The dress up games of the early 2000s are central to my memories and are how I first got into gaming, so looking back on these games brings back a wave of nostalgia. Stardoll, My Scene, Barbie Makeover Studioand console classics like Style SavvyThe 2000s was a time when my childhood was mirrored in gamified form.
Many of these dress-up game websites have been shut down for a long time. The 404 errors are a grave marker of the past that I sometimes, for a moment, fondly reminisce about. It seems I’m not the only one who feels this way. Content creators on TikTok and Instagram are bringing back the good old days, recreating the dress-up game experience of the 2000s in short videos. I couldn’t be happier.
NPC Makeup Trends
One social media star at the forefront of the dress-up game style wave is Nyane, who boasts 2.2 million followers and over 50 million likes on TikTok alone. Her NPC make-up content features bright, eye-catching looks that viewers are encouraged to help either “make” or erase, and is brimming with comments nostalgic for “girl games” from long ago.
Her soothing voice, high production values and custom cursors evoke memories of coding old homepages with the most visually stunning widgets and add-ons. It’s like going back to the old family PC, accumulating god knows how many viruses and clicking makeup and outfit combinations to your heart’s content. Nyane herself has even responded to comments about her content being similar to My Scene and spoke of her love for it, so it’s clear where the inspiration comes from.
But Nyane isn’t the only content creator leaning into the nostalgia and “NPC vibe” of dress-up games. Pinkydoll, who rose to fame in 2023 for her TikTok livestreams of NPCs reacting to various “gifts” from viewers, is also jumping on the makeup game trend. On social media Instagram, mamadeenaofficial launched her makeup game series in late March and has seen a surge in popularity ever since. Monster Highis a Nyan-inspired video themed around the theme, giving the iconic character a gaming-style makeover.
Domino effect
It’s clear from the comments that audiences are resonating with this kind of “girls’ game” nostalgia content. Even people born long after the wave of dress-up browser games is a distant memory seem to be flocking to this content. To me, these brightly colored games, because they are so feminine in their presentation, felt much more relatable than the teenage boys’ gaming blockbusters of the same era. As a 7-year-old in 2004, I Stardoll And games like this one became a gateway to other games. Pokémon EmeraldThese games helped me get a job covering video games 20 years later, and it’s dizzying to think of the domino effect these games have had on my life, but maybe that’s why this kind of content is so compelling.
@jessicajehaa Let’s put on some makeup💗 Ps : ternyata cape bgt editnyaaa 😭 Ib @Nyane @Tasya Farasya #npcmakeup#makeupchallenge#makeupgame#gayaditiktok♬ Romantic – ADTurnUp
Just like the warm feelings that come from replaying a remastered version of your favorite childhood game, TikTok creators often bring long-forgotten happy memories to life in HD clarity. We imagine replaying these remastered versions of classic makeup and dress-up games will evoke the same feelings of nostalgia that these videos do.
The popularity of this NPC dress up game content doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon – many of these creators have been producing videos for months now, and fans of stylish Get Ready With Me content have been tuned in religiously (I’m one of them).
I will continue to kick back each evening watching social media stars get ready while listening to soothing background music and commenting on my fashion choices. In another era, 20 years ago, little Emily was doing the same thing. At the very least, she would be happy to know that indulging in this little joy of ours continues well beyond childhood.
Note: This article was originally published on April 8, 2024. It has since been updated.
Images: Nyane, mamadeenaofficial
