intfiction.org

2011 saw the Hugo release of Robb Sherwin's Cryptozookeeper, one of the largest multimedia-enhanced IF games ever. That alone makes it a good year for Hugo, as we Hugo users are few. A handful of us thought we'd end the year on a good note and challenge ourselves to a SpeedIF. Schedule-fitting and unexpected interest from some non-Hugo-savvy authors have turned that idea into an altogether different thing, though.

Now, we christen that thing, "The Hugo 'Open House' Competition." The rules:

- Games can be any size and can even be a work already in progress.
- Games are due the morning of December 31st. The entrant is then free to (and somewhat expected to) celebrate the transition into the new year heartily.
- Waiting until the last week (or day) even and writing a classic-SpeedIF-sized game is viable (we made the coding-time intentionally vague so newcomers can as much time as they want acquainting themselves).
- Links to games can either be posted here or at the joltcountry forum. If you don't have any place to upload your game, e-mail your entry to roodyyogurt at gmail.

Games will not be ranked. There will not be prizes other than acceptance into a small yet tightknit group of IF enthusiasts.

People new to Hugo may want to look at Hugo by Example's "Getting Started" page.

Questions about Hugo coding can, of course, be answered on this forum in the "Other Development Systems" base or at the Hugo base at joltcountry.com.

NOTE: This competition does not intend to interfere with the several-years-strong New Year's Speed IF tradition. Hopefully, the two will coexist nicely. I, for one, intend to enter both (assuming there is a New Year's Speed IF).

Good luck!

Let me add that while Hugo "Open House" games have no required premise, those looking for ideas are invited to design games inspired by the trailer to that upcoming movie, Hugo. Robots, giant clocks, what have you- would all be cool.

2011 was also a good year for Hugo because of Nikos Chantziaras' Hugor interpreter, which has made it easier for people on Macs and Linux to get multimedia Hugo games up and running. An additional "Open House" suggestion is to write a game with someone or something with the intriguing name "Hugor."

I have started looking into some of my WnIPs (Works not currently In Progress) to see if I might be able to finish one of them.

I may try to do this. I don't have any chance of finishing a thorough game, but I think I might try to write something in one sitting and then maybe clean it up.

Since works already in progress are allowed, I suppose I hypothetically could enter the game I've been working on for a year now, but I think I would rather write a quick, no-pressure game based on the suggested theme. Also, I've already failed to meet all the deadlines and goals I've set for myself for my game, so I don't have a right to intend to have it done in time for this comp, even though I feel that I could get it done.

Sounds like fun.

Oh wow, fame and fortune, all mine!

The Hugo Comp is wrapping up nicely. Several games are in, but we are waiting on a couple stragglers. No Hugo game left behind, you know. We expect to release the games sometimes around the 3rd now.

Have a great New Year's, everyone!

I'm sad I missed it--hopefully there'll be another one. I like inform, but it'd be cool to learn another language.

Happy new year, good luck to the stragglers finishing their games, and do let us know when it's all compiled!

I'd also be interested in source code examples from the games, well, just because.

I'd be happy to share the source code for my entry, "World Builder." I'll email it to you, if you'd like, probably after the game is released.

The games are ready!

If you'd like to download them individually, go to this link: http://www.joltcountry.com/index.php/fe ... 2-hugocomp

If you'd to click on a link and have them all start downloading, alongside the Windows Hugor interpreter, just click here. There's five new Hugo games and I think you'll have a little bit of fun with them. I'm really psyched that we got two new IF authors (Taleslinger and Flack) to give Hugo a try.

Cool. I'll be playing these soon!