Doll creator games
A dress up game hands you a character. A doll creator makes you draw her first. Eyes, face shape, skin, body, hair, and only then the clothes, which is why there is so much more to do in one.
All doll creator games
Babs and Friends Back to School 
High School Uniforms 
Chinese Beauty 
Belle Époque Costume Creator 
Cute Santa 
Fairytale Dancer 
Manga Creator World Of Fantasy Page Special 1 
Superheroes Dress Up Game 
Fairy of Secrets 
E-Girl Fashion Meiker 
Coral Guardian Mermaid Maker New 
Lady Jane New 
Castlecore 
What makes it a creator rather than a dress up
The test is whether you can change the face. If the character is fixed and the wardrobe is the game, it belongs under dress-up. If the first screen is a set of eyes and a jaw, you are in the right place.
That one difference changes what people use them for. A dress up game ends when the outfit is done. A creator ends up as a profile picture, a roleplay character, a reference drawing for fanfiction, or a face somebody keeps coming back to and adjusting.
The three hands worth knowing
Azalea
Deep single characters with historically or culturally specific wardrobes, layered the way real clothes are layered. Grimm Beauty, Goddess Freya, Pin-up Jessica and Vintage Fairy are the four to try first.
Rinmaru
The Flash generation: enormous option counts, a mouse assumed, and an interface from another decade. Dark Mage Creator is the one to try first. The whole set is under Rinmaru.
The ones built for touch
Chibi Doll: Avatar Creator is the clearest example: a face, a hairstyle to recolour, an expression, and nobody going anywhere. Fairy Tale High is the one that turns a creator into a premise, fairytale figures enrolled in a high school, though it is Flash era and wants a laptop.
A warning about the name
Searching for a doll maker will also turn up a horror game about a stitched doll in a dark room. Nothing here is that. These are character creators, and the worst that happens is you pick the wrong hair.
After the face
Once the character exists, the clothes are the other half. Fantasy for wings, tails and antlers, anime for the manga styled makers, princess for gowns.
Frequently asked questions
What is a doll creator game?
A game where you build the character first, face, body and hair, and dress her afterwards. The character is the output, not just the outfit.
What is the difference between a doll maker and a dress up game?
A dress up game gives you a finished character and a wardrobe. A creator lets you change the face, which is why people use the results as avatars.
Are doll creator games free?
Yes, all of them here, in the browser, with no account.
Can I use one to make a profile picture?
That is what most people do with them. Screenshot and crop: there is no export button.
Do they work on a phone?
The newer ones do. The Flash era creators have small controls and a lot of them, so a laptop is easier.
Can I save my character and come back to it?
No. Nothing is stored between visits, so screenshot anything you want to keep.