Premium choices let fans support you for the content they most want to see– which means you need to understand your audience’s desires, and make it clear how they can achieve them!
When writing the choice itself, you want to lean into your wildest dreams here to design experiences that readers will go feral for. We see that choices that focus on either romantic escalation, character connection, or physical intimacy perform the best currently, and premium choices that only relate to plot may perform less. One notable exception to this rule is when premium choices are tied to advancing a well-designed game-mechanic that players know will reward them with information and relationship building later on!
Example: You need to avoid some guards while escaping a castle with Nadia.
You could write some options like “be sneaky”, or “just run for it”. But those don’t tie us to any of our relationships in an exciting way! Instead consider something like “Kiss her to hide my face!” We advance our relationship with her and get a swoonworthy moment.
Best performing premium choices.
Lead-ins are the lines right before a premium choice that tell a player exactly what they’re about to get into– they need to be informed to know what they’re about to buy!
Example: In this screenshot, it wouldn’t be clear what’s exciting about “Go in the door” as a premium… without the line on the left before it. With that lead in, now we know something intimate will happen in there, and we’re excited to choose!
The content itself needs to deliver on the promise you made in the lead-in & choice option. Make sure your descriptions are visceral and exciting, and also deliver the fantasy you alluded to in the lead up. Here’s more to consider when writing exciting bonus content:
Length: If it costs over 20 hearts, it should be over 20 lines.
Additional choices: Choices within bonus content keep the player engaged (though we don’t recommend adding additional premium choices within a bonus scene)
Add choice memory: Having LIs remember the special scenes players paid for and mention it later makes them feel seen!
Add relationship bonds: In premium content involving a particular love interest, generally the player should be rewarded with a relationship bond increase!
For more examples of great romantic premium writing, check this deck.
How much should I charge for my premium scenes?
Oftentimes, games on Dorian charge in 5-heart increments.
The higher the hearts, the longer and/or more spicy the bonus scene is— OR the bonus scene may have something additional to offer, like special art, a plot reward (like an item the player can use later), or a crucial bonding moment.
Play other games on Dorian to understand how they’re charging for bonus content!
As a starting point, consider:
We generally recommend charging no lower than 10 hearts for any premium choice.
If it’s over 20 hearts, it should be at least 20 lines.
