USM Game Studies is excited to announce its second annual Interactive Literature Contest. This year’s theme is “Playable Texts,” and we welcome submissions of playable and interactive texts in any genre of digital literature you wish—fiction, nonfiction, poetry, interactive fiction, game, memoir, essay, branching narrative, animated poetry, AI experimentation, etc. Past submissions have included works made with tools such as Twine, Inform 7, and Ren’Py, but we welcome any kind of interactive, playable, or animated text, including html files and/or video files.
Selected submissions will be featured on Quest Log and the USM Game Studies itch.io page. All submissions will also compete for a few small prizes. Judges will consist of selected members of USM Game Studies. Find everything you need to participate below, including links to tutorials and submission details. Questions about the contest can be emailed to Dr. Craig Carey, Faculty Advisor of USM Game Studies (craig.carey@usm.edu).
Submission Requirements
Submissions are now open and will be accepted until March 16. Submissions should be emailed to usm.lit.games@gmail.com. When submitting, please include your full name and student ID in the body of the email, and then attach your project as an html file, etc. Twine games export and download as html files, which can be opened and played on any web browser. If using another digital platform, make sure that you send a workable link or file of your work.
Deadline: March 16, 2025
Entry Fee: $0 (free)
E-mail address: usm.lit.games@gmail.com
All interactive works should open with a title page that includes a brief “artist’s statement” (50-100 words) in which you introduce the work and provide a brief description. Author credits can be left out or included, but all submissions must start with a title and short description. If using Twine, you can make this the first passage of your work. At the bottom of the passage, you can include a link such as “Begin” or “Start,” which takes the player to the opening of your project. Write the artist’s statement in the first or third person, addressing it to a general audience; for some examples, click on any project in Electronic Literature Collection: Volume 3. They all include an artist or editorial statement introducing the work.
Eligibility for Awards
All submitted works must have been created during the student’s time at The University of Southern Mississippi.
All submitted works must have been created and submitted by a current student at The University of Southern Mississippi.
Submitted works must be accompanied by an artist statement and follow the submission guidelines
Interactive works in any genre are encouraged, ranging from fiction, nonfiction, poetry, scholarship, game, memoir, creative nonfiction, interactive narrative, etc
If you have any questions about submission guidelines, eligibility, or the contest itself, feel free to contact usm.lit.games@gmail.com or craig.carey@usm.edu
For more information about Twine resources, tutorials, and tips, check out our Twine Resources post!