TIGSource: O.H.R.RPG.C.E. Terrible Games Contest

O.H.R.RPG.C.E. Terrible Games Contest

Paul Eres — Thu, 28 May 2009 18:46:00 +0000

The goal of this contest for the Ohrrpgce engine was to make a terrible game. The games are terrible, intentionally, but interesting. The creator of the Ohrrpgce, James `SPAM Man’ Paige, posted great video reviews of all the entries. I thought these videos were very entertaining to watch, even if you don’t play any of the “terrible” games.

Among others the games include a game where the fate of various people are determined by a random button push, an RTS where babies face off against robots, a randomly generated bacon dungeon, the Village People: The Videogame (which is exactly what it sounds like), and a game which was so terrible it wasn’t even released, even though it too is an entry in this contest (see video above).

You can find the rest of the video reviews of each game after the “jump”.

"O.H.R.RPG.C.E. Terrible Games Contest" by King

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:28:24 +0000

I’m betting that A Shot in the Dark wasn’t actually arbitrary, but a set outcome no matter what you choose. :)

Why would someone even think this? Stop it, that’s just stupid.

"O.H.R.RPG.C.E. Terrible Games Contest" by TEXAS

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 13:42:26 +0000

I AM ARGUING SOMETHING THAT IS NOT WORTH CARING ABOUT!

"O.H.R.RPG.C.E. Terrible Games Contest" by Gilbert Smith

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 02:51:22 +0000

Okay, I just did the research, apparently the first B-Games Contest was in 2007. The first Terrible Games Contest was in 2004.

"O.H.R.RPG.C.E. Terrible Games Contest" by Gilbert Smith

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 02:46:20 +0000

Wollsmoth: I don’t know how long the Tigsource B-Games contest has been around, but I held the first OHR Horrible Games Contest about five or six years ago.

I’d never even heard of the B-Games contest until you mentioned it (I’m kind of out of the indie games loop). Maybe I should be sick and tired of people ripping MY ideas off.

"O.H.R.RPG.C.E. Terrible Games Contest" by Spoonweaver

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 01:31:46 +0000

I’m glad people seemed to like Techno Ship Funkotron and Babies vs Robots.

You can find all these games and more @ http://www.slimesalad.com/

Hope to see you there.

"O.H.R.RPG.C.E. Terrible Games Contest" by Mogri

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:11:17 +0000

You’re misunderstanding the contest. It’s not a “terrible games” contest, it’s a terrible “games contest.”

The games are downloadable from Slime Salad, where you can also find more (text-only, usually) reviews of these games. I didn’t participate in the contest personally, but I’ve played most of the entries (unlike everyone else in this comments section, apparently). Some of them were legitimately awful, but Baconthulhu and Village People were excellent. Baconthulhu won the contest.

"O.H.R.RPG.C.E. Terrible Games Contest" by Paul Jeffries

Sat, 30 May 2009 01:06:58 +0000

I just love in the pope video how they guy doing the commentary pauses for a ridiculously long time before reading out a roman numeral incorrectly. Four times. Other than that, everything about this was terrible. Which I guess is good…?

"O.H.R.RPG.C.E. Terrible Games Contest" by dicks

Fri, 29 May 2009 23:05:24 +0000

WHERE IS THE GAME

I MUST PLAY

"O.H.R.RPG.C.E. Terrible Games Contest" by Paul Eres

Fri, 29 May 2009 19:18:00 +0000

i imagine the roguelike-ish bacon-themed game was “terrible” in the sense that it illustrates what happens when programmers make games which seem cool to programmers (throwing in cool tricks and procedural content and the like) but don’t appeal to a general audience and are too hard for most people (i.e. the ‘save scab’ thing – or was it ‘save scrub’? i forget)

"O.H.R.RPG.C.E. Terrible Games Contest" by v1510n

Fri, 29 May 2009 17:34:24 +0000

What’s the song in Funkotron?

"O.H.R.RPG.C.E. Terrible Games Contest" by wollsmoth

Fri, 29 May 2009 17:16:37 +0000

B-games compo ripoff. I’m sick and tired of people stealing compo ideas from the “new ideas” thread. YOU KNOW WHO I’M TALKING ABOUT.

"O.H.R.RPG.C.E. Terrible Games Contest" by ortoslon

Fri, 29 May 2009 17:15:04 +0000

[kind, considerate and reasonably ironic comment]

I liked first two videos and James’ voice. But the last roguelike-ish game isn’t terrible enough. It seems better than Nethack.

"O.H.R.RPG.C.E. Terrible Games Contest" by Dave

Fri, 29 May 2009 10:48:43 +0000

willsmith.jpg

Oh yeah, YEAH?! BRING IT FOOL, BRING IT!

"O.H.R.RPG.C.E. Terrible Games Contest" by Paul Eres

Fri, 29 May 2009 10:07:08 +0000

Yeah… I think what’s especially noticeable is that even in an entry like this, where the games are intentionally / admittedly terrible, they still find something to hate on – whether it’s the reviewer’s voice or whatever: it’s like, normally they can get away with the ‘we’re just criticizing parts of the game we don’t like, if you don’t like my comments you’re against criticism itself!’ argument, but that doesn’t really apply here.

"O.H.R.RPG.C.E. Terrible Games Contest" by Ezuku

Fri, 29 May 2009 09:44:19 +0000

Agreed. Too many trolls.

"O.H.R.RPG.C.E. Terrible Games Contest" by Pita

Fri, 29 May 2009 09:24:51 +0000

Wow… Just to echo mirosurabu above… the comments on tigsource have really turned to trash…

"O.H.R.RPG.C.E. Terrible Games Contest" by Ezuku

Fri, 29 May 2009 08:22:49 +0000

Many of these are so bad you get an overflow error, making them AWESOME.

"O.H.R.RPG.C.E. Terrible Games Contest" by Hdjdjdjd

Fri, 29 May 2009 05:14:43 +0000

Could have done without that god/aethist lecture in the pope video

"O.H.R.RPG.C.E. Terrible Games Contest" by Biggerfish

Fri, 29 May 2009 03:41:23 +0000

The aim was to make terrible games, not terribly funny games.

"O.H.R.RPG.C.E. Terrible Games Contest" by sidpiz

Fri, 29 May 2009 01:22:31 +0000

That first vid is worthless, and A Shot in the Dark is also worthless.

as for “Babies vs. Robots” : Some relief–I actually lol’d at the line, “Hmm… need more babies.”

Comedy gold right there.

"O.H.R.RPG.C.E. Terrible Games Contest" by Rad

Fri, 29 May 2009 00:40:53 +0000

God that narrator’s voice just droooones. I might’ve been interested if he didn’t bore me to death

"O.H.R.RPG.C.E. Terrible Games Contest" by mirosurabu

Fri, 29 May 2009 00:25:08 +0000

Frontpage comments are starting to scare me.

"O.H.R.RPG.C.E. Terrible Games Contest" by Strange

Thu, 28 May 2009 23:57:54 +0000

Man, something from the ‘Johnny’ series should’ve been submitted… Not to discredit the Johnny games at all (love ‘em to death), but these were all designed with the purpose of being bad. Johnny games could’ve brought something a little different.

"O.H.R.RPG.C.E. Terrible Games Contest" by Lyx

Thu, 28 May 2009 23:07:28 +0000

I think that compo may be infectious:

First they made gamerules which are so terrible that they’re funny, then they made games that are so terrible that they’re funny, then there are commentaries which are so terrible that they’re funny, and now we have a really terrible troll which just achieved enlightment that this is a terrible compo with terrible games and terrible commentary… now if this isnt an alarming trend ;)

"O.H.R.RPG.C.E. Terrible Games Contest" by Paul Eres

Thu, 28 May 2009 22:11:57 +0000

This is a side note, but I actually do think the AVGN is pretty creative and entertaining; I’ve seen most of his episodes. I think it’s a good idea for a game developer to watch them, so that they can learn what mistakes to avoid in their own games. And a lot of people do think he’s entertaining, he wouldn’t have so many fans otherwise.

I think Dave’s comments so far seem to fall into the “I don’t personally like this, so you all shouldn’t like it either” category. It’s hard to just “see the light” when someone tells us that something we find entertaining or funny isn’t actually entertaining or funny. I’m not sure why one would even want to make the attempt, to try to see something that one likes as not worth liking.