Welcome to ParserComp, the annual competition for new parser-based interactive fiction games!
Schedule
- Join the Comp: Sunday 27 April 2025
- Submission window opens: Sunday 27 April 2025
- Deadline for game submissions*: Sunday 29 June 2025 @ 00:00 (midnight)
- Voting opens: Monday 30 June 2025
- Deadline for voting: Sunday 3 August 2025
- Results published: Monday ~4 August 2025
*To ensure that all games are released at the same time, submissions should be set to "Draft" or "Restricted" until as close as possible to the deadline, then "Published".
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Eligibility
- ParserComp is for previously unreleased, parser-based text games: games which take a free-text input, parse it, and produce an output which typically is more text.
- Choice-based games where the primary mechanic is clicking through passages of branching text (think Twine or Choice of Games), graphical RPGs, arcade games, or point and click games are not what we're looking for, even if they contain elements of interactive text. ParserComp is for parser text games and games that diverge very significantly from the expectations of the genre by containing very little or no parser gameplay are unlikely to do well in the competition.
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Categories
Classic is the only category this year. In previous years, only one or two games were entered into a Freestyle category, for nonconventional or parser-adjacent games. There is no Freestyle category this year and no entries will be disqualified from the competition; instead, judges will assess them on their merits, including the extent to which they look, feel and play like parser games.
Classic: entries that look, feel, and play like conventional parser-based text games, in the tradition of Colossal Cave, Zork, and everything that has followed in their footsteps in the decades since. These are games with a command prompt, free text entry, parsing, and response in the form of text (illustrative graphics and sound effects optional). They're the sort of games typically produced in popular interactive fiction languages like Inform, TADS, ADRIFT, and Adventuron.
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Voting
- Games will be voted on through a Google form which will be available during the voting period.
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Winners
- The game with the highest score is the overall winner!
- There will be Gold, Silver and Bronze winner, determined by the ranked Best Game scores.
- Gold, Silver and Bronze winners will each receive a commemorative medal and a hard copy prize certificate. All other participants receive a digital certificate of participation.
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FAQ
What are Parser games?
They're Games controlled by typing in free text commands which are then parsed to produce an output, usually in the form of more text. Typically, simple commands like GO NORTH or GET LAMP are used to navigate the player character through the game world. They have a long and distinguished history, dating all the way back to Colossal Cave Adventure in 1976, and the genre is still alive and well today!
What do parser games look like?
Here's a couple of examples of typical parser text games (note the command prompt, text input and output, and optional graphics):
My game doesn't look like that! Can I still enter it?
Yes, as long as the primary game mechanic is the parsing of text input - but see the guidance under 'Categories' above.
What definitely isn't a parser game?
Choice-based games where the primary mechanic is clicking through passages of branching text (think Twine or Choice of Games), graphical RPGs, arcade games, or graphical point and click games (even if they contain elements of interactive text; ParserComp is for games where the entry and parsing of text commands, resulting in the output of more text, is the primary means of gameplay).
Where can I find examples of parser games?
Check out the ParserComp entries from 2022, 2023 and 2024 on itch.io and the main database of text games (including parser games alongside other types on interactive fiction game) at the Interactive Fiction Database (IFDB).
My game has sound effect, graphics, video, etc. - can I enter it in ParserComp?
Yes, so long as the primary game mechanic remains text input and parsing.
Is there a theme for this year's ParserComp?
No, games can be about anything and from any genre.
Are there any dedicated utilities for creating parser games?
There are lots and they're free! Inform 6, Inform 7, TADS, Quest, and ADRIFT are long-established IF programming languages, and there are many others like Adventuron (a retro-style engine with modern capabilities), Gruescript (using a clickable keyword interface optimised for mobile devices), PunyInform (a variant of Inform designed for 8-bit platforms) and ZIL (the language Infocom used to write their famous text games in the 1980s).
Can I use my use my own homebrew parser system?
Of course!
Is adult / mature content allowed? Is anything not allowed?
Pretty much anything that isn't illegal, defamatory, malicious, hateful, or can't otherwise be justified in the name of art, is fine - as long as appropriate content warnings are included.
Is there a limit to the length (playing time) of games allowed in the competition?
No - games can be of any length.
Who can judge / vote on the games?
Anyone can vote on games, except for submitters who cannot vote on their own game.
Can I vote on my own game?
No - that would be a desperate and silly thing to do!
Can I vote on a game I beta-tested?
Yes - but please make every effort to play the final, tested game before voting.
Is there a limit to the number of games one person can submit to the competition?
No.
Can I enter my previously released game?
No, entries must be previously unreleased. This also applies to beta-testing: it's fine to distribute your game privately for testing, but if you make it available on a public forum for testing (or for any other reason) then that constitutes a release and your game won't be eligible for entry.
Can I enter the full version of a game I entered into IntroComp?
Yes.
Can I enter an English translation of a game previously released in a different language?
Yes.
Is there a prize?
Yes, the top three winners will each receive a prize and certificate.
Where can I ask questions / get advice?
Ask questions in the jam community area, on the IntFiction forum, or via the Discord.
The organisers can be reached via DM on the IntFiction forum, or at parsercomp@gmail.com
Wishing everyone the best of luck in the competition!
Thank you! Fos1 and Christopher Merriner
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RULES
1. Entries should be parser-based text games. By this we mean games where the primary game play is text-based and the game is driven by the player entering text commands.
2. Games must be previously unreleased, meaning that the game must not have been in the public domain prior to entry in this competition (*see exceptions below). Note this includes testing: making your game available publicly for testing, by e.g. posting a link to it in a public forum, constitutes a release and would make your game ineligible for entry in ParserComp (but providing your game privately to testers is fine).
*exceptions: full versions of games developed from IntroComp entries are allowed; English translations of games previously released in a different language are allowed.
2a. All entries must be free to play during the competition. Entries may not request payment in order to play through the game, require the player to view paid advertising, or make similar commercial demands of the player.
3. Disallowed content: anything illegal, anything hateful (by which we mean content included for no other reason than to cause hurt to a particular person or group of people).
4. Allowed content: any length of game, any genre, any subject, any content (provided there is adequate content warning, see below). Any engine can be used.
5. Appropriate content warnings must be included in the game description and at the start of the game itself. Sexual content, violence, trauma, and anything else that might reasonably be anticipated to be triggering, must be indicated.
6. There is one category for entries: ‘Classic’ (for games recognisably in the Colossal Cave / Zork classic text-adventure mould). Entries that do not match this criteria will still be allowed into the competition and it will be left to the discretion of judges to rate them accordingly.
7. The outcome of the competition will be determined by public vote. Voters must cast their votes in good faith, by which we mean after having played the game on which they're voting for long enough (preferably to completion) to enable them to make a reasoned judgement about its quality.
8. The organisers reserve the right to disqualify games from the competition that are in violation of the rules above, or where malpractice is evident - by which we mean: attempts by an author to solicit and/or rig votes in their favour, coercion, denigration of another entry and/or author of that entry, excessive and disproportionate promotion of a game via social media or other channels, or anything else that might reasonably be considered to be against fair play.
9. The Interactive Fiction Technology Foundation (IFTF) is a nonprofit charitable organization working to maintain, improve, and preserve tools and services used in the creation and distribution of interactive fiction. They maintain the Interactive Fiction Database (IFDB). By entering ParserComp, you grant the Interactive Fiction Technology Foundation (IFTF) permission to archive your game in the IF Archive and make it playable online via the Interactive Fiction Database website, for future generations of IF players to enjoy. Authors who do not wish to have their game archived may opt out. If you wish to opt out of the IF Archive submission, you should notify the ParserComp 2025 administrators privately, either by DM on the IntFiction Forum or via email to: parsercomp@gmail.com
10. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a controversial topic. ParserComp 2025 is a showcase for text based parser type interactive fiction (IF). In recent times generative AI has matured to the point that it can be used to develop computer code and narrative fiction. Even so, AI produced fiction is easily distinguished from that of a creative author.
We expect ParserComp 2025 entries should not be generated by Artificial Intelligence. You may use generative AI to develop ideas much as you would to augment your imagination. You should not use AI to generate code or any of your narrative text.
Graphics are another potential use of AI. For example, Adobe Firefly can generate cartoon style graphics by suggesting a set of topics or key words. This is an example of an image generated by Adobe Firefly:
Not everyone is an artist. In that case we will allow AI-generated images, but you must acknowledge the source of the images in the credits, e.g. 'Images generated by Adobe Firefly'. However, it is preferable that you create the images yourself or get an artist to do them for you.