New for 2026, after being highly requested, we have evolved our Cosplay Contest to a craftsmanship contest. Those who do not wish to compete, or do not qualify to compete, may walk the stage in the Cosplay Parade.

This is a juried contest requiring pre-registration. There may be very limited to no on-site registration available. 

Entries will be accepted from Feb. 6, 2026 through May 1, 2026.

PRE-JUDGING

On Saturday and Sunday of the event, the Judges will meet privately with the cosplayer to review their costuming. The time slot is very limited and will adhere to a strict schedule. 

You will be notified if your application was accepted or denied. If accepted, the correspondence containing your pre-judging date and time will follow closer to the event. Failure to report on time can result in the forfeiture of your spot.  Contestants will be given a badge specific to their category and must bring it with them to the Cosplay Contest.

RULES

In order to qualify for a pre-judging slot, at least 50% of the costume must be constructed by the contestant. 

Each category will have limited spots, and signups must be done online prior to the event. Once the form has closed, you will be notified if you have been accepted with your assigned at-event pre-judging slot. or placed on the waitlist

All contestants must have a valid TooManyGames 2026 badge. A parent or guardian must accompany all contestants in the Youth category.

Costuming must be kept to PG-13 and under. TooManyGames is a family-friendly event – no nudity, profanity, or otherwise inappropriate behavior. 

You may not enter a costume that has already won a major award (such as “Best in Youth”, “Best in Novice,” “Best in Show,” etc.) at TooManyGames or any other event. If the costume as won a minor award (such as “Judge’s Choice”) it is allowed to enter. If found sandbagging, it will result in disqualification.

This is not a masquerade – there is no performance aspect of the Cosplay Contest.

The cosplay contest will be filmed and photographed, and these may be used for future promotions. By entering the contest, you are giving permission to use these images in the future.

JUDGING CRITERIA

Each of the cosplay judges can award a contestant a maximum of 25 points each, for a grand total of a maximum of 100 points. The criteria is as follows:

• CRAFTSMANSHIP – 10 points maximum
  Judges will examine things such as loose threads, no visible glue marks, tidy seams and hems, no blemishes in paint, etc.
  
• TECHNIQUE – 10 points maximum
  Judges will review the techniques used to assemble and create the costume – a more advanced technique would be worth more points (ex. Intricate draping, featherwork, distressing or dyeing fabric, creating a pattern etc.) than a basic technique.
  
• ACCURACY + PRESENTATION – 5 points maximum
  Judges will decide how close the costume is to the source material. Original takes on a character are welcomed, and judges will decide on faithfulness to the character/theme.

CATEGORIES

Judges will have final say in category placement, and reserve the right to move the contestant to a different category without notice.

YOUTH: Must be age 12 and under. It is understood that an adult may have worked on the bulk of the costume, but the child must’ve also handled part of the construction. 

NOVICE: “Beginner” level – new to costuming, has won 0-1 major awards.

JOURNEYMAN: “Intermediate” level – some experience in costuming, has won at least 1 major award.

MASTER: “Expert” level – most experience in costuming, has won 2+ major awards.

GROUP: Open level – maximum of five participants per group; all group members must be from the same fandom (e.g. all Silent Hill characters.)

PRIZES

Here are the prizes awarded per category for our Cosplay Craftsmanship Contest:

• YOUTH: A trophy, a $25 gift card, and one ticket to TooManyGames 2027.
• NOVICE: A trophy, a $50 gift card, and one ticket to TooManyGames 2027.
• JOURNEYMAN: A trophy, a $75 gift card, and one ticket to TooManyGames 2027.
• MASTER: A trophy, a $100 gift card, and one ticket to TooManyGames 2027.
• GROUP: Trophies for each member, a $50 gift card per member, and one ticket per member to TooManyGames 2027.
• BEST IN SHOW: A trophy, a $200 gift card, and one ticket to TooManyGames 2027.
• JUDGES’ CHOICE: One per judge; a trophy and one ticket to TooManyGames 2027.

CONTEST DAY

Our Cosplay Contest happens on Sunday. Please check the guidebook for the official start time. You must be in your pre-judged cosplay and ready for lineup at the event stage 20 minutes prior to start time. 

There will be a volunteer with a sign for your category (Novice, Journeyman, etc.) – seek that individual out, and they will assist you with lining up. 

When it is your turn, the Host will read out the following items you submitted:

• Preferred Name / Cosplay Alias
• Character Name
• Character Series
• Fun Fact about you / your cosplay

As the Host is introducing you, you will walk across the event stage. Judges will take this time to make any final notes about your costume. After you have hit the indicated spots on stage for posing, you will return to your spot in line, or are welcome to find an empty seat in the audience if preferred. 

Order of events will be:

• Introduction of event and judges
• Youth +  Youth Awarding
• Novice 
• Journeyman 
• Group
• Master
• Judges Final Deliberation + Cosplay Parade
• Awarding of all categories

FEEDBACK 

If you have any questions regarding feedback on your placement, please email [email protected] and we will communicate with the judges on your behalf to pass along any notes they have for you. We kindly ask that you do not reach out to the judges directly as they may be traveling / decompressing from the long weekend. 

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