Portals to Adventure, working with World’s Largest RPGs and Strange Owl Games, has announced the upcoming launch of its Secret Doors Contest. The competition invites amateur RPG writers and game designers globally to submit original dungeon content. Winners will receive cash prizes and have their work considered for publication in the forthcoming World’s Largest Dungeon: Platinum Edition.
Interestingly, it’ll cost people to vote for the winner.
The contest opens for submissions on Sunday, April 13, 2025, and entry is free. Participants are asked to design an original, 5th Edition-compatible dungeon area behind a secret door. Concepts could range from trapped vaults and forgotten lairs to cursed libraries or portals to other planes.
Timothy Brown, PTA team leader, said in the announcement;
We’re looking for new voices in adventure design. If you’ve ever dreamed of becoming a professional RPG writer, this is your chance.”
Secret Doors submission requirements
Entrants need to provide:
- A written description of their “Secret Door” adventure (up to 4,500 words).
- A map of the dungeon space (hand-drawn or digital).
- A short video introducing themselves and their concept.
- A thumbnail image for their submission’s online listing.
The submission window is from April 13 to July 2, 2025.
Prizes and Voting Process
A fan-voting system will determine the winners. Fans can vote for submissions at a cost of $1 per vote, with a limit of 10 votes per submission per fan.
Portals to Adventure says that the revenue generated from votes will fund the contest’s prize pool. They don’t say, but I imagine, this will be controversial but also help to keep voting fraud down.
The prize distribution is planned as follows:
- 1st Place: 50% of the total prize fund, publication, a trophy, and a copy of the Secret Doors anthology.
- 2nd Place: 10% of the total prize fund, publication, a trophy, and a copy of the Secret Doors anthology.
- 3rd–10th Place: 5% of the total prize fund each, publication, a trophy, and a copy of the Secret Doors anthology.
- Top 20 Finalists: Will be featured on the contest website and receive commemorative ribbons.
- Winning entries are scheduled for publication in Secret Doors, Volume 1, an anthology intended for inclusion with the World’s Largest Dungeon: Platinum Edition, expected to release in 2025.
Contest Timeline
- Submissions Open: April 13, 2025
- Initial Voting Period: April 13 – July 2, 2025
- Submissions Close: July 2, 2025
- Final Voting Round: July 3 – July 17, 2025
- Winners Announced: July 18, 2025
The contest provides a platform for amateur designers to gain exposure and potentially enter the field of professional RPG writing.
