The winner of the $103 Adventure Game Challenge is...

Oddjobs, inc. by Darqwerful!

Check it out here: https://itch.io/jam/103-adventure-game-challenge/rate/490066

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The purpose of the $103 Adventure Game Challenge is to encourage and support creators of graphical adventure games. The Jam lasts two weeks from September 16 to 30 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 $103 USD!

You can join this discord server to chat during the course of the jam: https://discord.gg/fhrERYw

This is the third year of this annual jam, you can see the games from last year here: https://itch.io/jam/102-adventure-challenge/entries

The theme is A Theft! See this post for more information: https://itch.io/jam/103-adventure-game-challenge/topic/558389/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. I will remove 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 A Theft! 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 $103 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,  Poltergeist Treasure, and Leprechaun Shadow  among others. His interest in gaming started with adventure games, and he still believes that genre is the pinnacle of gaming.

John Carver:

John is a full time charlatan, spending his days pointing and clicking on anything that moves. Always dressed to impress, Carve broadcasts a variety of golden oldies to the latest and greatest. If you need something pointed at, commented on and repeatedly left clicked, he is your man. He feels honored to go through your lovely creations and experience all that is to offer!

Dan Weissenberger:

Dan Weissenberger is a longtime video game critic for GameCritics.com as well as the operator of the Hidden Object Guru Youtube channel. He's also the writer of numerous films, including Our House, The Sweetheart, and the upcoming horror movie Come True. Is that last part relevant for judging adventure games? Not in the least.

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.