Hey everyone, just thought there might be some people interested. Sub-Q (which a few of the authors around here including myself and @HarrisPS (Blood Money) and Natalia Theodoridou (Rent-a-vice) have written for, is holding a game jam over at itch.io from Nov 15-Dec 16. The theme is love. (And you can think outside the box, it doesn’t have to be romantic love, they’ll also accept platonic, friendly, filial etc. so something for everyone.)
It’s a short story comp, and is open to a whole range of interactive fiction scripts and programs including choicescript! So if you’ve ever wanted to write a short interactive story and have the chance of being published, (Or just to have fun writing a mini completed game!) I’d definitely recommend you check their site and comp out.
Edit: For anyone submitting choicescript entries, because they’re stand alone games, just making sure everyone is aware that you need to compile them and upload the HTML file (not text files like at dashingdons.) If you have images, you’ll need to use CSIDE to put them into a form that won’t break with compiling.
Does it have to belong to them exclusively? I could publish an excerpt from The Parenting Simulator, but I’m still publishing the full thing here of course.
You’d have to ask them @hustlertwo. I know it needs to be unpublished at the time of submission. For normal submissions, I think it can go in as a reprint at a lower paid rate (maybe read their conditions to be sure as I haven’t tried to submit anything I’ve had previously published anywhere with them) but for this comp I think it sounds like it needs to be unpublished. (In which case I seem to remember there being a sole publishing rights period (a year maybe? Again maybe check their conditions on the main sub-q site.) But yeah, given it’s not a normal submission, if in doubt I’d ask them what the conditions are to enter the comp/publishing elsewhere afterwards.
Hey everyone, just an update on this comp, while I suspect most people would be entering the itchi.io game jam in the top post, there also appears to be a second comp running from Nov 15th to Dec 15th for anyone not confident with putting all the coding together to make a game. Instead you’d submit a proposal with your story and how you want the interactivity to be put in place. So for any coding beginners, this may be worth checking out Announcing Sub-Q Jam, a Game Jam and Limited Submission Window from sub-Q Magazine! - sub-Q Magazine
As for the game jam, I really do recommend writers give it a look and consider entering. Sub-Q is great to write for. They’re really approachable and will even give you a hand with editing and coverart if you need it. (And I like short stories, so I’d love to see some more coming from the great authors I know write on this forum. So I have some selfish reasons for promoting this comp too )
@Jacic I noticed your name on sub-Q’s November table of contents, congratulations! Seconding the recommendation to enter the comp with a game or proposal. sub-Q are good to work with, and their pay rates are great - if you have something short to submit, do send it in!
Re reprints, I’m not sure about the comp rules, but in the normal submissions process you can submit something already released and have it reprinted at a lower rate. (I did this for my first publication there.)
I really like the limitation of 1,000 words presented to the audience. I think I’ll enter the competition. Just have to think of premises that take advantage of the limitation rather than be constrained by it.
I’m thinking something to do with artificial intelligence and the interaction between humans and computers. Although my ideal version of that would have the players inputting text (i.e. to a computer console, like the game Event[0]) rather than selecting choices, which choicescript isn’t really designed for. ChoiceScript might not be the best format for that kind of thing unless I can work the idea of limiting responses to pre-selected choices somehow into the narrative.
Then again, ChoiceScript does have an *input_text function … actually I’ve got an idea brewing already. Cool. Let’s do this. I should be able to have a prototype before the end of the day.
I don’t want to get distracted during my little mini-NaNo push to get 25,000 words this month, but since it goes to December I am hoping to get something done by then.
Friendly reminder there’s less than 2 weeks until the comp closes to get your game in if you’re planning to enter. ( I know a few people from around here we thinking about it ) I can only see 1 entry submitted on comp the page at the moment which means so far at least, the odds are looking good if you want to give it a go!
I didn’t think I recognised your writing style in any of the entries up. It should go up straight away I think unless something has gone wrong. (Can you see mine? I only posted it today so if you can, might want to send them a message and see what has happened. If it’s not there, maybe they have an approval process before the general public can see entries.)
I sent it in a few days ago. It may be because I coded it first, as they said they wanted submissions that were text only but had detailed directions for how to be interactive. Didn’t see that until I was done.
Did you send it in here: https://thetoryparty.submittable.com/submit ? I think that one is for people submitting non-coded entries. For coded entries, I think they need to be submitted here: https://itch.io/jam/subqjam
(If you did send it into the second one, I’d say something has gone wrong with your submission and let them know.)
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