This is the dedicated forum for the 2012 24 Hour RPG competition, set in little spaces. Check out the sticky thread for the rules and please post successes, failures, ideas and rules clarifications.
With my schedule, it's hard to get much time within a single 24 hour period but I'm going to give it a shot. I've already got 2 ideas.
Rules question: I created a forum game a few years ago, of the sort where everyone submits a turn a day. I'm inspired to turn it into a rpg suitable for one shots. The rules would be quite different but the concept would be very similar to the past game so it wouldn't be entirely original. If I get to it, I'm going to make it and submit it. But the setting/conception wouldn't be made within the 24 hour period. Should I mark it as not to be judged? I could lie about all this but I don't think the stakes are high enough to invoke the evil manipulator within me.
Nicephorous, thanks for your honesty and welcome aboard the 24 Hour RPG train!
I think in this case that it would be fine. You're using a concept that isn't completely new but using it in a completely new way. That's cool. Most mechanics we see in 24 Hour RPGs are Attribute + Skill + D20 vs Target Number anyway! It's not like that is original (and it is very difficult to come up with an original RPG mechanic anyway) but we accept it. To earn yourself maximum respect, make sure that the system feels right for the setting you create.
By the way, whoever thought of the theme for this year is brilliant. It forces a focused setting which should keep it tight and relatively easy to cover within the time limit. I really think you need a clear and focused concept to get anything usable in a day.
Good question, Captain. It's 24 hour continuous. You have to include sleeping, food, toilet breaks, family interventions, police raids, beating salesmen from the door, breathing, shouting at a crashed PC, earthquakes, global thermonuclear war and telephone calls from your mother.