Growing up, I was a simple girl – put a computer in front of me, and I’d waste the entire day away playing dress-up or makeover browser games. It looks like nothing has changed in that regard, since it only took me about 10 minutes of playing Infinity Nikki to become completely engrossed. The open-world gem is a follow-up to Papergames’ beloved series of mobile titles spanning over 12 years, and arguably the best Nikki game yet.Headed by former Breath of the Wild dev Kentaro Tominaga, Infinity Nikki is unsurprisingly gorgeous, from its breathtaking scenery to the glittery outfits adorning the titular character herself. In fact, the game’s visuals are what managed to snag my attention first when I played. The crystal-clear droplets of water, shimmering fabric on gowns, and dynamic lighting are nothing to scoff at, after all – and it’s all just as good in action.Reigniting my passion for fashion Dressed to impress Open-world dress-up game Infinity Nikki feels like the perfect chilled out adventure, and I already worry about how many hours I’m going to spend in its photo modeOnce I was done reveling in Miraland’s gorgeous atmosphere, I realized that something else had captured my bouncy ADHD-powered brain cells – the whimsical outfits and how creative you can get with them. Clothes aren’t just accessories in Infinity Nikki, either. Many of them harbor powers or certain skills, from a bubble-themed dress that leaves Nikki lighter than a feather to a more cozy set that allows her to gather materials from animals.It’s a system I’ve never seen before, and I love it. The combination of style with practicality is so much fun to play around with, as it adds a layer of depth to fashion that other dress-up games simply don’t have. You have to work to unlock outfit-specific powers, too, making it all the more rewarding. There are items called Whimstars located throughout Miraland, and these are the key to obtaining new clothing recipes.Once you snag a recipe, you’ll have to collect the ingredients necessary to craft the outfit you want. This can involve catching bugs, fishing, gathering, and even petting adorable puppies – think Animal Crossing, but with a more fashion-focused flair. I feel like I could lose hours sourcing materials, as it never felt like a chore. Getting to craft pretty dresses afterward is just a bonus – and boy, is it a big one.While crafting and styling, I feel like that same small princess-obsessed girl who could spend ages on the perfect outfit on GirlsGoGames.com. Infinity Nikki lets you configure outfits in any way you’d like, so the potential to mix and match accessories or clothes is nearly endless. Every item is just as striking as the last, too, leaving little room to grow bored of the game’s dress-up mechanics – after a good few hours, I know I still haven’t.Juggling genres gracefully Playing dress-up, despite being the mobile series’ primary selling point, isn’t all that Infinity Nikki has to offer. There’s the crafting and gathering that leads up to it, of course, but there’s also so much more – so much, in fact, that I found myself wondering how the developers were able to pull it off. To start, there’s the open-world element that opens up the possibility for exploration and RPG-esque adventuring along the way.Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter