Pseudocontest, day one

Pseudocontest is a Polish game desing competition, based on a popular Game Chef formula. In 7 years the community managed to pull off 18 editions with a decent number of almost a 100 games written. After a longrer period of inactivity we've re-activated the contest and launched it for the 19th time.

The basic idea is: write a game in a week, using two of the three presented ingredients. This edition's host, mr. Paladyn, presented us with a quite hard set: The Dreamtime (meaning: the Australian Aboriginals beliefs and spirit world), Czarist Russia and Paradise Lost (I presume Milton, not the metal band).


One week for a game. After this period other people will get your text, review and mark it. Couple of the highest-marked games will participate in second-level reviewing, after which the best game will be chosen. We rely on peer-reviewing, in a Game-Chef 2012 way. It's the first time we decided for such thing, prior to it we had a gentelman's agreement to review each other games, which collapsed under a large number of games sent for 17th edition. Now each reviewer will have only 4-5 games to check out.

What is the reason for such contest? For me - the deadline. I have my people to bounce off the ideas and beta versions (mostly Ina, Nid and Darken) so the review thing is not that appealing. Also, my games for Pseudocontest tend to be strangely theoretical and requiring certain skillsets to play. But the deadline, the peer-preassure for the outcome. That can motivate and I like the rush.

Also, the RPGGeek community started 24h RPG Contest. The deadline is 30 October. I hope Pseudocontest won't use all my strenght up and I'll be able to deliver second game this month.