Cosplay Games
Don your cosplay and bring your favorite characters to life! Cosplay Games is your one-stop shop for unscripted cosplay performance. It’s not a contest - if you’re having fun, you’re doing it right! Check out our various game events and how to apply.
Games
Death Match
Cosplayers, show no mercy! This is Death Match, a no-holds-barred popularity contest, in which the cosplayer with the loudest cheers will emerge victorious! Come and decide who will win and who will be eliminated.
Group size: 1–4
Chess
Checkmate, cosplay style! At Chess, characters become larger-than-life chess pieces and fight to the death for their team’s honor. Secret power plays, plot twists, and more - the tide could turn at any moment.
Group size: 1–4
Note: Selected and waitlisted participants will be required to attend a rehearsal at the convention that will take place on Friday or Saturday (to be determined).
Lip-Sync Battle
It’s a battle for lip-syncing superstars! Watch 16 stardom hopefuls dance and lip-sync their way to the top, where audience cheers decide the winner for each round.
Group size: 1–2
Song Requirements:
- Participants must provide four songs.
- Songs may not repeat; participants may be asked to change their song choices if another group is already using the same song.
- Radio-clean/pre-censored versions of songs must be available.
- Anime Boston will cut songs to 60–90 seconds and will be able to accommodate only one additional edit request beyond start/stop times.
- If Anime Boston is unable to locate the song, participants may be asked to provide a song media file.
After Dark Dating Game
Mirror, mirror on the wall, whose cosplay makes everyone’s kokoro go "doki doki" most of all? Find out who the mystery charmer is in the After Dark Dating Game, the game show where your favorite characters find their most perfect match.
Group Size: 1-2
Requirements:
- All applicants must be 18 or older at the time they apply.
- Winners do not need to go on an actual date.
Shenanigans
Get ready for some wild, definitely not-safe-for-work, late-night minigames hosted by the cosplay events staff. No pre-convention sign-up required for this debauchery; just show up and be prepared to roar with laughter. Cosplay is encouraged but not required. All participants are pulled from the audience.
This is an 18+ event.
How to Apply
To apply, each member of a group must make an account in Cosplay HQ and create profiles for the costumes with which they wish to apply. See Cosplay - Cosplay HQ for more information.
In Cosplay HQ, click on "Cosplay Games."
Select which games you want to apply to.
Photo Guidelines
All applications must have at least one photo of you in the costume. If your costume is not finished or you do not have every part of the costume at the time applications close, submit a photo of yourself wearing as many of the wearable components as possible. We recommend a full photo of the front and back of your costume in a well-lit area.
Photos of online store listings or models other than yourself wearing the costume will not be accepted.
Applying in Groups
Due to the interactive nature of Cosplay Games events, every person in a group must apply. Group members may not be added after applications have closed.
Timeline
Applications open January 1, 2023.
Applications close March 1, 2023.
Participants will be notified no later than two weeks following the close of applications.
FAQ
Do the characters onstage in Chess and Death Match actually have to fight one another?
No. All combat is stage-fighting. No one on stage will be injured.
Do I have to have stage-fighting experience in order to apply for Chess or Death Match?
No, although if you do have experience it is a huge plus. We will hold a brief tutorial on the basics of stage combat before the event so you can have some time to practice.
How are the participants for Anime Boston’s Cosplay Games chosen?
Our choices depend on a number of things, but the biggest ones are acting experience, quality of your costume, and how recognizable/popular your character is. We do accept a few people every year who have no experience whatsoever and we also accept some characters who aren't from popular "mainstream" anime, so don’t be afraid to apply.
