YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW MUCH TIME
HAS PASSED, BUT YOU KNOW IT'S BEEN
A WHILE.

ALL YOU CAN DO IS SIT BY THE EDGE OF
THE BED AND STARE BLANKLY AT THE WALL,
TEETH CHATTERING IN THE COLD.

IT'S ALL SILENT, FOR A WHILE, UNTIL
YOU HEAR SOMETHING CLANG FROM
SOMEWHERE BELOW YOU.

YOU FREEZE. IN AN ATTEMPT TO FIND OUT
WHAT IT WAS, YOU GET ON YOUR KNEES
TO CRAWL TO THE HOLE SLOWLY AND
CAREFULLY, MAKING SURE NOT TO FALL.

THE MOMENT YOU TRY AND TAKE A PEEK,
YOUR EYES CATCH ANOTHER'S, SHINING
BRIGHT IN THE DARK.

THEY SMILE.
"OH, YOU'RE NEW.
HELLO.
WELCOME TO THE PIT."

01; KEEP YOUR HANDS TO YOURSELF.
no cheating; please do not copy other people's graphics or styles. make it yourself! you'll have more fun that way.

02; WHAT'S YOURS IS YOURS.
no trading of resources; what you choose will be what you have to use.

03; MURDER IS NOT IDEAL.
don't be rude. this isn't supposed to be a bloodbath. let's all support each other!

04; ACCEPT YOUR FATE.
no complaining about level assignments, as they are all random. we will be using a random number generator to assign your levels each cycle.

05; TIME RUNS IN THE PIT.
please pass your entries on time; you will be given a week's worth to make your entries. in the case that you are unable to pass your entries in time, you will immediately be disqualified. this contest will be running on the GMT+8 timezone.

06; SABOTAGE IS A TWO-WAY STREET.
please be fair to your fellow competitors. we will be giving you the opportunity to rate and critique them using a number system; please do not intentionally sabotage their ranking.

30% — CREATIVITY, ORIGINALITY & THEME
it's important that a graphic looks like it's been thought of well, and stands out amongst others. it should be something different; something that would be picked up in a crowd. don't be basic!

25% — ADAPTABILITY & RESOURCEFULNESS
as this contest relies heavily on the level you're going to get, then you must be flexible. your graphic should not just live up to the standards of the resource you got; it should exceed it.

25% — TECHNICAL WORK
this includes the following: typography, color cohesiveness, proportions and light levels. the text should be incorporated appropriately and uniquely. the colors should compliment one another; and be overall pleasing to look at. the graphic's proportions should be balanced and consistent. the graphic should not be too dark or too light in its exposure. we are aware styles play with lightness and darkness and could throw off either one for a better visual, the important thing is the graphic's main elements are highlighted and visible.

10% — OVERALL LOOK
it should, of course, look pleasing as a whole. everything must be coherent on the surface, or at one look. rather self-explanatory.

10% — AUDIENCE IMPACT
the graphic should pique the audience's interest. the critiques the contenders will give will also factor in this rubric.

contains: personal preference of the judges
— a graphic is always subjective in its appeal. this section lets you know what the judges prefer to see in graphics, perhaps their favorite styles, and how much it would affect their judging.

disclaimer :: these are not your guidelines. you are not limited to the judges' preferences.

trina! + suwubins
has been editing for four to five years

( preferences )

if i were to have a preference, it'd probably be a well-executed manipulation. i'm a big fan of manips and blends (as that is quite literally the extent of my abilities) and the occasional aesthetic collage-ey style. everything else is a 50/50 for me; there's a likelihood i'll like it, but just the same likelihood i will not. it all actually depends, really, on the prompt given and the context behind the graphic. i appreciate it when an editor has put a lot of thought into the concept of the edit; if there is a reason why each element was placed in the edit, that's a plus for me. but seriously, man, go wild! have fun!!!

before i end this, there is one thing that all graphics must have in my opinion, though. a well-defined main focus. the model or object you are putting focus on must stand out. otherwise, everything looks rather flat and messy to me.

ah, i also have deep respect for all the editors who can properly arrange and place pngs without a single one looking out of place. i'll give you kudos if your graphic has a really good png placement. (one thing i've been really liking recently is the dismemberment thing where people cut heads in half and put pngs in them to make it look like things are sprouting out of the area. they're really cool.)

shen! + serayume
has been editing for four to five years

( preferences )

creative typography. i prefer it if the text would be messed around with, since i think that the typography of a graphic makes it or breaks it. it's going to heavily affect my judging, so i'll be more tight around the technical work rubric in terms of that.

i am also very fond of out of the box concepts. i always want to see a twist in a graphic, something surprising. something i won't see from a mile away. this will also affect my judging.

these are the things that won't affect my judging a lot, but i will still give brownie points for: the color yellow. i like it. gold & silver. i also dig dystopian themes, cyberpunk, steampunk, retro, sometimes even retro futuristic themes. i'm into greek aesthetic, too. it'd be nice if i see those, but as i've told you, it will hardly affect my judging. i'll just like you more, probably. :"D

grace! + jaehansss_
has been editing for four to five years

( preferences )

Like shen, I also appreciate creative typography although this is something I personally struggle with. There's something very admirable about unique and eye-catching typography that still manages to blend in with the rest of the graphic.

I don't really have a preference when it comes to genres however the final outputs must be clean and well blended. Cohesive color schemes are also one of my preferences. Like an actual well thought-out color scheme.

I have a slight bias towards glowy and ethereal concepts but my judgement isn't limited to that. I appreciate a good concept when I see one especially if it is executed well.

Off centered texts are one of my pet peeves unless it is made clear that it is supposed to be more towards the left or right. What irks me is when the text is so clearly supposed to be in the center but it's not.