Getting Started / Engine Basics
Get started with your first Dorian game in minutes!
This page covers the basics: what you need to make a game on Dorian, high-level best practices for concepting your first game, and then a guided walkthrough with links out to more detail of how to make your first episode. Return to this page as a quick reference and as links out elsewhere. Let’s make your game now!
What do I need to get started?
Dorian is a no-code platform that lets you launch a game in hours, not years. All you need to get started is:
A hook for your game. Eight words or less that describe the stakes & plot!
1-3 character portraits at 2810 × 4000px with a handful of expressions each, and a cover illustration.
This is all the art you need– you can use Dorian’s library of backgrounds!
For more information & examples of character art & hooks, look here!
A short episode script! Next we’ll teach you about how to come up with the perfect idea for it.
👉 Start Here: Validating Your Idea
Before you dive into writing or uploading, take time to validate your idea before you invest.
Dorian allows you to experiment with multiple concepts and ideas before you invest on expensive assets for a full game.
Make sure you take full advantage of it!
Hook: Write a one-liner (≤ 8 words) that conveys the plot, stakes, and how romance solves the conflict.
Niche: Identify the community your story serves (#slasher fans, vampire romance readers, etc.) and check demand via BookTok/TikTok hashtags.
Plot: Draft a 1–2 sentence description of the MC’s problem and how romancing the LIs drives the solution.
💡 Pro Tip: If you can’t express your story in a clear hook + plot, your concept may struggle to test effectively.
Art is often the first impression for players. Before you start writing your first episode, plan and validate your visual direction:
Character Sprites:
Format: 2810×4000px PNG, cropped knees-up.
Show personality in pose + expression (avoid neutral standing).
Aim for Gen Z appeal; avoid shirtless/overly sexual looks.
Male LIs tend to perform best, but we encourage creators to experiment with female & nonbinary LIs.
Cover Art:
2810×4000px PNG.
Use 2–3 characters interacting (romantic or antagonistic).
Keep faces in the central 60% for mobile cropping.
Add strong emotions and drama; avoid logos or explicit art.
💡 Pro Tip: Use sketches or test multiple covers. Polished renders aren’t required for validation.
Some examples of high-performing art:
Pilot Prep: Set Yourself Up for Success
Always create multiple pilot episodes to test different ideas and see what resonates with your community. This approach de-risks your process and gives you real audience data before you commit to a full game.
Launching your first idea is exciting, but don’t overinvest yet. Treat your first launch as a pilot episode.
Minimum expectations for a pilot:
How long? 1 episode, under 4,000 words.
How many characters? At least 3 romanceable LIs with distinct personalities.
How many paid choices?
At least 3 total:
One “freebie” premium as a tutorial, early into the episode. This will tease to player the value of premium content, so make it count.
One paid choice under 20 Hearts halfway through the episode.
One paid choice over 20 Hearts closer to the end of the episode.
Hearts-only choices (you can disable the use of sapphires in your first episode. This will give you a better sense of your monetization potential).
Best Practices in Game Design to Get Promoted
You can make any game you want on Dorian! If you’re aiming for in-app promotion, follow these best practices. Often, games on Dorian have three distinct, iconic love interests and a single sentence hook, where the romance is the solution for the plot, like "romance slasher villains to save your life." Think about popular romance tropes and make your characters irresistible and your world clear and easy to understand!
A transparent self-insert main character rather than a specific protagonist character.
Episodes are 3k–5k words and playable in under 7 minutes.
Start with dialogue and lean more often on dialogue than narration--players are most interested in your characters!
Have a choice at least every 15 taps to maintain player interactivity!
Introduce a short term goal in the first 30 taps, at least one love interest by tap 50, and the idea of a premium choice and affection points by the midpoint!
By the midpoint: show a premium choice and affection points.
Premium choices: 1–2 in episode one, 3–5 in later episodes.
Always end on a juicy cliffhanger
End by asking fans to bookmark the game and follow you for updates, and letting your fans know when the next episode comes out!
👉 Do you have a hook and three love interests? Perfect—let’s make your first episode.
Create your accounts
Editor Account: Go to home.dorian.live → Sign Up in top right → Access the editor to CREATE games.
App Account: Download Dorian from the App Store → Sign Up with the same email you used for your editor account → PLAY games + reply to comments on yours.
Read more about Account Management! (what to do if you have multiple team members, where to see payment details, how to link your App & Editor accounts, & more.)
2. Understand Engine Basics
Create a new game by opening the editor (editor.live.4dorian.net) and hitting “Create Story.”
Inside the editor:
Node Map (center): the building blocks of your game.
Emulator (right): playtest as you go.
To start creating a scene, simply open a “node” and start entering text, adding in Dialogue, Narration, and Choices! Node Basics explains your first steps about how to use the editor.
Premium choices are how you earn on Dorian. Premium choices should be thrilling, heart-fluttering moments! Learn more about writing great premiums here.
3. Upload your Assets
Click into each link to learn more!
Characters - Create character art at 2810 × 4000 px, PNG, transparent background.
Backgrounds - Use Dorian’s extensive background library, or create your own at 2810 × 4000 px, JPG.
Cover - Create at 2810 x 4000 px, jpg.
Memory Bank - Memories are variables you use to track player actions, like a pronoun system, tracking affection with characters, and remembering choices your players made.
4. Polish with Advanced Features
You’ve made a game! Now to make it shine, add:
Text Importer - Write your script in Google Sheets/Excel, then import directly into the editor. Example scripts here.
Episode Goals – Read the last section on this page to add Episode Goals to the end of your episode, so players know how they stand with your LIs at the end of an episode!
Achievements – Reward fans for engagement.
5. Publicize and Optimize!
Make sure to get the word out about your game!
Have a direct link from your Dorian game inserted into your social media profile (linktree is okay but adds significantly more friction + risks losing fans!) To get a direct link, open your game’s page in the Dorian app by searching for it with the magnifying glass on the top of the discover page, then and click the share arrow on the top right of your game’s page. Copy paste this link!
Remember, links in social media post captions are not clickable so they don’t help!
Dorian games see the most success when they’re regularly edited and improved over time! Check out this page of tips for successful games.