Thanks to everyone who participated in this contest: A-Bowl-Of-Rotten-Pie, Anubis, creatorofgp, DarthVader_13, Deven711, EvilLlama, Fleshnblood_78, Griffin, Gwanty_Smoth, jamestkirk, java, JJJ-thebanisher, Kazbar, Leon101, madglee, Miccy2000, primates, pucky18, Sethaniel, SilverMan, Simpsons, Sir_Lancegalawain, SuperStoryMan, and tsmpaul. We played each and every single storygame and got together this evening to talk about and decide who we thought was the best. Here’s our take.
Best Overall: $50 + 250 Experience Points
Mommy, Can I Go Out and Kill Tonight?
Mommy, Can I Go Out and Kill Tonight? was nothing short of amazing. Every aspect of this storygame was done well and done right: the story was compelling, the characters were convincing, the gameplay was fun, and the attention to detail was superb. From the custom-font image headings to the character stats selection to the careful selection of images, everything was very well done and very professional looking. It is truly a masterpiece!
Note: This story contains graphic violence, sexual images, adult situations, and drug use. If you are too young to handle this sort of thing, please do not read the story. If you are old enough, please do take the time to check it out – it’s one of the best (possibly even the best) that we’ve seen to date.
Best Use of Advanced Features: $50 + 250 Experience Points
Mommy, Can I Go Out and Kill Tonight?
We really didn’t expect to have the same storygame win two categories, but in the case of Mommy, Can I Go Out and Kill Tonight?, it was clear: the advanced features utilized on this game surpassed all others. Not only did madglee hit every single feature (and hard too, coming in at 50 scripts, 68 variable, 26 items, and nearly 400 link modifiers), but these were all very much hidden from the end player. It did not feel like we were playing a game; we were immersed in a story, albeit a very advanced, interactive one. Again, highly recommended!
Best Classic Storygame: No Winner :-(
D’oh! Though there were some fun ones, we just didn’t feel that any of them came close enough to “Contest Winner” quality. We were really looking for something along the lines of Magus: Betrayal. Hopefully, next time!
Runner-Ups: $35 + 100 Experience Points
The Tower – JJJ does not disappoint with another one of his excellent storygames. We all really liked The Tower. It offered a unique combination of traditional book style (i.e. page numbers), nifty surprises, and some strong gameplay.
ULYSSES: Episode One – This was an amazing space adventure/mystery with an incredibly strong story. It was a real “page-clicker” (heh, heh) and we were constantly eager to learn more and get to the bottom of the mystery. In addition, the artwork was great and gave it a very “spacey” feeling.
Honorable Mentions: $10 + 50 Experience Points
Surviving School – we all enjoyed this. It was very funny and, had it just been a bit longer and more polished, it would have definitely made the Best Classic storygame.
The interrogator – how can you go wrong with a video-based Choose-Your-Story? Kudos for giving the format a shot, and we really hope you try it again. Just use WMV format next time.
The Journey: A True Inspirational Australian Story – Love the original artwork for items =-). The story and writing were fun, but we got stuck two times in the five year old fight. Perhaps we didn’t have the needed objects?
Again, thanks for making the storygames everyone, and congratulations to the winners. If you won, please contact me via private message to arrange award delivery: Mailed Check (will need your name and mailing address), PayPal (will need your paypal email), or Amazon gift certificate (no info needed – will reply back with giftcard code).
