Interactive Fiction Competition
Encyclopedia
The Interactive Fiction Competition (also known as IFComp) is one of the best known of several annual competitions for works of interactive fiction
. It has been held since 1995. It is intended for fairly short games, as judges are only allowed to spend two hours playing a game before deciding how many points to award it. The competition has been described as the "Super Bowl
" of interactive fiction.
A reviewer for The A.V. Club
said of the 2008 competition, "Once again, the IF Competition delivers some of the best writing in games."
The 2008 competition was described as containing "some real standouts both in quality of puzzles and a willingness to stretch the definition of text adventures/interactive fiction." The competition differs from the XYZZY Awards, as authors must specifically submit games to the Interactive Fiction Competition, but all games released in the past year are eligible for the XYZZY Awards. Many games win awards in both competitions.
The competition is organized by Stephen Granade. Although the first competition had separate sections for Inform
and TADS
games, subsequent competitions have not been divided into sections and are open to games produced by any method, provided that the software used to play the game is freely available. Anyone can judge the games, and anyone can donate a prize. Almost always, there are enough prizes donated that anyone who enters will get one. Entries are required to be released as freeware
or public domain
, reflecting the general non-profit ethos of the IF community.
In addition to the main competition, the entries take part in the Miss Congeniality contest, where the participating authors vote for three games (not including their own). This was started in 1998 to distribute that year's surplus prizes; this additional contest has remained unchanged since then, even without the original reason for its existence.
The following is a list of winners to date:
Interactive fiction
Interactive fiction, often abbreviated IF, describes software simulating environments in which players use text commands to control characters and influence the environment. Works in this form can be understood as literary narratives and as video games. In common usage, the term refers to text...
. It has been held since 1995. It is intended for fairly short games, as judges are only allowed to spend two hours playing a game before deciding how many points to award it. The competition has been described as the "Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
" of interactive fiction.
A reviewer for The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
said of the 2008 competition, "Once again, the IF Competition delivers some of the best writing in games."
The 2008 competition was described as containing "some real standouts both in quality of puzzles and a willingness to stretch the definition of text adventures/interactive fiction." The competition differs from the XYZZY Awards, as authors must specifically submit games to the Interactive Fiction Competition, but all games released in the past year are eligible for the XYZZY Awards. Many games win awards in both competitions.
The competition is organized by Stephen Granade. Although the first competition had separate sections for Inform
Inform
Over the following decade, version 6 became reasonably stable and a popular language for writing interactive fiction. In 2006, Nelson released Inform 7 , a completely new language based on principles of natural language and a new set of tools based around a book-publishing metaphor.- Z-Machine and...
and TADS
TADS
Text Adventure Development System is a prototype-based domain-specific programming language and set of standard libraries for creating interactive fiction games.-History:...
games, subsequent competitions have not been divided into sections and are open to games produced by any method, provided that the software used to play the game is freely available. Anyone can judge the games, and anyone can donate a prize. Almost always, there are enough prizes donated that anyone who enters will get one. Entries are required to be released as freeware
Freeware
Freeware is computer software that is available for use at no cost or for an optional fee, but usually with one or more restricted usage rights. Freeware is in contrast to commercial software, which is typically sold for profit, but might be distributed for a business or commercial purpose in the...
or public domain
Public domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
, reflecting the general non-profit ethos of the IF community.
In addition to the main competition, the entries take part in the Miss Congeniality contest, where the participating authors vote for three games (not including their own). This was started in 1998 to distribute that year's surplus prizes; this additional contest has remained unchanged since then, even without the original reason for its existence.
The following is a list of winners to date:
- 2010: Aotearoa by Matt Wigdahl
- 2009: Rover's Day Out by Jack Welch and Ben Collins-Sussman
- 2008: VioletViolet (computer game)Violet is a work of interactive fiction by Jeremy Freese. It is a one-room puzzle game. It took first place in the 2008 Interactive Fiction Competition with an average score of 8.53....
by Jeremy Freese - 2007: Lost PigLost PigLost Pig is a comedic work of interactive fiction about an orc retrieving a pig that escaped from a pig farm. It was written by "Admiral Jota." It took first place in the 2007 Interactive Fiction Competition with an average score of 8.27....
by Admiral Jota (writing as Grunk) - 2006: FloatpointFloatpointFloatpoint is a 2006 work of interactive fiction written by Emily Short about a diplomat sent to an endangered colony to discuss evacuation options and terms of cohabitation...
by Emily ShortEmily ShortEmily Short is the pseudonym of an interactive fiction writer, perhaps best known for her debut game Galatea and her use of psychologically complex NPCs, or non-player game characters... - 2005: VespersVespers (computer game)Vespers is an interactive fiction game written in 2005 by Jason Devlin that placed first at the 2005 Interactive Fiction Competition. It also won the XYZZY Awards for Best Game, Best NPCs, Best Setting, and Best Writing.-Summary:...
by Jason Devlin - 2004: Luminous Horizon by Paul O'Brian
- 2003: Slouching Towards BedlamSlouching Towards BedlamSlouching Towards Bedlam is an interactive fiction game that won the first place in the 2003 Interactive Fiction Competition. It is a collaboration between Daniel Ravipinto and Star Foster. Slouching Towards Bedlam was finalist for eight 2003 XYZZY Awards, winning four: Best Game, Setting, Story,...
by Star Foster and Daniel Ravipinto - 2002: Another Earth, Another Sky by Paul O'Brian
- 2001: All RoadsAll RoadsAll Roads is a 2001 interactive fiction game by Jon Ingold that placed first at the 2001 Interactive Fiction Competition. It also won the XYZZY Awards for Best Game, Best Setting and Best Story and was nominated for Best Individual Puzzle and Best Writing....
by Jon IngoldJon IngoldJon Ingold is most known as the author of interactive fiction works, but he has also written a number of plays, short stories and novels. He has been nominated for many XYZZY Awards and has won several.-Life and education:... - 2000: KagedKagedKaged is a work of interactive fiction written by Ian Finley, set in a dystopian alternative world influenced by Nineteen Eighty-Four and Kafka. It won the 2000 annual Interactive Fiction Competition, and, at least through 2008, was the only game written in TADS to win the competition since the...
by Ian Finley - 1999: Winter WonderlandWinter Wonderland (game)Winter Wonderland is a piece of interactive fiction written by Laura A. Knauth about the adventures of a young girl in a winter-themed fantasy land. It won the 1999 annual Interactive Fiction Competition. The game features ASCII art which can be disabled....
by Laura A. Knauth - 1998: PhotopiaPhotopiaPhotopia is a piece of literature by Adam Cadre rendered in the form of interactive fiction, and written in Inform. It is regarded as a pioneer in narrative-driven, rather than puzzle- or challenge-driven, interactive fiction...
by Adam CadreAdam CadreAdam Cadre is a U.S. writer. He gained prominence in the world of interactive fiction with works like I-0 , Photopia and Varicella , for which he has won several XYZZY Awards and been the subject of academic study . Photopia additionally won the 1998 Interactive Fiction Competition... - 1997: The EdificeThe EdificeThe Edifice is a 1997 work of interactive fiction by Lucian P. Smith about the evolution of an early anthropoid in stone-age times. It is distributed in z-code format as freeware. The game won the 1997 Interactive Fiction Competition, and went on to also win that year's XYZZY Award for Best Puzzles...
by Lucian P. Smith - 1996: The Meteor, The Stone, And A Long Glass Of Sherbet by Graham NelsonGraham NelsonGraham A. Nelson is a British mathematician and poet and the creator of the Inform design system for creating interactive fiction games. He has also authored several IF games, including the acclaimed Curses and Jigsaw , using the experience of writing Curses in particular to expand the range of...
- 1995:
- InformInformOver the following decade, version 6 became reasonably stable and a popular language for writing interactive fiction. In 2006, Nelson released Inform 7 , a completely new language based on principles of natural language and a new set of tools based around a book-publishing metaphor.- Z-Machine and...
category: A Change in the WeatherA Change in the WeatherA Change in the Weather is a 1995 work of interactive fiction by Andrew Plotkin, in which the player-character is caught in a rainstorm while out in the countryside. It won the Inform category at the inaugural 1995 Interactive Fiction Competition...
by Andrew PlotkinAndrew PlotkinAndrew Plotkin , also known as Zarf, is a central figure in the modern interactive fiction community. Having both written a number of award-winning games and developed a range of new file formats, interpreters, and other utilities for the design, production, and running of IF games, Plotkin is... - TADSTADSText Adventure Development System is a prototype-based domain-specific programming language and set of standard libraries for creating interactive fiction games.-History:...
category: Uncle Zebulon's WillUncle Zebulon's WillUncle Zebulon's Will is a 1995 work of interactive fiction by Magnus Olsson, in which the player-character plays the nephew of a crackpot scientist, exploring his home and solving magic-based puzzles. It won the TADS category at the inaugural 1995 Interactive Fiction Competition...
by Magnus OlssonMagnus Olsson (programmer)Magnus Olsson is a Swedish computer programmer, well known in the interactive fiction community. He has written several IF games, including Uncle Zebulon's Will. From 1997 to 1999, Olsson edited the IF magazine SPAG.- References :* * *...
- Inform