Start: September 26, 2026, 00:00 UTC
End: October 26, 2026, 23:59 UTC
Theme: Monster Hunt
Breaking news! A horrid monster troubles our peaceful community. Who will save us?! In keeping with the spooky season, this competition is all about monsters. Submit a map of any genre you choose. The titular "monster" could be a fantasy necromancer, a modern biomutant, a campy 80s slasher villain, an alien, or anything else you choose. But the centerpiece of the map should be the game of cat and mouse with a single, monstrous foe. You could make anything from a puzzle map to one long boss fight. I feel the need to clarify that the titular "monster" doesn't have to be the ONLY enemy in the map, but there absolutely must be a spoooky "big bad!" It also doesn't have to be grimdark. Let your creativity run wild.
Rules
Breaking the rules will result in disqualification
- Each participant can only submit one map
- The map must be your own original creation. However, you are allowed to get help with scripting, custom items, prefabs, etc., or use existing content from the Steam Workshop.
- The map has to feature a player controlled unit (static/spectate only maps are not allowed)
- Old maps are not allowed, you have to start creating the map after the competition has started (the game keeps track of when a map was created, so you have to start with a new map)
- The map has to be submitted before the competition is over, updates to the map are not allowed after the competition is completed
- The scripting system, custom equipment/items/objects, custom units/prefabs can be used in any way
- This includes public workshop items of other players and content that you created in the past
- However, if you use content created by other players, you should clearly state which parts of your map/content were not created by yourself
- This includes public workshop items of other players and content that you created in the past
Reward
The prize pool will be paid out via digital Steam Gift Cards and is split between the top 3 creators:
- 1st place: $50
- 2nd place: $25
- 3rd place: $10
How to submit a map
Submitting a map is very easy, but make sure your map doesn't break any of the rules or it will not be considered for the competition!
1) Upload your map to the workshop
2) There is a banner on the right side in the main menu where you can select one of your workshop maps to submit it
Rating
The maps in this competition will be judged by Tomebinder, who has both played and created various maps and campaigns. If you have been around in the community for a while, you probably already know him for creating "The Good of the Company" campaigns. He also creates Youtube videos of AW3 and will probably create content about or stream some of the maps, so make sure to check him out and follow if you are interested:
https://www.youtube.com/@tomebinder4369
Each map will receive a score which depends on these categories:
- Appearance (0-3)
Appearance is how the map looks from an aesthetics point of view - that is to say, how easy it is on the eyes
- Technical Design (0-5)
Technical design covers how well a map is put together; that is to say, how well it runs, the efficiency of object and unit usage, and the complexity of the map in general.
- Balance (0-2)
How balanced is a map, when the theme is taken into account? Is it too easy or too hard? Is one team steamrolling the other when it shouldn't be? Is the player waltzing all over the competition without breaking a sweat? Or is the player dying the moment they leave the starting area?
- Originality (0-3)
Has it been done before? Has it been overdone? Does it use original prefabs or does it borrow from the workshop? Is there something about the map that makes it stand out from the rest?
- Units (0-3)
Is your map using custom units? Are they a designer brand fit for the catwalk or are they as bland as shredded wheat? Are they balanced, and do they fit the map?
- Gameplay (0-3)
Is the map fun to play? Is there non-stop action, or is it scary/exciting/thrilling
- Thumbnail (0-1)
Does the map have an appealing thumbnail?
- Theme (0-3)
How well is the theme represented in the map
Other relevant information about the rating:
- If you use custom scripting, it can positively influence categories like balancing, gameplay or technical design, but it can also negatively impact the performance! That being said, there is no need to use scripting to score the maximum points in the technical design category
- Custom equipment/items/objects are not required to score the maximum points in any of the categories, but it can help. In any case, using a variety of good looking custom units with vanilla equipment is sufficient
