IFWiki:Works (style guide)

Proposed layout for a game entry.

Row of Icons

Not a named section, but a row of icons that lets a reader see at a glance which genres the game belongs in, and which major awards that the game has earned. Each icon must also have a text equivalent underneath. When we have some created, we'll list them all here.

Science
Fiction

How It Begins

In this section, we want to give a taste of the game by telling how it begins. One must not give spoilers or give away any obvious secrets of the game. Do not insert a screenshot or a text dump directly copied from the game's scrollback. Restrict your description to the following:

• If the player is warned upfront about sexual content, violence, vulgarity, adult situations, interpreter requirements or display options, write a short paragraph that summarizes these warnings.
• If the player is asked to fill out a questionnaire right at the beginning—for example, to choose the PC's name or gender—then write a short paragraph that summarizes the nature of the questionnaire.
• The main paragraph should begin by stating who the initial PC is, or thinks he or she is. Include the PC's name if the player or PC knows it. Do not spoil games where the PC's identity is a puzzle or difficult to determine.
• Continue the main paragaph stating where the PC thinks he or she is, who is nearby, and what the PC is carrying and wearing.
• Conclude the main paragraph with what immediate goals that the PC is presented with, if any. If the PC has no obvious goal at first, but one presents itself within ten turns of play, then that goal may be stated.
• Another very short paragraph may be added to describe the scope and general impressions of the rest of the game: will you be exploring worlds, a city, or just one building? Is the game silly or serious? Puzzle-filled or story-driven? Try to be very terse and objective.
• If the game contains sexual content, violence, vulgarity, adult situations, or other potentially disagreeable elements, provide a terse warning where the paragraph begins with "WARNING:". Do this regardless if you've already said that the game warns you about any of it.

Versions

For every distinct version, craft a little section like this:

Version Name

• Game Title (authors/porters/etc; release date; platform). Language if not English.
  • Notes: Optional line to help clarify the difference between this version and any other. Also may list which competitions it was in, how it placed, which awards it received.
  • Files: List of filenames (filesize; optional short description; download links).

The version name should be the most natural way to refer to the given version. Examples of version names: "Version 1", "Release 1.2", "Original version", "Competition version", "Spanish translation", "Hugo port".

The list of files may itself be a bulleted list, if that makes things clearer. Most files would have the short description "story file", which may be omitted. Other files should be marked as optional or required as appropriate, e.g.: "optional feelie map".

Notable Features

This optional section may be used to list ways in which this game does things differently from the normal IF game. Think about the game mechanics or game display. Does the game do something innovative or clever? Have IF standards or conventions been changed? Are there extra features of note? Are there in-jokes that ought to be explained?

Links

• Homepage of the game
• Baf's Guide listing of the game
• Play it On-line
• Author's Notes
• r*if threads
• Local reviews or commentary pages about the game, eg: Photopia/Comments by John Doe
• Spoiler Page
• Hints
• Walkthroughs