Are you an aspiring casual game designer? YoYoGames are running their second game development competition, offering cash prizes of US$1000, US$500 and US$250 for the top three games.

The competition theme is Ancient Civilisation and the rules are simple and unrestrictive:

• The game must be created with Game Maker, version 6 or later (Pro or Lite).
• The game must comply with the terms and conditions of YoYo Games as indicated on the website.
• The game should be your own original work and you should own the rights to all resources used in the game.
• The game should run through the Instant Play mechanism at the YoYo Games site.
• The game should not change the screen resolution and should run in a window (rather than full screen).
• You can submit a game you created in the past but only if it is not already published on YoYo Games.
• The game must be submitted by an individual member, who will receive the entire prize in the event of a win. Please note this does not exclude team entries. Entrants may accept assistance from a team, but any prizes will go only to the submitting member.
• A member is allowed to submit at most two games in each competition.

So far, only 2 games have been entered and there’s plenty of time left. The competition deadline is April 27th. Their previous competition had over 200 entries, so plan your game carefully. There’s more info at the competition page. Check out the YoYoGames Winter Competition Winners to see what you’ll be up against. You’ll find some great casual games to play.

(One side comment: I am more than a little perturbed that the YoYoGames player cannot be closed using the X button in Windows Vista.)

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Lack of choice is boring. It’s obvious, but still true. You can make up for it by pumping up the adrenaline levels, but that’s a work-around, not a solution and it only appeals to a small demographic of the population. Most games out there give you very little leeway to choose your path. You’re shoehorned into fixed cinematic after fixed cinematic and the most complex option you have is which weapon you use to kill the next slathering blood-covered monster.

Okay, that’s not true at all, but even in the most progressive of RPGs you generally have one major plot arc that drives the game and forces you one way through the story.

There are really only three levels of choice available in games at the moment. Continue Reading

Popularity: 2% [?]