IFComp News: Some other IF competitions

Mid-winter means deep-freeze for the IFComp proper. We will start sprouting from the thawed soil in the springtime, putting out a call for entries for this year’s competition. Happily, the larger world of IF competitions offers plenty of activity in the meantime. Some links of note:

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  Carolyn VanEseltine late last year announced ParserComp, a new, ranked competition specifically for parser-based IF works. Interesting from an IFComp perspective as it aims to have a field of entries resembling that of IFComp from years past, prior to the more recent explosion in variety of form. (Not too long ago, the very term “parser IF” would have seemed entirely redundant…)

  
  

  The first-draft deadline for entries is February 1, so rather too soon to enter for those learning about it only now, but all the nearer for everyone else looking forward to seeing the outcome of this new event. In the meantime, Carolyn’s published a nine-part tutorial about creating parser-based games with Inform 7.

  
  


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  Spring Thing has been around for many years, starting life specifically as an event to fill the long months in between IFComps. This year, however, organizer Aaron Reed has recast it more as an exhibition than a competition, de-emphasizing rankings and making it open to a much broader range of works than even IFComp. Entries are due March 1.

  
  


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  Emily Short posted a deeply comprehensive writeup of the IF community’s many competitions, anthologies, zines, and shows, past and present. Both of the above events appear there, as does the IFComp and myriad other efforts from people who just can’t help inventing new ways to generate IF work and discussion. Absolutely worth a read-through.

  
  

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