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The '''Interactive Fiction Competition''' (also known as IFComp) is one of several annual competitions for works of [[interactive fiction]]. It has been held since 1995. It is intended for fairly short games, as judges are only allowed to spend two hours playing a game before deciding how many points to award it, but longer games are allowed entry.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://intfiction.org/t/long-games-in-if-comp/45459 | title=Long games in IF Comp? | date=19 May 2020 }}</ref> The competition has been described as the "[[Super Bowl]]" of interactive fiction.<ref name="wsj-20051115"/>
Since 2016 it is operated by the [[Interactive Fiction Technology Foundation]] (IFTF).
== Organization ==
In 2016, operation of the competition was taken over by the Interactive Fiction Technology Foundation.<ref name="gamasutra-20160630"/><ref name="rockpapershotgun-20161207"/><ref name="rockpapershotgun-20170703"/>
The lead organizer 2014–2017 was Jason McIntosh, and in 2018 it was Jacqueline Ashwell.<ref>{{cite web |title=Jacqueline Ashwell is the next IFComp organizer |url=https://blog.ifcomp.org/post/168184708509/i-am-pleased-to-announce-that-starting-in-2018 |website=IFComp News |access-date=22 November 2021 |language=en}}</ref>
== Categories ==
Although the first competition had separate sections for [[Inform]] and [[TADS]] games, subsequent competitions have not been divided into sections and are open to games produced by any method, provided that the software used to play the game is freely available.
In addition to the main competition, the entries take part in the Miss Congeniality contest, where the participating authors vote for three games (not including their own). This was started in 1998 to distribute that year's surplus prizes; this additional contest has remained unchanged since then, even without the original reason for its existence.
There is also a 'Golden Banana of Discord' side contest; the distinction is given to the entry with scores with the highest standard deviation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ifcomp.org/about/comp|title=IFComp – About the Competition|website=ifcomp.org|access-date=2019-05-24}}</ref>
== Eligibility ==
The competition differs from the [[XYZZY Awards]], as authors must specifically submit games to the Interactive Fiction Competition, but all games released in the past year are eligible for the XYZZY Awards. Many games win awards in both competitions.
== Judging ==
Anyone can judge the games. Because anyone can judge and participate in the competition, there is a rule that "All entries must cost nothing for judges to play".<ref name="rules-2021">"[https://web.archive.org/web/20220325201552/https://ifcomp.org/rules Rules for the Competition – Rules for Authors]" (archived), ifcomp.org.</ref>
== Rules ==
The competition has rules for judges, authors and everyone to ensure that everyone agrees on the purpose, scope, and spirit of the competition.<ref name="rules-2021"/>
== Prizes ==
Anyone can donate a prize. Almost always, there are enough prizes donated that anyone who enters will get one.
== Winners ==
The following is a list of first place winners to date:
{{div col|colwidth=40em}}
*'''1995:''' Tie: ''[[A Change in the Weather]]'' by [[Andrew Plotkin]] and ''Uncle Zebulon's Will'' by Magnus Olsson
*'''1996:''' ''[[The Meteor, the Stone and a Long Glass of Sherbet]]'' by [[Graham Nelson]]
*'''1997:''' ''[[The Edifice]]'' by Lucian P. Smith
*'''1998:''' ''[[Photopia]]'' by [[Adam Cadre]]
*'''1999:''' ''[[Winter Wonderland (game)|Winter Wonderland]]'' by Laura A. Knauth
*'''2000:''' ''[[Kaged]]'' by Ian Finley
*'''2001:''' ''[[All Roads]]'' by [[Jon Ingold]]
*'''2002:''' ''[[Another Earth, Another Sky]]'' by Paul O'Brian
*'''2003:''' ''[[Slouching Towards Bedlam]]'' by Star Foster and Daniel Ravipinto
*'''2004:''' ''[[Luminous Horizon]]'' by Paul O'Brian
*'''2005:''' ''[[Vespers (video game)|Vespers]]'' by Jason Devlin
*'''2006:''' ''[[Floatpoint]]'' by [[Emily Short]]
*'''2007:''' ''[[Lost Pig]]'' by Admiral Jota (writing as Grunk)
*'''2008:''' ''[[Violet (video game)|Violet]]'' by [[Jeremy Freese]]
*'''2009:''' ''Rover's Day Out'' by Jack Welch and Ben Collins-Sussman
*'''2010:''' ''Aotearoa'' by Matt Wigdahl
*'''2011:''' ''Taco Fiction'' by Ryan Veeder
*'''2012:''' ''Andromeda Apocalypse'' by Marco Innocenti
*'''2013:''' ''Coloratura'' by Lynnea Glasser
*'''2014:''' ''Hunger Daemon'' by Sean M. Shore
*'''2015:''' ''Brain Guzzlers from Beyond!'' by Steph Cherrywell
*'''2016:''' ''Detectiveland'' by Robin Johnson
*'''2017:''' ''[[The Wizard Sniffer]]'' by Buster Hudson
*'''2018:''' ''Alias "The Magpie"'' by J. J. Guest
*'''2019:''' ''Zozzled'' by Steph Cherrywell
*'''2020:''' Tie: ''The Impossible Bottle'' by Linus Åkesson and ''Tavern Crawler'' by Josh Labelle
*'''2021:''' ''And Then You Come to a House Not Unlike the Previous One'' by B.J. Best
*'''2022:''' ''The Grown-Up Detective Agency'' by Brendan Patrick Hennessy<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ifcomp.org/comp/2022 |title=Winners of the 2022 IFComp |website=IFComp |publisher=Interactive Fiction Technology Foundation |access-date=2022-12-06}}</ref>
*'''2023:''' ''Dr Ludwig and the Devil'' by SV Linwood
*'''2024:''' ''The Bat'' by Chandler Groover
{{div col end}}
Only two competitors have won more than once: Paul O'Brian, winning in 2002 and 2004, and Steph Cherrywell, winning in 2015 and 2019.
== Reception ==
A reviewer for ''[[The A.V. Club]]'' said of the 2008 competition, "Once again, the IF Competition delivers some of the best writing in games."<ref name="avclub-20081222"/> The 2008 competition was described as containing "some real standouts both in quality of puzzles and a willingness to stretch the definition of text adventures/interactive fiction."<ref name="kotaku-20081117"/>
==See also==
*[[Spring Thing]]
*[[XYZZY Awards]]
==References==
<references>
<ref name="wsj-20051115">{{cite web
| url = https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB113035964379680346
| title = Keeping a Genre Alive
| access-date = 2008-11-13
| date = 2005-11-15
| last = Vara
| first = Vauhini
| work = [[The Wall Street Journal]] online
| publisher = Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
| url-status = live
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080528120009/http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB113035964379680346-Sm_Xo6VCeinwEXHBnVDawW_8grI_20061115.html?mod=blogs
| archive-date = 2008-05-28
}}</ref>
<!-- Not in use
<ref name="wiredfilm-20060817">{{cite magazine
| url = https://www.wired.com/entertainment/theweb/news/2006/08/71573
| title = Text Games Get Film Treatment
| access-date = 2009-01-19
| date = 2006-08-17
| last = Glasner
| first = Joanna
| magazine = [[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]
| publisher = [[CondéNet, Inc.]]
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090125171715/http://www.wired.com/entertainment/theweb/news/2006/08/71573
| url-status = live
| archive-date = 2009-01-25
}}</ref>
Not in use-->
<ref name="kotaku-20081117">{{cite web
| url = http://kotaku.com/5091501/2008-interactive-fiction-competition-winners-announced
| title = 2008 Interactive Fiction Competition Winners Announced
| access-date = 2009-01-19
| date = 2008-11-17
| last = Houghton
| first = Stuart
| work = Kotaku
| publisher = Gawker Media Network
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081220022916/http://kotaku.com/5091501/2008-interactive-fiction-competition-winners-announced
| url-status = live
| archive-date = 2008-12-20
}}</ref>
<ref name="avclub-20081222">{{cite web
| url = https://www.avclub.com/violet-and-everybody-dies-1798215368
| title = Violet and Everybody Dies
| date = 2008-12-22
| access-date = 2009-01-17
| first = Christ
| last = Dahlen
| work = [[The A.V. Club]]
| publisher = [[The Onion|Onion Inc]]
| url-status = live
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090115080048/http://www.avclub.com/articles/violet-and-everybody-dies,17091/
| archive-date = 2009-01-15
}}</ref>
<ref name="gamasutra-20160630">{{cite web|last1=Francis|first1=Bryant|title=Interactive Fiction foundation formed to aid Twine, IFComp growth|url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/interactive-fiction-foundation-formed-to-aid-twine-ifcomp-growth|website=[[Gamasutra]]|date=June 30, 2016}}</ref>
<ref name="rockpapershotgun-20161207">{{cite web|last1=Short|first1=Emily|author-link1=Emily Short|title=IF Only: What to watch for|url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/12/07/if-only-interactive-fiction-resources/|website=[[Rock, Paper, Shotgun]]|date=December 7, 2016}}</ref>
<ref name="rockpapershotgun-20170703">{{cite web|last1=Caldwell|first1=Brendan|title=IF Comp 2017 opens for scribes and crowdfunds prizes|url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/07/03/if-comp-2017-opens-for-scribes-and-crowdfunds-prizes/|website=Rock, Paper, Shotgun|date=July 3, 2017}}</ref>
</references>
==External links==
* [http://www.ifcomp.org Official website]
[[Category:Interactive fiction]]
[[Category:Video game development competitions]]
[[Category:Writing contests]]
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