Transformed Doors Open Up Unlicensed, Profit-Sharing Story Realms for Fans
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Hidden Door, a groundbreaking startup based in New York, is redefining the world of storytelling by bridging the gap between tabletop role-playing, fanfic communities, and video games. This innovative platform offers an immersive, interactive experience within licensed fictional worlds.
- Licensing Agreements
Hidden Door collaborates with authors, publishers, and studios by securing licensing agreements that allow them to use and expand existing fictional worlds. For works outside of the public domain, these agreements include a revenue-sharing component, ensuring that creators benefit financially from the platform's use of their work.
- Collaborative Storytelling
The platform uses a mix of machine-learning technology and creative input from authors and publishers to develop choose-your-own-adventure-style narratives. This collaborative approach allows fans to explore, expand, and remix the storylines of beloved fictional worlds, fostering a community of co-creative storytelling.
- Author and Publisher Involvement
Hidden Door emphasizes the importance of working closely with living creators, such as Alan Dean Foster and romance authors, to ensure that new content remains true to the original works while offering fresh perspectives. This partnership helps maintain the authenticity and integrity of the original stories.
- Community Engagement
The platform encourages users to socialize and share their experiences, creating a hub where fans can gather to discuss and further develop their favorite narratives. This communal aspect enhances the storytelling experience, allowing users to interact with each other and with the fictional worlds in new ways.
- Revenue Model
While certain worlds are available for free, Hidden Door plans to eventually charge users for access to additional content, ensuring that both the platform and the creators benefit financially from the user engagement. The model is designed to reward both fans and creators, suggesting a richer, more collaborative future for storytelling.
Hidden Door was founded by Hilary Mason and Matt Brandwein, with Matt bringing a background in media, education, and games, having held roles at PBS and BrainPOP. All art is hand-drawn by an in-house team led by art director Megan Carlsen. The company raised a $2 million pre-seed round in 2022, with Makers Fund leading the investment. Participants in the funding round included Northzone, Betaworks, and Roblox CTO Dan Sturman.
The platform features a variety of licensed properties, including The Crow, titles from 831 Stories, and science fiction works from authors like Alan Dean Foster, Ramez Naam, and Charles Stross. Hidden Door also offers interactive stories based on public-domain works, such as Pride and Prejudice and The Wizard of Oz.
In essence, Hidden Door is more than just a platform—it's a space where fans can interact with beloved stories and creators can see their worlds grow in the hands of engaged audiences.
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