Join DoriStoriWriMo and get your characters cosplayed by pros!

Create a game with a cosplayable character in November to win $500!

📚 What is DoriStoriWriMo?

DoriStoriWriMo is the ultimate challenge for writers, artists, cosplayers, and creators alike! Imagine NaNoWriMo's writing frenzy, sprinkle in some captivating characters, and add a dash of cosplay magic. That's DoriStoriWriMo—an explosion of creativity throughout November!

November 1 at 12:01 am PT to November 30 at 11:59 pm PT

Your Mission

As a cosplayer…

Find a game creator partner to work with! Help them design their characters for cosplayability and host their premiere stream on Dorian. If you partner with the winning game, you’ll get a prize!

As a game creator…

Your goal is to create a 6 Episode game with at least one character that qualifies as cosplayable! Attract your favorite cosplayer’s attention, create a memorable character that will inspire fanart and teenage-style crushes, and make sure you end 2023 as a published game creator! 

Prizes

Three Game creators will win $500 gift cards after the end of the contest period. The winning characters will also be cosplayed by professional cosplayers on Dorian!

Three Cosplay partners can also win a $200 gift card for partnering with the winning creator! 

🚀 The Categories

You can participate in three categories:

Original Character Design:

You create a brand new game with original characters designed to wow using the DoriStoriWriMo Originals Prompt! 

Arcana Original Character Design:

You create an original character for the Arcana universe DoriStoriWriMo Arcana Prompt!

Adapted Character Design:

You adapt an existing character from one of your favorite IPs on Dorian using one of the dedicated DoriStoriWriMo Prompts! Keep an eye out for:

  • DoriStoriWriMo Moonlight

  • DoriStoriWriMo Married to the Alpha

  • DoriStoriWriMo Marrying the Villain

  • DoriStoriWriMo Shark Bait

  • And more!

    You can find these prompts on the Dorian Engine home page!

How to enter

Not sure how to get started? Check out our Get Started Bootcamp on Nov 1 at 12 pm PT or read the Get Started guide here!

  • Make sure you have a profile on the Dorian app and the creation engine.

  • Start publishing your game after November 1 at 12:01 am PT.

  • By November 30 at 11:59 pm PT your game must meet the eligibility criteria to be viable for the prize.

Eligibility Criteria:

  • Have 6 complete episodes published in your profile on Dorian

  • Each episode must include 2 premium choices each totaling 20 hearts in episode 1 and 40 hearts in ep 2 onward. 

  • Must receive at least 100 single-player reads on episode 1

  • Games must be published using an official DoriStoriWriMo template for Original IP OR one of the approved templates for DoriStoriWriMo spinoffs 

  • Game must have hosted a “Premiere” Stream with a Cosplayer partner

🎉 Scheduling your Premiere Stream

To be eligible for the prize, you need to partner with a cosplayer to host your premiere stream! Cosplayers can only choose one project, so make sure you pitch your favorite cosplayers early to get the best chance of forming your dream partnership! Remember, the best game projects come from teams where shared creativity yields incredible results! 


Looking for a partner? Keep an eye out for our Cosplay Matchmaking streams! Where game creators and cosplayers can connect to make dream teams! 

To set up your premiere stream, make sure you:

  • Schedule it through the calendly stream scheduler

  • Make sure your cosplayer is the host

  • Use a title that includes: DSWM Premiere

  • Let your friends, family, and fans know so more people come – remember, the more people who support you in this stream, the more points you’ll get in the final scoring!

🧠 How can I learn more about creating on Dorian & making cosplayable characters?

Check out our calendar of events to learn more from expert creators in the Dorian community! 

How Winners are Chosen

One winning game will be chosen by a panel of cosplay expert judges according to the following criteria:

  • (10 Points) Player Engagement: How engaged are your fans? Do people who play your game complete the episodes and buy your premium choices? 

  • (10 Points) Premiere Stream Performance: Were fans interested in your game’s stream? Did they support your game with hearts?

  • (10 Points) Character Design Originality: Is your most cosplayable character unique? Would it be instantly recognizable? Does it avoid looking too similar to other IP characters?

  • (10 Points) Practical Cosplay Design: Is your character designed such that cosplayers would be able to reasonably achieve this look? For example, it would be easier to cosplay an elf than a dragon. 

  • (10 Points) Aesthetic Appeal: Is the character attractive? Would people WANT to cosplay this character? Cosplayers love to dress as things that make them look appealing!

FAQ

  • You’re still welcome to join the fun! Just use one of the spin-off templates to access popular art from top games made by creators like you! If you want to compete for the prize, you will need to edit or adapt an existing character with new art, but if you aren’t interested in the prize and just want to complete the challenge, you can simply work on finishing your episodes during November!

  • You can apply for art access at any time through this form. Keep in mind it sometimes takes up to 3 days to receive access, so apply now!

  • The collaboration world is your oyster! Dorian already has a fantastic community of creators waiting on our discord. You can join through this link. Don’t be afraid to get in contact with your favorite artists or creators outside of Dorian too. Creation on Dorian is fast and easy, which means you can build your dream team and start creating today!

  • You are welcome to participate in DoriStoriWriMo without hosting a stream, but it is required to be eligible for the prize.

  • Reach out to Az on the discord! Anyone can become a cosplay host or partner, and there are thousands of cosplayers out in the world for you to partner with!

  • No! Got a cosplayer you love who hasn’t joined already? Don’t be afraid to reach out to them – after all, they could win a prize too!

  • In order to “adapt” a character, you must materially change the original design so it is recognizably changed. This can include:

    • A new hairstyle

    • A new outfit

    • An added accessory

    • Altered features (Turning them into a werewolf or a demon)

    The following does not qualify:

    • Changing hair color or clothing color on existing designs

    • Sticking a piece of clip art on top of an existing character (for example adding a flower on their jacket)

    Please note, when you create your character you agree to Dorian’s terms of use.

  • That’s okay! You can always finish your game after November. Unfortunately, you will not be eligible for the prize.

  • You can use any of the “DoriStoriWriMo” prompts. You will notice them pinned on the home page of the engine starting soon.

  • The judges will review all the characters in your game and judge off the characters they judge as the most cosplayable according to the judging criteria.

  • Once you publish an episode, you can view the number of reads on the story level.

    You can also see if anyone has purchased a premium choice by opening your premium choices in the emulator and checking the counts. We will share a guide on how to do this.

  • This probably means your cover and title need work! Remember, your cover is like a one-second advertisement for your game. Make sure it’s bright, eye-catching, and communicates what is special about your game! For examples of great covers, check out our cover best practices article!

  • Yes! But keep in mind that we will use the data from your most recent published version to evaluate your game. This means we will be judging the “Player Engagement” score based off your most recent revision.

  • It will be up to the team to determine how they wan tot divide the prize of $1000.

  • You can publish throughout the month OR publish all your episodes at the end, it’s up to you! Just keep in mind, it will be much harder to reach 100 reads if you publish too late.

TERMS & CONDITIONS

1. PROMOTION DESCRIPTION:  The Submission Period begins on or about Nov 1, 2023 at 12:01 a.m. pacific time (“PT”) and ends on or about Nov 30, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. PT (the “Promotion Period”). The Promotion Period and all other submission dates in these Official Rules may be extended as indicated on the “Website” (as defined below).  During the Promotion Period, entrants will have the opportunity to create and submit an interactive story.  At the end of the Promotion Period, three (3) Grand Prize winners will be selected as set forth below.  By participating in the Contest, each entrant unconditionally accepts and agrees to comply with and abide by these Official Rules, the Terms of Use, and the decisions of Dorian Inc. (“Sponsor”), which shall be final and binding in all respects.  Whenever these Official Rules indicate that a determination will be made by Sponsor, Sponsor shall be entitled to make that determination in its sole and absolute, unfettered discretion. Whether an entrant receives a prize is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements set forth herein. 

2. HOW TO ENTER:

  • How to Enter:

  1. Have a writer account on the Dorian platform through the mobile application “Dorian” (the “App”) or the website at https://dorian.live/ (the “Website”);

  2. Submit their Entry through Sponsor’s creation engine on the App or Website during the Promotion Period. Entrants may edit their Entry through the App or the Website at any time throughout the Promotion Period; provided that any edits made to an Entry after the Promotion Period ends shall not be included as part of the final Entry;

  3. Accept all terms and conditions of these Official Rules; and

  4. Comply with all of the following submission requirements (collectively, the “Submission Requirements”), and any Entry that violates the following criteria, as determined by Sponsor, may be disqualified.

  • Entries must be written in English

  • Entries must be published through the Dorian creation engine

  • Entries must use official DoriStoriWriMo prompts.

  • Entries must include six (6) continuous, cohesive, chronological episodes. Each Episode must contain at least 2 premium choices totaling 20 hearts in episode 1 and 40 hearts in ep 2 onward.

  • Entries must adhere to Dorian’s Community Guidelines (https://dorian.live/documents/community-guidelines) and may not include obscenity, pornography, libelous content, hate speech, disparagement, overly graphic or sexual content, and/or otherwise objectionable content;

  • Entries must be submitted during the Promotion Period. Late Entries will not be considered;

  • Each Entry must be the submitting entrant’s own, previously unpublished work.

  • Each Entry must receive at least 100 reads on their episode 1.

  • Each Entry must have an exclusive cosplay partner who hosts an official “Premiere Stream” which includes the words “DSWM Premiere” in the stream schedule title.

3. JUDGING AND WINNER SELECTION.

  1. Entry Submission and Entry Review Period. Compliant Entries will be posted on the Website and the App during the Entry Submission Period from on or about Nov 1, 2023 at 12:01 am PT to on or about Nov 30, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. PT. During the Entry Review Period, between Nov 30, 2023 at 12:01 am PDT and Dec 6, 2023, participants will not be able to edit their entries while the panel of judges reviews.

  2. Winning Entry Selection. The top performing games will be chosen based off:

    1. (10 Points) Player Engagement: How engaged are your fans? Do people who play your game complete the episodes and buy your premium choices?

      (10 Points) Premiere Stream Performance: Were fans interested in your game’s stream? Did they support your game with hearts?

      (10 Points) Character Design Originality: Is your most cosplayable character unique? Would it be instantly recognizable? Does it avoid looking too similar to other IP characters?

      (10 Points) Practical Cosplay Design: Is your character designed such that cosplayers would be able to reasonably achieve this look? For example, it would be easier to cosplay an elf than a dragon.

      (10 Points) Aesthetic Appeal: Is the character attractive? Would people WANT to cosplay this character? Cosplayers love to dress as things that make them look appealing!

    One game will be selected from each category: Arcana Original Character, Original Character, and Adapted Character. The cosplayer partnered with this games will automatically win as well provided they have hosted a Premiere stream that complies with our rules.

4. WINNER/FINALIST NOTIFICATION: Once selected, the potential Grand Prize winners will be notified by e-mail, mail, and/or through the Website and/or App using the contact information provided at the time of entry. Sponsor shall have no liability for any winner notification that is lost, intercepted or not received by the potential winner for any reason. If, despite reasonable efforts, the potential prize winner does not respond within five (5) days of the first notification attempt, or if the prize or prize notification is returned as unclaimed or undeliverable to such potential prize winner, such potential prize winner may forfeit the applicable prize and an alternate prize winner may be selected. If the potential prize winner is found to be ineligible, or if they have not complied with these Official Rules or declines the prize for any reason prior to award, such potential prize winner may be disqualified and an alternate winner may be selected. Sponsor may successively attempt to contact up to two (2) potential prize winners in accordance with such procedure, and if there is still no confirmed prize winner after such attempts have been made, if any, the prize may go unawarded.

6. PRIZE: Three (3) Grand Prizes are available. The Grand Prize consists of:

  • Featuring on the app and consultation with the Dorian optimization team

  • Your cosplayable character will be cosplayed on Dorian.

  • A Visa Gift Card valued at Five Hundred United States Dollars ($500).

In addition, Three (3) Cosplay Partner Prizes are available. These prizes consist of:

  • Featuring on the app and consultation with the Dorian streaming team

  • A Visa Gift Card valued at Two Hundred United States Dollars ($200).

7. GENERAL PRIZE CONDITIONS: Except as set forth herein, no cash alternative or substitution of prizes will be allowed, except Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to substitute prizes of comparable value if any prize listed is unavailable, in whole or in part, for any reason. Prizes will be awarded only if the potential prize winner fully complies with these Official Rules. All portions of the prize(s) are non-assignable and non-transferable. Any prizes pictured in point-of-sale, online, television and print advertising, promotional packaging, and other Contest materials are for illustrative purposes only. All ARV are subject to price fluctuations in the consumer marketplace based on, among other things, any gap in time between the date the ARV is estimated for purposes of these Official Rules and the date the prize is awarded or redeemed. In the event there is a discrepancy or inconsistency between guidelines, disclosures or other statements contained in any such promotional materials and the terms and conditions of these Official Rules, these Official Rules shall prevail, govern and control. All details and other restrictions of the prize(s) not specified in these Official Rules will be determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion. The Grand Prize winner shall be solely responsible for all federal, state, local and/or provincial taxes, and the reporting consequences thereof, and for any other fees or costs associated with the applicable prize. If required by law, Sponsor reserves the right to withhold and remit to the appropriate taxing authorities the amount of any tax or taxes due. With respect to non-cash prizes, it may be legally necessary under the United States Internal Revenue Code (as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion) for the Grand Prize winner to pay the amount of any tax before receiving the prize. Each potential winner (or, if the potential winner is a minor, their parent or legal guardian) may be required to execute an Affidavit of Eligibility, a Liability Release, and where imposing such condition is legal, a Publicity Release, and any other documents as required by Sponsor to deliver the prize (collectively, the “Prize Claim Documents”). Sponsor reserves the right to conduct background checks on the potential winner prior to granting any award. Sponsor also reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to disqualify any individual who has been charged with or convicted of a felony or misdemeanor, is delinquent on child support, spousal support, tax payments or any other government ordered payment, has or is suspected of failing to comply with any provision of these Official Rules or the Terms of Use, including, but not limited to, having made any false statements in connection with his/her participation in the Contest. Should it be determined that a potential winner has made a false statement in any document required by Sponsor, Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify the potential winner and select an alternate winner. If a potential winner (or a minor potential winner’s parent or legal guardian) fails or refuses to sign and return all the Prize Claim Documents within five (5) days after being notified that they have been selected as the potential winner (or a shorter time if required by exigencies), the potential winner may be disqualified and an alternate winner may be selected.

Sponsor makes no warranties, and hereby disclaims any and all warranties, express or implied, concerning any prize furnished in connection with the Contest. WITHOUT LIMITING THE GENERALITY OF THE FOREGOING, SUCH PRIZES ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AND SPONSOR HEREBY DISCLAIMS ALL SUCH WARRANTIES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND/OR NON-INFRINGEMENT.