For this entry I'm going to be using my blog to write down my opinions on ZZT maps that were entered in a 24 hour contest over a decade ago, and then never actually judged. ZZT is an old DOS-based creative platform developed by Tim Sweeny of then-Epic Megagames, wherein players could create their own worlds and game experiences using the simple but robust tools provided to them. This contest, done in Autumn of 2003, involved the stipulation that the projects had to be started and completed in 24 hours, with the given theme being "disaster", suitably enough. If you want to know more about ZZT, check out the Museum of ZZT website! https://museumofzzt.com/

Oil by dave2 - I'd have to describe this as the best example of what a ZZT project can be in these sort of competitions - A simple but creative premise, focused around a single challenge, and boards that aren't too easy or too rough on the eyes. You can feel the 24 hour time limit, but they still managed to whip together a simple little Helicopter-esque engine and frame it around a disaster of sorts. I'm not sure the author intended to write your actions as completely meaningless, but it's kind of funny that they did. 9/10

Disaster by Stampede76(?) - This entry would be perplexing if I hadn't been clued in on the secret mythos behind its creation. While it falls short in every meaningful category for the contest, it does provide an interesting time capsule of the type of community ZZT was fostering back in 2003. 1/10

Fallout by - eRN56 As you might expect from the name, this runs with the 'Nuclear apocalypse' sort of disaster, with the dastardly 'enemy' capitol dropping a well-animated nuke onto the capitol city of ZZT. I liked that the combat encounter lets you know how close you are to victory with the gem counter, and I like that the maze glows when you bump into walls, because it's helpful and sort of thematic. But I got a tremendous amount of lag in the room after the maze, my game slowed down so much that I spent more time there than anywhere else. 7/10

THE KRUSHING DISASTER ELITE EDITION by NUeKMmm - This is the kind of stuff that is hilarious when you're a kid/young teen in the early aughts, but the only enjoyment I got out of it was that the combat board is almost entirely breakable walls, so you can get outside and run around in the void and make all the enemies bump into each other following you. Also, it makes it so only one cat is strictly necessary to save - Speedrun strats! 4/10

Paper Wisdom by Oof - This one vaguely feels like the author just wanted to put a lot of stuff they were Interested in on a board that a bunch of folks would ostensibly play because they had to judge it. It took over a decade, but mission accomplished, I guess? 4/10

Sid Disaster by TTTPPP - A beautiful horse bitmap transcribed in ZZT display turns back the time and averts several disasters. It's no Donnie Darko, but we make do. 3/10

Silicate by My Liver Hurtz - This is one of those games that feels a bit too ambitious for the 24 hour timespan, if anything. Several laggy boards, a long-winded intro complete with statbuilding that is mostly irrelevant to the gameplay, and as far as I can tell an ending board that just isn't functional... There was a lot of effort, but no time to polish out the numerous rough spots. 7/10

Virus by Mr Smith - This is the other sort of game that was a bit too ambitious - In this case, the abrupt ending is a clearly-defined screen reading that the author ran out of time, rather than just a board that doesn't work properly. What is there is quite good, including a cool pulsing virus effect that's very 28 Days Later. There's a good attention to detail in this game, and you could only imagine what the full story might have entailed. Also, you probably wouldn't have to edit the game to start on the actual first board rather than the title screen, but hey. 8/10

Overall, Oil is the most coherent, complete, and satisfying game entered in this contest. While other games might have aimed higher, Oil achieves everything it set out to do. Personally, I'd like to see a complete version of Virus - It might not be the most original sort of story, but I was quite charmed by how detailed its boards were.