Use your browser to develop a text adventure in Adventuron with vibrant location graphics.

Optionally target ZX Spectrum Next or ZX Spectrum +3.

To learn about text adventure games, play the interactive tutorial game -  The Cave of Magic (5 minutes).

Full Rules

• Game to be developed using Adventuron Classroom in the English language ( Tutorial Provided ).
• Game must have a minimum of 4 locations, 4 objects, 4 puzzles, and at least 1 barrier.
• Open theme, e.g. science-fiction, western, time-travel, historical, classic literature, fantasy, mystery, ghost story, treasure hunt, etc.
• A majority of locations should have a location graphic in 256 x 80  or 128 x 40 (quarter res). A bright vibrant palette such as the hept32 palette by @ENDESGA is suggested .
• The title screen of the game should be created in  256 x 192 or 128x96  (quarter res), using the same palette.
• Game are encouraged but not required to be developed in 8-bit compatible mode to be able to be exported to ZX Spectrum Next or ZX Spectrum +3.
• Game should aim for verb noun inputs but this is not mandatory.
• Location descriptions should be a maximum of two sentences and command responses  / incidental messages should be a maximum of four sentences.
• Do not use copyright assets or base your game upon copyright material. 
• If your game contains a "suitable for absolute beginners to text adventure games" tutorial, then add TALP to your game title, or in your game description.
• Mature themes are fine, but no bad language, drug use, threatening language, overt violence, or sexual content. 
• Games will be rated on story, puzzles, accessibility (for beginners), graphics, and overall enjoyment (not an average of other scores). 
• The game judged will be the Adventuron version of your game, not the ZX Spectrum Next (or +3) version.
• The overall winner of the jam is the winner of the "overall enjoyment" category, but each category will independent scoring.
• Judging to be open to the public (judges must have an itch account).
• The game judged will be Adventuron version (web hosted).

Documentation / Help

If you are new to Adventuron, you should first follow TUTORIAL A in the Adventuron User Manual (Approximately 1 hour).

If you want to target the ZX Spectrum (+3 / Next), then read the 8-bit Compatibility Guide before starting to code.

Check out the Next Adventure Jam Community to report issues or to request help.

For help with game design, check out this post.

A telegram chatroom is available for participants.

Be sure to allocate some time to playtesting.

ZX Spectrum Versions (+3 / Next)

(Optional) If developing for the +3, it is strongly recommended to use a graphics editor such as multipaint, as this emulates the constraints of the graphics capabilities of the platform. If developing graphics for the next, then make sure your graphics are 255 colours or less. Export to 8-bit function is beta.

8-bit code export leverages the  DAADReady package by @uto_dev. Thanks Uto.

Acknowledgements

• Jam banner art and thumbnail by Ricardo Oyón, @PlomoTormenta, using the hept32 palette by @ENDESGA.
• Colours at bottom of banner are from the hept32 palette by @ENDESGA.
• Many thanks to Andrés Samudio, Uto, Tim Gilberts & Stefan Vogt for helping bringing DAAD to the public domain and essential work on packaging and documenting for the 21st century.

Sample Code

It is recommended that participants follow Tutorial A, but listed below is a self contained Adventuron game for reference.

########################################################
## Full tutorial at https://adventuron.io/documentation
########################################################

start_at   = forest

locations {
   hut    : location "You are in the wizard's hut." ;
   forest : location "You are in the forest." ;
   castle : location "You are in the castle." ;
}

connections {
   from, direction, to = [
      hut,    west,  forest, 
      forest, north, castle
   ]
}

objects {
   bone     : object  "a bone"         msg = "A fibula.";
   cupboard : scenery "a cupboard"     msg = "Empty."               at = "hut" ;
   dog      : scenery "a fierce doggy" msg = "A serious chihuahua." at = "forest" ;
}

on_startup {
   : print "Reach the castle!" ;
   : press_any_key ;
}

barriers {
   block_castle : block {
      location            = castle
      message             = The doggy will not allow it.
      block_when_exists   = dog
      show_blocked_exit   = true
   }
}

on_command {
   : match "open cupboard; examine cupboard"  {
      : if (is_beside "cupboard" && has_not_created "bone") {
         : print "You find something ..." ;
         : create "bone" ;
         : press_any_key ;
         : redescribe    ;
      }
   }
   : match "give bone; throw bone"  {
      : if (is_beside "dog" && is_carried "bone") {
         : print "The doggy approves of your offering and salutes you with a paw before fading into nothingness." ;
         : destroy "dog" ;
         : press_any_key ;
         : redescribe    ;
      }
   }
}

on_tick {
   : if (is_at "castle") {
      : print "You have reached the castle! Well done." ;
      : win_game ;
   }
}