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Andail actually edited out a link I had embedded in the phrase "crumbling network of ghost roads", which was meant to hint at a puzzle I have in mind where you would need to divert some of the connections between tombs in order to arrange confrontations between certain ghosts (a little bit like the mix-and-match AI personality puzzles in Technobabylon), among other things.

Yeah, sorry about, but I guess I wanted it be just an elevator pitch, with no other media attached. How would you count a (rough) 80 word limit if you could link to external texts - that's a bit hard to judge fairly.

That said, I'm a bit surprised you didn't get any votes (again), because I liked your pitch, although I felt uneligible to vote, knowing who wrote what.

Spoiler

loose?

[close]

Very sad news.
My condolences to those near to him.

It should be mentioned that the rules stated "roughly 80 words". While it hasn't been enforced very strictly, please do award mental bonus points to entries that abide by that rule.

Alright, the poll is up so start voting!

We ended up with 10 submissions this round as well - not saying if it's the same people participating because that's part of the follow-up activity: Guess who wrote which entry!

Read! Vote! Guess!

One difficulty with this contest is that there's not really anything to post about while it's ongoing. But to everyone who said they'd enter this round, now is the time!

True! But if last round is anything to go by, there'll be more posting afterwards instead:)

I'll close this by midnight, so there's still time to join this extremely exciting competition!

Could you use one of the other game pitches I sent you?
I didn't save them elsewhere.

If not, I'll just think of something new.

I sure can, but as Snarky said, you should find your message in your "sent messages" box

Fixed!

Time's up for this round, use the poll to help decide a winner!

Behold, the great contributions to this competition (interestingly, exactly 10, like last time):

#1

Haunts
The tombs of the old royal necropolis are connected by the ghost roads, so that the spirits who knew each other in life can visit each other. They are not for mortal feet; only the dead travel them. And now you: Hunted. Hungry. Half-mad.

Make your way from tomb to tomb, getting the ghosts to lead you ever further by offerings, threats and trickery. Gradually piece together a history of blood and betrayal, generation by generation, to find a path through the crumbling network of ghost roads, face the Forefather, and ask him your question.

#2

During the Reconquista, Ponce de Leon attacked a farm manor.
His home burnt, parents and siblings slaughtered, only Benilyas and the old maidservant Alda escape. Puzzling their way to the coast, they join with Ottoman pirates. Looting cities and helping other refugees, they learn de Leon travelled to the Americas, and follow his path.
Moors...Pirates...Conquistadors! Young spoiled Benilyas and vengeful old Alda's epic adventuring, cultural mashings, team puzzles, naval combat, exploring the New World, and collaborating with local tribes to kill de Leon.

#3

Two lovebirds at the turn of the 20th century. He, an engineer, has been away on business for months. She, carrying their child, writes him every day. One day, he invites her to come in West Virginia. She packs her case and takes the first train.
On her arrival, she learns his death in the collapse of a mine. Showing up in the middle of his funeral, the poor woman  discovers his family and receives mixed welcome.
No one's heard of her. More worrisome, her  lover's been dead for two weeks despite the recent unearthing of his body. Who was she writing to lately?

#4

Your long lost twin sister knocks on the door after 35 years. A joyous reunion. Until she takes over your life, your job, your husband, and accuses you of being the imposter.

The burden of proof falls to you as you embark on a quest that takes you right back to your place of birth. Discover the truth about the sister you never had in this twisted adventure that examines the loose threads binding love, family and our own sanity.

#5

Taking influence from cheesy young adult novels, create an RPG adventure centered around teenagers living in the suburbs, but not all is as it seems.

Supernatural entities are creeping into the world, but only our protagonists can see them.

Gameplay would focus around going to class to gain skills, making friends to join your party, and hunting monsters at night in the streets of your sleepy home town.

Can our heroes save the world in time for third period?

#6

Imagine Maniac Mansion, but with a randomly generated mansion. The layout and the rooms would all be randomized, making some puzzles impossible and others possible. You could play the game twice, and not have any of the same puzzles.
In one playthrough, the kitchen won't have a microwave, in another the kitchen has a microwave, but it's broken. What objects, items, and rooms are available will be different each time. Thus giving you an adventure game with unlimited replay value.

#7

Eupolemo the Metaphysic is on top the Tower of Babel when Jehovah is going to destroy it! He must escape, but God confused all tongues, now the guards and doormans speak unknown foreign languages and don't understand him! He can only count on his Easy-Speak-For-Dummies© book to learn pippian cockney, hurrurian gesturing, q'quintsian phrases and more to reach the ground floor and go out! But he must learn fast… before the wrath of Jehovah drops upon his head!

#8

The case of the hidden letters (a Christmas story)

Christmas is around the corner. Santa tells Pefty to go to Praiser Town and find the hidden residents letters to him. Praiser Town's residents are set to disprove Santa's existence and his "knows all", so every year they hide their letters instead of sending mailing them. It's up to Pefty through highly detective skills of investigation and interrogation to locate the hidden letters! And in all secrecy, because the residents must not know what Pefty is up to or doom the world!

#9

Death Show

Two death-row criminals go on a virtual-reality game show in which they must overcome obstacles and solve puzzles to find the exit. The winner will gain his or her freedom. The game show's theme this particular week is fantasy land.

The player will be able to switch between controlling the two criminals. One is a woman, a wrongly convicted English teacher. The other is a man, a hardened gangster. Will the two despise each other at first? Yep. Will respect and sexual tension gradually increase between them? Uh-huh. Will they eventually join together to break out of the game entirely? Maybe.

The game will feature three possible endings: the woman betrays the man and escapes on her own, leaving the man to certain death; the man betrays the woman and escapes on his own, leaving the woman to certain death; both escape together and “ride off into the sunset”.

#10

A first person horror game taking place in broad daylight. The player finds themselves locked in a garden surrounded by an unclimbable fence, and the only way out is to explore the garden further.
It's a beautiful summer garden filled with walls of blooming bushes and green trees casting deep shadows in the strong sunlight, but the player is not alone. There is an unseen horror stalking the player, it's presence known only by the rattling of leaves it makes when it moves through the bushes, and the player has to keep their distance or be instantly killed while collecting items and solving puzzles in order to get the key to open the garden gate. The entire premise is built around the contrast between the beautiful, serene environment and the paranoia and horror of being hunted by an unknown monster.

I was gonna start a new one on Sunday, because I like consistency. If you can wait that long

While you wait, you can polish your pitch and make sure it's as attention-grabbing, buzz-generating and investment-worthy as possible!

Submitted!
I have no idea what I'm doing. I also forgot to copy the results, so let's hope the site doesn't crash or something.

Glad you liked it, we can have another one soon enough

Congrats to the winner(s)!

One thing that strikes me is that there were very few gimmicks or unique selling points presented; people were generally happy to share a nice idea for a story. Adventure games are a bit special in that respect; a game pitch can be basically a nice story.

Mark is definitely one of the founding fathers of AGS, so it's sad that he's decided to leave. I consider him a good friend too - we (and other mitteneers at the time) met IRL for the first time way back in 2002.

I also owe him a lot for publishing TSP for me, it definitely wouldn't have made it to Steam as effortlessly as it did, nor sold half as well.

With Mods gone I can only think of Gilbert who's been here longer than me of all (more or less) active members, which is making me a bit nostalgic.

I've checked the setting "show after poll expired" so it shouldn't be visible. Maybe a non-mod can comfirm this, might be good to know for future reference.

Before I share my own thoughts, how do people feel about the results - are you fine with having the poll made public, or should I just announce the three 'medalists'?

Behold, the great contributions to this competition:

#1

Welcome in Grand'Teslan

Gyada walks amnesiac in the streets wearing a straightjacket.
Did she escape from an asylum?
She can open every locks, except the ones on herself.
Is she a burglar?
She can't rest.
Nightmares of the city named Grand'Teslan that cry blood harms his mind.
But seems too real.
What secrets hide his freakish inhabitants? Why Gyada is bound to this gory place?
Help Gyada to solve the mysteries of Grand'Teslan, and free herself… and his soul!

#2

Twin Peaks in Oxbridge setting, as an adventure/life-sim:

During university entrance interviews at Clarendon College, one of your fellow candidates vanishes without trace. But when you return for your first term, you discover a clue…

To investigate the disappearance you must delve into the many intrigues and mysteries of Clarendon (from secret societies to academic vendettas to designer drug rings), while also attending lectures and tutorials, finding friendship and romance, and taking part in student activities (drama, sports, parties…) and college traditions.

#3

☼‡§Glory Master!§‡â˜¼

This game is like FF RPG FPS adventure inland of Overlandia, where wicket shadow wizards The Borgias have conquest.  There is being teh Battle for points that get you moawr power, and spellz for teh vanquishment of arch mages.  U r God Beast, a man of handsome musculer kharisma.  U saving teh objectified Sexy Ladys with cunning & brutality.  Theirs fellow beta heroes who follow in ur cause, and u spend moste ur time a loan in there manly company.  Teh game has a serius, melancholy town.

#4

A prank at school ends up with jimmmy dying and is sent to the pearly gates. There's no red carpet for him there so he immediately head for the "Hell-evator" with a "We both know how this will play out so I'll just be on my way" Saint Peter stops him and thinks for a while and decides that Jimmy should stay in heaven because he would probably enjoy hell with its sinful ways. So the main objective is to piss off GOD so much that he sends you back to earth.

#5

Ithaca's Quest

Back in 15th century at Florence, a teenager called Antonio always loved the arts, but his destiny was to be a pizza baker, as his family tradition did already for over 400 years. After the unexpected death of his father, Antonio gains the inheritance money and he decide to direct a theatrical production of the first printed Homer's Odyssey. Now Antonio must find and convince the villagers to be actors, dancers, painters, and musicians with the magic of solve puzzling.

#6

Adam is an ant (a worker ant, to be precise) with a problem â€" while all the others are hard at work like a proverbial… well, ant â€" he just wants to lounge around playing pointandclick games.  However when the termites overwhelm the soldier ants, only his ingenuity - honed by his experience of playing adventure games - can save the colony.  Using only what he can find in the natural surroundings, Adam must make a machine capable of defeating the termites â€" The Termitinator!

#7

A story about a guy who is inexplicably immortal.
The game would be a bit like one of Telltale's games, what with the constant decision making. But the story would be about someone from the Victorian era who for some unexplained reason, becomes immortal. The game would take place over a large period of time. At first he won't know he's immortal, but then people realise he isn't ageing, and then he watches his family die of old age. It fast forwards to the modern day, where he has become a celebrity as an undying man, and an oddity that scientists can't figure out, but that people generally leave alone, and we get a nice little love story that seems to end the game, but then it fast forwards again into the future, where there's a nuclear war and everyone except him is killed. Then it fast forwards into the future again, humans are long since gone, all animals have long since changed or evolved, and he's still alive, completely and utterly depressed. Finally it fast forwards again, Earth is a barren rock, and the sun is getting bigger. He gets enveloped by a supernova and then into a black hole, but he can still think because he's still alive somehow. And so he thinks to himself about how the thought of an afterlife is the worst thing he can imagine, because having lived for an eternity, he hates the thought that so many other people want what he considers to the worst fate imaginable.

#8

A Scythian warrior wishing to prove herself ends up travelling along the silk road alongside an exiled Greek scholar in the quest for a relic of tremendous importance,
the Ur-shanabi, the plant Gilgamesh himself  searched for, which is said to grant immortality. Together they will fight bandits, explore lost tombs and
visit fabled cities such as Babylonia and Persepolis on an epic journey that will make them both question everything about their beliefs and perceptions of the world.

#9

One of the world's biggest game creators has gone missing. A boy thinks that there are clues hidden in his games that will help solve the mystery, and is set on solving it. The game would switch between playing the games to look for clues and investigating the real world. All the while, the main character will have to deal with run-ins with the police as he trespasses to investigate areas, and with his troubled home life, living with his mom who just went through a divorce.

#10

Omniball

In Lewis Candon's world, Luckmeters are used to rank society from 'A' to 'F' according to a person's innate luck. The A-Grades tend to be CEOs and lawyers. On the opposite end is Lewis, an unemployed F-Grade about to take a job where society has deemed he can work safely -- the Omniball lottery.

On the morning of his first day, fellow F-Grade, Brad Pearson, approaches Lewis with a potentially life-changing idea. They're going to rig the lottery.

A little moderator intervention here - are the last handful of posts relating to a sequel, i.e. a different game in production? Or is this some kind of patch?

It's a bit confusing that you're bumping a completed game's thread with info about another game.

Alright, a reminder that it's one week left.

I've already got 7 contributions, so the competition is fierce!

Sounds brilliant.
Would it be ok to send multiple pitches?

You can send in multiple pitches, and I'll pick the best one This is a competition after all, so having more than one entry seems a bit unfair...

We have to pitch a realesed/in developing game or even an imaginary one ("Lara Croft meets James Bond in Monkey Island")?

_

An imaginary one. An idea that only exists in your brain so far.