Round 2 is complete, with such an ending! This round saw a substantial increase in voting as new fans joined in. Let’s look at the highlights of this segment…
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In the near court, Inside the Facility bravely did its best against Spider and Web in a contest that met near-universal expectations by delivering a win for the Inform 6 classic. Although both games feature a PC sneaking around a high-tech facility, Spider and Web’s serious take on the concept drew many more votes than the light-hearted challenger, ending at 19-4. Inside the Facility was the only competing entrant by Arthur DiBianca, whose award-winning works have done much to popularize the “limited parser” concept. He can retire honorably from the field knowing that more than 1 in 6 voters preferred his work to one widely considered to contain the single greatest puzzle of all time.
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In the next court, fans showed a preference for a Sherlock Holmes-inspired murder mystery over a fantasy-civilization medical mystery by choosing Toby’s Nose over The Weight of a Soul by 8-5. The atmospheric challenger got a slow start but then came charging up from behind, briefly tying with the defender at 4-4 in the first quarter before a renewed burst by the defender put it two ahead. Additional scoring by both sides resulted in the defender lengthening its lead and produced a victory for the story with the evidence-sniffing dog protagonist. The Weight of a Soul was the only entry written by author Chin Kee Yong. We salute the author’s uniquely inventive setting and subject matter and the game’s performance on the field.
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In Slouching Toward Bedlam vs. The Spectators, two previous upset winners vied for supremacy in what turned out to be a very close match. Although Slouching started strong and achieved a lead of 6-2 in the opening hours, a vote switch and flurry of goals by its opponent evened things up at 5-5. After exchanging goals twice to reach 7-7, the mysticism-themed thriller finally pulled ahead, securing a win at 9-7. The Spectators was the second and final entry by author Amanda Walker, whose writing talents have propelled her works steadily up the the IFDB charts in recent years. We salute her modesty and good sportsmanship on the field, and we look forward to hearing more from her as a fan in future rounds.
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To round out Division 3, Repeat the Ending beat Cannery Vale in a quieter match that yielded a win to the highly self-referential work. Although Cannery Vale’s multimedia enhancements and horror theme brought it as close as one point behind in the first quarter, fans showed a preference for the parser entry, and the game ended at 8-6 in its favor. Cannery Vale was the only work by author Hanon Ondricek, whose dedication to the IF community is proven daily in his role as lead moderator for this forum. We salute the author and his game’s ambitious concept.
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In Division 4, The Impossible Stairs came within millimeters of a second significant upset victory in its battle with megapuzzler The Mulldoon Legacy. Despite anticipation of a quick loss by the author, the Dialog tribute work played a strong game in the first half, quickly catching up to the Inform 6 classic and even briefly exceeding it in a fast-paced first quarter that ended in a 6-6 tie. Another push by the sprawling old school puzzlefest gave it a lead of two, but the short-format time-travel puzzler kept up the pressure with another goal of its own, leaving it down one at the half. Exhausted, the two teams were unable to put any more points on the board for days, but with less than 12 hours remaining the challenger scored again to tie things up at 8-8. The coin toss – an improbable third head in a row for tiebreakers – was in favor of the defender. The Impossible Stairs was the second and final entry by author Brian Rushton, aka mathbrush, and its randomized loss leaves just one other Dialog entry in the contest. We salute the author for his sportsmanship and the game’s strong performance on the field.
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On the next court, fans were treated to the spectacle of two works by a single author competing when Savoir-Faire squared off against Bronze. Despite the latter’s well-known reputation as an early and important Inform 7 work, betting markets predicted a win for the celebrated Inform 6 work, and they were not disappointed: The former beat the latter with the third-most lopsided score in tournament history at 17-3. Author Emily Short started with no less than four works among the top-rated contestants chosen for this tournament, and this leaves two in play, the other being top-seeded Counterfeit Monkey.
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Next to last, 2nd-seeded Anchorhead defeated Alias ‘The Magpie’ in a thematic rematch after the latter beat Cragne Manor in Round 1. Although the crowd weighed in heavily for the popular Inform 6 horror classic (subsequently re-released in an enhanced Inform 7 format), the acclaimed situation comedy did well for itself, scoring several points and ending the game at 14-6. We salute this exceptional IF Comp winner as it leaves the field, and note that an interview with author J. J. Guest should be posted within a few days. Fans of the defeated challenger may be interested in other works by same author, including To Hell in a Hamper or its more recent sequel To Sea in a Sieve. Additionally, authorized sequel The Magpie Takes the Train, which was written by Brian Rushton, continues the adventures of the Magpie.
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Finally, in the far court, the relatively slow-paced match of Worlds Apart vs. Photopia ended with a surprising reversal of fortune that secured a spot among the tournament’s Sweet Sixteen for the TADS 2 work. Following a strong start by the fantasy-setting puzzler, the oft-mentioned challenger Photopia took off like a rocket in pursuit, quickly tying the score at 5-5. After matching another goal by the defender, it went on to pick up two more points unopposed, giving it a small but significant lead at 8-6. This lead held for almost two days, and it looked like the decorated Inform 6 story was headed for a massive upset against the #14 seed defender. Against the odds, a vote switch and new goal for Worlds Apart put it back in the lead at 8-7 with less than 24 hours remaining. The razor-thin margin held until time ran out, leaving fans shocked by the turn of events. Photopia is one of the most well-known works of the independent IF canon, and it was the second and final entry by author Adam Cadre. We salute the author’s historical accomplishments and his work’s legacy.