Let's Talk Cosplay Contests part 2: Armchair judging! Armchair judging happens when someone posts online that they think someone else should have won, even though they themselves didn't get to inspect the cosplays up close. There's all sorts of cosplay contests out there whose rubric includes everything from performance to design chops. However "craftsmanship" contests where cosplayers are judged the majority on their technique, finishing, and interpretation, requires that judges get up close an