IFComp 2015!
The Interactive Fiction Competition is arguably the most significant competition of
the year, soliciting works of IF from authors that take approximately two hours or less to play. There were 42 entries last year, and almost all of them got significant criticism and discussion on the forums and other various locations on the internet, which is of value to games even that don't place highly. There are actual monetary and gift prizes to be won, and last year saw a selection of winners' prizes including an intriguing extra meta-puzzle to discover and solve.
The 2015 edition of the Comp should be interesting, what with all sorts of new development systems appearing all over the net. Previous Comps have been dominated by Twine and Inform 7, but some of the more diverse entries come from Choicescript, Quest, TADS, Choose Your Story, and Undum. Even a PDF "print and play" old school gamebook has been entered.
Authors intending to participate in this year's Comp and enter a game must register onsite and submit an Intent to Enter on the IFComp page between now and September 1st, 2015. Final versions of games must be completed and uploaded to the site by the end of September 28, 2015 (ET). We also suggest if you enter or plan to judge that you read the IFComp site thoroughly, as there is a wealth of information, tips, suggestions, and the hard and fast rules that must be followed. Primary discussion occurs on the IntFiction forums, and the latest news can be read on the IFComp Twitter account.
Good luck to all participants, and special thanks to Jason McIntosh who is taking on the gargantuan task of managing all this for a second year in a row!
IFComp TL;DR:
All competition deadlines specifically mean 11:59 PM, Eastern time, on the given dates.
July 1: The competition website is open for authors to declare their intent to enter this year’s competition.
September 1: The last date that authors can register their intent to enter.
September 28: The last date that authors can upload their games to the competition site. Judges start sharpening their silverware.
October 1: The games are released to the public, and the judging period begins.
November 15: All votes must be submitted by the end of the day. The competition results are announced shortly afterwards. Prize choosing and distribution begins.
