There’s lots of interactive fiction competitions and jams going on all year around here. Here’s a guide to some of the most popular ones:
The Big Three
The Interactive Fiction Competition (IFComp)
(ifcomp.org)
Likely the oldest event still running today, having begun in 1995.
- Size: ~70 entries (up to 3 submissions each)
- Scoring: 1-10
- Ranking: highest to lowest
- Submission schedule: July (intents) to September
- Requirements[1]: previously unreleased
- Prizes: money (from The Colossal Fund) and various other physical and nonmaterial things
- Typical reviews: essay-length, many
The Spring Thing Festival of Interactive Fiction (Spring Thing)
(springthing.net)
Encourages experimental and diverse works. Has a Main Festival (includes Best in Show ribbons), a Back Garden (looser entry requirements), and a New Games Plus division (previously released but substantially revised).
- Size: ~35 entries (1 submission each, or 3 for the Back Garden)
- Scoring: nomination
- two Best in Show ribbons for the Main Festival
- Audience Award ribbons for all divisions
- Ranking: none
- Submission schedule: November (intents) to April
- Requirements: previously unreleased, finished
- Prizes: various physical and nonmaterial things
- Typical reviews: essay-length, many
ECTOCOMP
A spooky competition to celebrate Halloween/Day of the Dead/All Saint’s Eve/etc. Entries submitted to La Petite Mort must be written within four hours. Other entries are submitted to Le Grand Guignol.
- Size: ~50 entries
- Scoring: 1-5
- Ranking: highest to lowest
- Submission schedule: October
- Requirements: 4 hours (La Petite Mort), spooky (optional sub-themes), previously unpublished (translations acceptable)
- Prizes: bragging rights
- Typical reviews: paragraph-length, many
Smaller competitions
IntroComp
Explicitly for unfinished works. All submitted feedback is sent directly to the authors.
- Size: ~10 entries
- Scoring: 1-10, feedback
- Ranking: highest to lowest
- Submission schedule: June (intents) to August
- Requirements: incomplete, previously unreleased
- Prizes: money (must fully release within a year)
- Typical reviews: paragraph-length, several
Short Games Showcase (SGS)
To highlight shorter IF works that are often neglected elsewhere.
- Size: ~80 entries (up to 3 submissions each)
- Scoring: 1-5, nomination
- Best Overall (from numerical scores)
- Best Use of Short Form
- Best Use of Interactivity
- Best Story-Focused Game
- Best Puzzle-Focused Game
- Most Replay Value
- Best Previously Unawarded Game
- Ranking: highest to lowest
- Submission schedule: December to January
- Requirements: < 30 min playtime, released in the year, not submitted to more than 3 prior events
- Prizes: bragging rights
- Typical reviews: paragraph-length, several
ParserComp
For parser-based games, typically old-school text adventures (the Classic category), although other parser games are allowed in Freeform.
- Size: ~15 entries
- Scoring: 1-10
- Ranking: highest to lowest
- Submission schedule: April to June
- Requirements: previously unreleased (IntroComp entries, translations acceptable), parser-based
- Prizes: money
- Typical reviews: essay-length, few
Text Adventure Literacy Jam (TALJ)
Text adventures written to be suitable for beginners, with an in-game tutorial.
- Size: ~10 entries
- Scoring: 1-5
- Story
- Writing
- Puzzles
- Implementation
- Beginner-friendliness
- Documentation
- Ranking: highest to lowest
- Submission schedule: March to May
- Requirements: puzzles, instructions, tutorial, previously unreleased (IntroComp entries acceptable)
- Prizes: money, games
- Typical reviews: paragraph-length, several
SeedComp
Works in two phases. In the Planting Round, people submit “seeds” (inspiration). Authors create IF using these seeds, to be submitted in the Sprouting Round. Authors receive stickers (for superlatives) as well as nominated awards.
- Size: ~15 entries
- Scoring: nomination
- various Seed Awards
- various Game Awards
- Best Overall
- Ranking: none
- Submission schedule
- Planting: August to December
- Sprouting: December to March
- Requirements: based on seeds
- Prizes: bragging rights
- Typical reviews: paragraph-length, few
Unranked jams
There are countless jams relating to IF, where authors are challenged to create something complete in a set time frame (anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks), often incorporating some sort of theme or restriction. The Neo-Interactives in particular host several month-long jams each year, from the Smoochie Jam to the Single Choice Jam.
The Review-a-Thon (July to August) offers an opportunity for works that receive less attention to garner long, detailed reviews reminiscent of IFComp and Spring Thing. Entries must have fewer than 5 total reviews at the time the event starts.
Spring Thing and SeedComp have awards but are otherwise unranked (see their respective sections).
This is by no means an exhaustive list! Check out the IFWiki category for more, including competitions/jams in other languages.
Thank you to @alyshkalia, @pinkunz, @Lionstooth, @EJoyce for your help with this!
in addition to the common requirements of “free”, “original”, and “interactive fiction”; see each page for details ↩︎