Custom playable content
There are a near-infinite quantity of playable custom gaming content available.
This page aims to define the core types of custom playable content, and delineate how the CE system interacts with each type.
Definitions
Whilst each of the categories below may hold other meanings elsewhere, the definitions as shown below are specific to a CE-context.
Hacks
Standalone games derived using existing source material as a base (typically the engine and/or assets), and whose changes consist mostly of additional playable content, sprites/assets, and/or gameplay mechanics added to that source material.
Mods
Software or modifications that augment an existing game. This may take the form of quality-of-life adjustments, community-led bug fixes, or additional playable content that cannot be played on its own without the source game.
User-generated content (UGC)
This is content found within a game, made using tools created and provided by the developer of the game, for players to create and share additional playable content within the game amongst one another.
Fan-games
Games created using inspiration from the source material. There may be a sliding scale of similarities between the fan-game and the original work(s) on which it is based.
These games are different from a hack in that a Fan-game is more likely to be built from scratch, and also be a standalone release, as opposed to having heavily leveraged (or outright plagiarized) most of the engine/assets as a base.
Notably, the term "Fan-game" (CE context) differs to "fangames" ('I Wanna' context).
Treatment on CE
Hacks / Mods
Games whose existence relies on the work of others is ultimately not eligible for (standalone) inclusion on CE.
The content may be eligible to be included in a Community Objective for the relevant underlying game, however.
User-generated content
Content created using tools provided by the developer, and playable within the confines of the game in which it was created, is not eligible to be included as a standalone entry on CE.
Depending on how the developer chooses to present/package/promote user-created content within the game, the UGC could potentially form the basis for a Secondary Objective for the relevant underlying game. (see: I Wanna Maker's SOs)
Fan-games
A game inspired by another is not explicitly excluded from being added to CE.
Where there are many games of a broadly-similar nature, drawing from the same source inspiration, potential additions would be subject to a higher quality bar than a typically addition (see: Quality Guidelines).
This threshold will be inherently subjective and difficult to articulate, but will take into account the quantity of potential games fitting the above description, and the extent to which the proposed addition solidifies its own unique identity.
Releases on Steam
Any game that is released on Steam is considered eligible to exist on CE, subject to crossing the same minimum thresholds for difficulty and quality as any other game released there.
As a result, games that might otherwise fall into the Hack or Mod categorisation would be eligible for inclusion on CE were a Steam release made available.
Rulings on specific games
Whilst not intended to be an exhaustive list, there have been recurring discussions relating to the following games/releases, which the list aims to explicitly address in the context of eligibility for addition to CE.
| Game(s) | Category | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| 'Kaizo' games | Hacks | These games rely on applying patches to the original Super Mario World (SMW) game. Whilst sprites, gameplay mechanics and level design could potentially be new relative to SMW, given these games ultimately are built off of SMW itself, they are not eligible for addition to CE. |
| I Wanna Be The Guy | Fan-game | The original IWBTG itself is an original game that was inspired by the flash game 人生オワタの大冒険 ("The Big Adventure of Owata's Life"), but which used a number of assets from other games (eg: sprites and music from Nintendo games). Given the unapproved use of others' intellectual property, the game is not eligible for addition on CE. |
| 'Fangames' (IWBTG) | Hacks | Whilst the original game is designated as a Fan-game on CE, 'fangames' ("I Wanna X the Y" etc) releases are considered Hacks in the eyes of CE. They rely on a common game engine, with common physics as a base, and adjust from that base. Similar to Kaizo hacks, the level of unique content built on the original's base, and the 'quality' of release, can vary widely; they ultimately fall under the Hack category though and are not eligible for addition to CE, absent significant unique changes that shift a given release into the Fan-game grey area. |
| FNAF games | Hack / Fan-game | Frisky Nights at Freddy's (FNAF) games toe the line between Hack and Fan-game; some would fall within the CE definition of a Hack, and others a Fan-game. Many games act as 'an adjusted FNAF', utilising the same Clickteam Fusion engine and built off of a common base with adjusted parameters/visuals; these would fall into the 'Hack' category, and not be eligible for addition to CE. Unlike 'fangames', which use the same common base, there is no open source base for non-official FNAF releases, and so we are lumping "same core gameplay features, without major unique additions" into this categorisation. Games built using a bespoke engine, or with significant overhauls to features / gameplay elements relative to the original game(s) would be eligible for addition on CE. However, due to the sheer volume of game releases, any proposed non-official FNAF game addition recommendations will be subject to an increased minimum bar for quality. Further, those seeking addition will need to articulate how the difficulty from the proposed game addition differentiates itself from the original game(s) in a meaningful way. For example, "the same animatronic animal characters, but you have half the time to react" would not be eligible for addition. Similarly, "reskinned characters with similar behaviours" would not meet this threshold. The Admin team anticipate this ruling to evolve as additions are proposed, and addition outcomes are decided upon. |
| Touhou games | Fan-games | This entry refers to games released by creators other than ZUN. Games that fall under ZUN's licensing guidelines for derivative works are considered Fan-games, and eligible for addition to CE. |
As a reminder though, releases from these franchises/game series that are released as a standalone version on Steam would be treated as any other game from a CE-addition perspective.