Judges:- 55jedat555
- Darkonius Mavakar
- Emral
- Saltlord
When the submission period ends, the levels will be distributed to the judges, who will then start reviewing the entries based on the specification below.
THE SPECIFICATION BELOWLevels in this contest are judged by a
dynamic set of scoring categories. Now, what does that mean?
When you submit your level,
you can specify in your readme file a selection of 3 of the below categories that you would like to be judged on. The judges are encouraged to abide by your preference, but if they prefer other categories they may deviate from your wishes. Each judge chooses their own 3 categories for each level, meaning that if while I may judge a level on Aesthetics, Narrative and Creativity, Saltlord may think that the level puts a stronger focus on identity than narrative, and judge the level based on Aesthetic, Identity and Creativity instead.
Furthermore,
one of the 3 categories picked counts double. This decision is purely at the judge's discretion.
Crucially,
this isn't a selection of what categories your level would score best in, but rather a selection of categories that suit the content of the level best.
In addition to the 3 dynamic categories, Fun and Stability issues are always judged.
Below are all the categories, with plus and minus points to describe what they're about.
Dynamic Category 1: Player Communication+ Necessary info is provided to the player in a concise and thematically appropriate way+ Players can figure out how to overcome obstacles without too much guesswork (it may still take them a while to execute)- The level is actively hostile to the player in a way disrespectful to their time- The level is unfairly confusingDynamic Category 2: Identity+ The author's style of storytelling/humour/decoration/design structure/pacing enhance the play experience+ The level is memorable in a positive way- The level exists in the shadow of another level- The level’s identity is diminished by other aspects of the level- The player associates bad memories with the level (tedium, abrupt ending, unfun boss) (ex. a hour-long difficult metroidvania level that took them over a week to beat)Dynamic Category 3: Aesthetics+ The level’s visuals and sound design are well-executed- There are negative aspects to the visuals/sound that negatively impact gameplay, story or other aspects of the levelDynamic Category 4: Creativity+ The level amazes with well-executed, unconventional elements and ideas- The level’s creative endeavours fall flat or don’t mesh with its other aspectsDynamic Category 5: Narrative+ The level’s narrative is compelling and well-done- While the level is story-heavy, the execution contributes negatively to the levelDynamic Category 6: Bonus Content+ The level has a lot of options, optional paths or bonuses that encourage player expression and replayability- The bonus content that is there lessens the quality of the overall packagePenalty Category: Stability Issues (up to -10 points before division)
- Softlocks or lag- The level can throw an error dialog or crashWildcard Category: Fun (up to +5 points before division)
+ The judge's personal enjoyment of the level.The total score is calculated as: (2x Category1 + 1x Category2 + 1x Category3 + Fun - StabilityIssues) / 40
For a total score between 0 and 10 points. Ties are broken first in favor of higher fun score, then in favor of fewer stability issues.
The judges may also hand out medals for each level's unique quirks, to reward participants outside of their placement.
There are 3 medals which each judge is required to hand out: "Overall Favorite", "Biggest Surprise" and "Most Inspiring"
