplay - Best Items To Sell
2. Pocket Styler: Fashion Stars
Released in 2021 by Nordcurrent Games.
Fierce!
In their own words, Pocket Styler is, “When fashion meets games.”
One of the first things I noticed was how the models stand. They don’t face head on and look 2D like other fashion design games. Instead, they pose at an angle and have more depth.
The materials, color combinations and patterns are almost endless.You win gems and cash which are used to purchase items. Four star and five star ratings earn greater rewards.
Apart from regular challenges, there are special events. You might dress up special ladies of Manhattan for great prizes. Perhaps, a friend is visiting and you dress up to paint the town.
No matter what is happening there is a story, a style and surprises to be grabbed.
Choose this game if you:
- Have a brand that you want to market. The items can be shared on social media and players can visit your e-store.
- Love surprises.The game offers surprises like tickets during challenges which help you earn great prizes.
- Want great ideas on fashion trends or for events you need to attend.
- Enjoy storytelling. There are many stories in the game that you become part of as you design.
Pocket Styler Gameplay:
Pocket Styler Gameplay
1. Project Makeover
Released in 2020 by Magic Tavern, Inc.
Talk about a transformation!
This game has it all - style, fashion, puzzles, prizes and a villain. Yes, a villain in this cute fashion design game which makes it an all-rounder in my books.
We meet the stylist team who helps desperate people in need of a makeover. Some look downright beastly. Others are worn out and it shows. They are waiting for you to lead the team as the Director.
Cue the villain, Greta. Greta is the previous Director but she’s cruel and the killer of self-esteem. Angry about being fired, she tries to leave clients in their old state while you make sure their makeover is complete.
How do you do this? You play puzzles and earn coins to purchase clothing, pay for makeup and redesign hairstyles. At times mystery boxes appear with free items.
In between puzzles and makeovers you can track Greta’s movements so that you can foil her plans.
You also earn access to the Director’s room. You have an avatar which you can transform to your liking. Use the cash you win to upgrade your avatar’s clothes, makeup and room.
Here are three great reasons to play this game:
- The producers offer partnerships to players for marketing. If you have a brand you can get 2D or 3D rendering for use in the game. That’s great advertising right there!
- You get to be the hero of the various stories and beat the wicked villain.
- If you like helping people, you can get the satisfaction of watching clients transform because of you.
Project Makeover Gameplay:
Project Makeover Gameplay
And that’s it from me. I hope you are inspired by this article to try a design game if you haven’t as yet.
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