The winner of the $102 Adventure Game Challenge is...

The Death and the Vampire by Kato-San!

Check it out here: https://itch.io/jam/102-adventure-challenge/rate/307485

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The purpose of the $102 Adventure Game Challenge is to encourage and support creators of graphical adventure games. The Jam lasts two weeks from September 10 to 24 after which the games will be judged by a small panel of judges. The creator of the game the judges deem to be the best will be given $102 USD!

This is the second year of this annual jam, you can see the games from the first year here: https://itch.io/jam/101-adventure-challenge/entries

The theme of the jam is Ethical Dilemma: see this post for all the guidelines: https://itch.io/jam/102-adventure-challenge/topic/295052/jam-theme

The rules are as follows:

• VERY IMPORTANT: The game must fall within the genre of graphical adventure game. If you're not sure what an adventure game is, the Wikipedia page may be of some help: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adventure_game. Innovation and inclusion of elements not traditionally associated with adventure games is permitted and even encouraged, but the game must be clearly and primarily a graphical adventure game. Sorry but text adventures are not within the scope of this jam. This year, I will be removing entries that are clearly not adventure games, and I really, really don't want to remove games people have spent time and effort developing so please, please understand what an adventure game is.
• The theme is Ethical Dilemma. See this post for the full set of requirements: https://itch.io/jam/102-adventure-challenge/topic/295052/jam-theme The purpose of having a theme is to ensure no one cheats by starting their game early, so adherence to the theme will be strictly enforced. The game must be built around the theme in an obvious way.
• Creators are free to use any tools or assets they have the right to use. This includes tools and assets they have created prior to the start of the jam, tools and assets that are free for anyone to use, and tools and assets they have purchased a license to use. Proper credit must be given if required by the licenses for the tools and assets.
• Creators of all skill levels are encouraged to join. The games will be primarily judged on game design, puzzle design, and writing. The flashy professional looking game with amazing graphics is by no means guaranteed to win. We're looking for fun, well-written, well-designed games here, even if they have some flaws. Of course if your game is so buggy that it's not fun to play, that's a problem.
• The game must be in English. You will not be judged on your English ability, but it must be understandable.
• The game must be playable on Windows. Other platforms are optional.
• A team can consist of any number of members.
• The $102 USD will be sent via Paypal to an email provided by the entrant. $100 is enough to get a game on Steam, and I want to see more adventure game creators with their games widely available, either a polished up version of the jam game or another game. But of course you can use the money for whatever you want.
• At the sole discretion of the judges, any entry can be disqualified for the prize if it is deemed to be in violation of any of these rules.

Judging:

The games will be judged on story, characters, puzzle design, visuals, audio, and overall funness.

Judges:

Vance Baryn:

Vance is the game designer and programmer for Stand Off Software. He is the creator behind Unicorn Dungeon, its upcoming sequel Poltergeist Treasure, and the Lutra City Mysteries series of games among others. His interest in gaming started with adventure games, and he still believes that genre is the pinnacle of gaming.

Dave Seaman (CaptainD):

Dave Seaman is the lead designer of Captain Disaster in: Death Has A Million Stomping Boots, and has designed / coded / tested / voice acted / SFX designed for a large number of games.

Drunkerella:

Drunkerella is a Twitch streamer synonymous with adventure games. On her channel she streams old favorites and new classics while delivering her own brand of sharp-edged, politically incorrect humor. Playing the genre since she was far too young to pass the Leisure Suit Larry age checks, she fancies herself as the “Queen of Point-and-Clicks” on Twitch and firmly maintains that hints and walkthroughs are for babies! She is honored and excited to click her way through your games.

FAQ:

Q: Will the theme allow for me to use my existing characters, setting, and lore?

A: Yes! The theme will affect the plot and quite possibly the puzzle design, but will have nothing to do with the characters or setting. Provided your characters and setting are fleshed out and flexible, you should have no problem using them in this jam.

Q: Are visual novels and walking simulators adventure games?

A: Um... kind of? They're a spin-off of adventure games so fall within the broad adventure game family. Thus I would say they are fine for this jam even if they are not adventure games in the purest sense.

Q: Are games like Portal or A Story About My Uncle adventure games?

A: No, they are not. Those are puzzle platformers. If the gameplay is primarily "twitch" based, requiring precise timing in action oriented puzzles, it is not an adventure game.

Q: Are games like The Legend of Zelda or Star Tropics adventure games?

A: No, they are not. Those are action RPGs. If much of the gameplay consists of killing a lot of enemies, it is not an adventure game.

Q: If the game uses a text parser for interaction, is it a graphical adventure game?

A: If the game uses graphics prominently, it's graphical. Games like the original King's Quest or Space Quest which use a text parser interface for interaction definitely still count as graphical adventures.