IFComp 2014
I skipped last year, having just started a new job. Now I'm funemployed, so I should have ample time to play every entry, if my motivation isn't first ground down.
This year is notable for there being more choice-based than parser-based entries. A lot more. Two years ago there were almost none; this year I have heard that there are 25 choice-based, mostly Twine, and 17 parser. I'm not sure if those numbers are accurate yet, but this does raise a minor problem - my criteria from years ago may not apply directly to some choice-based games. I haven't figured out exactly how to judge them yet, but I'll get there.
I'm not against choice-based IF. I think it's a relatively young medium (terrible CYOA books not counted) and the really good examples are yet to come. There is a predicament all choice IF face, however - with parser IF you can poke the world model for a few minutes to determine how deeply implemented it is. Choice-based games don't provide tools for said poking; all you get is what the author gives you. It can also be difficult to gauge player agency. That's not a problem unique to choice IF, but it's much easier to hide linear storytelling when the only visible world model is hypertext.
So I'll be looking at my IF-judging criteria and possibly making changes to make them easier to apply to choice IF as I go.
Saving the random order here:
Icepunk
Fifteen Minutes
Venus Meets Venus
Tea Ceremony
Zest
And yet it moves
Slasher Swamp
The Secret Vaults of Kas the Betrayer
The Urge
Following Me
One Night Stand
HHH.exe
With Those We Love Alive
Building the Right Stuff
Unform
The Entropy Cage
Paradox Corps
AlethiCorp
Krypteia
Enigma
Tower
Sigmund's Quest
Origins
Milk Party Palace
Jesse Stavro's Doorway
Creatures Such as We
Arqon
The Black Lily
Hill 160
Raik
Laterna Magica
Hunger Daemon
Inward Narrow Crooked Lens
Missive
Begscape
Eidolon
Transparent
Caroline
Jacqueline, Jungle Queen!
Ugly Oafs
Excelsior
The Contortionist
This year is notable for there being more choice-based than parser-based entries. A lot more. Two years ago there were almost none; this year I have heard that there are 25 choice-based, mostly Twine, and 17 parser. I'm not sure if those numbers are accurate yet, but this does raise a minor problem - my criteria from years ago may not apply directly to some choice-based games. I haven't figured out exactly how to judge them yet, but I'll get there.
I'm not against choice-based IF. I think it's a relatively young medium (terrible CYOA books not counted) and the really good examples are yet to come. There is a predicament all choice IF face, however - with parser IF you can poke the world model for a few minutes to determine how deeply implemented it is. Choice-based games don't provide tools for said poking; all you get is what the author gives you. It can also be difficult to gauge player agency. That's not a problem unique to choice IF, but it's much easier to hide linear storytelling when the only visible world model is hypertext.
So I'll be looking at my IF-judging criteria and possibly making changes to make them easier to apply to choice IF as I go.
Saving the random order here:
Icepunk
Fifteen Minutes
Venus Meets Venus
Tea Ceremony
Zest
And yet it moves
Slasher Swamp
The Secret Vaults of Kas the Betrayer
The Urge
Following Me
One Night Stand
HHH.exe
With Those We Love Alive
Building the Right Stuff
Unform
The Entropy Cage
Paradox Corps
AlethiCorp
Krypteia
Enigma
Tower
Sigmund's Quest
Origins
Milk Party Palace
Jesse Stavro's Doorway
Creatures Such as We
Arqon
The Black Lily
Hill 160
Raik
Laterna Magica
Hunger Daemon
Inward Narrow Crooked Lens
Missive
Begscape
Eidolon
Transparent
Caroline
Jacqueline, Jungle Queen!
Ugly Oafs
Excelsior
The Contortionist