Announce: Spring Thing 2021

I’m very pleased to announce the 2021 Spring Thing Festival of Interactive Fiction!

https://www.springthing.net/2021/

Spring Thing is an annual festival celebrating new text-based computer games of all kinds. Originally founded as an off-season counterweight to IF Comp in the fall, the current incarnation of the Thing is a less competitive space with looser restrictions. Without the two-hour judging limit of IF Comp, for instance, longer games are welcomed (though shorter games are fine, too!) There’s no fee to enter, but you do have to submit an “intent to enter” in advance. And there are prizes!

The details can be found at the official Spring Thing site, but in brief:

  • Games must be debuts and in a well-polished state (bug tested, etc.)
  • You must submit an intent to enter by March 1st, 2021, and your game itself by March 28th.
  • Your game must be free to play, and will be archived on the Spring Thing site after the festival closes, although:
  • You can submit to the “Back Garden” to showcase a demo of a game you’re planning to sell, or a polished excerpt of something unfinished.

Entrants to the Main Festival can be nominated for one of two “Best In Show” ribbons, and all entries are eligible for custom “Audience Awards.” Prize donors also gift fun, unique prizes, which Main Festival entrants have a chance to receive.

The festival is always looking for prize donors. If you have a cool idea for a prize that fellow IF authors might enjoy, let me know!

Check out the site for more info, and I’m happy to answer any questions here or sent to aaron at springthing.net. Thanks, and happy writing,

–Aaron A. Reed

21 Likes

Thank you for running this competition. It is a great service to the community!

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Thank you for organising Spring Thing, and I hope all goes smoothly for you as the festival entries finish arriving.

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