Basic Summary

Finalists Jam accepted Maps from participants.
Requires maps are downloadable.

Read the about for more information.

Judging

Ranked by Judges - Only members of the jam assigned with judging permission can vote.
Entries can't be updated during the judge phase.
21 day entry period.

Rating Criteria

1. Concept & Originality
   Rated 1 to 10
2. Technique & Execution
   Rated 1 to 10
3. Presentation
   Rated 1 to 10

It had seemed an eternity since the brave first expedition had gone through the portal. Since then, many springs had passed, each seemingly weaker and weaker to the ravages of winter. Calm had once again returned to the village, not the same calm, but a sort of new normal. The occasional shriek or grunt that came from beyond the portal was largely ignored. Villagers had largely returned to their daily routines, and the memory of the initial expedition were all but lost.

When at long last the explorers returned from the Nether, the villagers could scarcely believe their eyes. For all the years that they had been gone, they had not aged one day! However, their biggest shock was yet to come.

In their stories, the explorers described weird, wonderful structures, scattered across the Nether. Whoever, or whatever, had made them showed no lack of imagination or skill. Enlivened by the talk of fantastical creatures and awe-inspiring structures, the villagers clamored around the portal, eager to see what lay on the other side.

by Chiaroscuro



Building Tips

1. Get familiar with the latest Nether blocks and show us what's possible!
2. You don't have to use ANY of the new blocks BUT you do need to build in the Nether.
3. Let the atmosphere of the Nether biomes to inspire your builds.
4. Imagine a backstory as to why you're building in the Nether. Let the story inspire the direction of your creation(s).

not_listed_locationUnique rules to this contest

1. You must build in the Nether. Minecraft 1.16.x
2. You do not have to use the new Nether blocks.
   

These rules are in addition to the traditional project contest rules which you will find lower in this contest description.

Quick Recap on how to participate
Install the latest version of Minecraft 1.16.x, go to the Nether and let the atmosphere inspire your build entry.

stars Upgraded Prizes with first place receiving an optional secret hand-made object! *
* object will be revealed as soon as it's completed.

BuildCon (not affiliated with Mojang) is the annual event where the entire Minecraft community is invited to one place. Builders, developers, modders and many others join to discuss Minecraft, participate in masterclasses to hone skills and express creativity within the game! @MCBuildCon | Discord

These rules may change between contests, so please be sure to read them carefully in case they are different from the previous ones! Failure to comply with these rules will result in the disqualification of your submission and/or being banned from the contest entirely.

Unique rules to this contest:

1. You must build in the Nether. Minecraft 1.16.x
2. You do not have to use the new Nether blocks.
   

Plus the traditional project contest rules:

• You can build with others! We are not limiting this contest to 1 creator only. Gather your friends, build together!
  
• One entry. If you're working with a team, we advise that you work out who is going to ultimately post the project into the contest before getting started. We can only award the account that enters the contest.
• You must use the default texture pack in your images. This is a build contest, not a texturing contest. Judges will also be reviewing your builds with the default texture pack.
  
• Presentation is important! Add lots of screenshots showing off your build, write something about your work, maybe write a description of your building process and in general take the time to present it to the community and judges to increase your chances of making it into the finalists.
  
• You may not use any tools that produce an output for you. Building aides are allowed but don't let a program do the main work for you (3D model converters, Pixel Art Generation, etc).
  
• Must build in vanilla Minecraft 1.16.x. No mods that add third party content! Judges will also be judging the submissions in vanilla Minecraft.
  

Where are the starter maps?
There is no starter map for this contest. Create a new world in Minecraft 1.16.x and head to the Nether.

Is this SOLO or TEAM contest?
No. It's an open project contest. If you'd like to work with friends, you can. However, you will need to work out with your friends who gets to post it and ultimately who will get the prize should the group effort win. We don't want to discourage people from working together. We tried splitting project contests into team/solo and feel it's sending the wrong message.

Which Minecraft version do I have to build in?
Use version 1.16.x

Am I restricted to only the new Nether blocks?
No, feel free to build with whatever blocks you want. However, your creation must be in the Nether.

Is there a specific style?
No. You can build whatever comes to mind. We recommend letting the atmosphere of the new Nether biomes inspire your build.

Can I use paintings, banners, custom player heads etc.?
Yes.

Are we allowed to incorporate command blocks and redstone into our builds?
Yes but it's not guaranteed that viewers or judges will experience your build. If you do add special elements to your build, be sure to capture them in the presentation of your submission.

During the entry period, entries will be judged by a panel of your Planet Minecraft peers. We'll be assembling a team of individuals to judge; don't worry if there aren't any yet, they will be added soon!

During the first phase, judges will be reviewing builds, disqualifying entries that break the rules and diamonding posts that they like. Remember that judge diamonds are worth a lot! The community is also viewing, diamonding, reporting and influencing which entries will make it into the finalists. Once the build period is up, the contest will enter phase two.

The second phase consists of 5 days of review; the judges will go over the entries and find any missed rule breakers. Everyone will have this time to diamond and view more of the entrants before the site will calculate the finalists.

The final phase involves the judges judging all of the finalists, which are calculated based on an aggregate score of activity and votes.

You will be judged on the following aspects, on a 1-10 inclusive scale:

• Concept & Originality : Fresh, new ideas and crazy concepts! Try to do something new, differentiate yourself from the status quo and show us what you're made of.
  
• Technique & Execution : Color, shape, texture - be sure your build flows together and represents what you are trying to accomplish.
  
• Presentation & Experience : Presentation of a build can really help to make an impression. Be sure you've got good screenshots, spend some time on the post!
  

Step 1: Create a map and have fun! You have a little over 3 weeks to build! You do not need to immediately post a downloadable map with your submission. You may post it any time before the entry deadline.

Step 2: When you're ready to post, head back to your Minecraft saves folder and zip the map folder. Windows users can right-click and Add To > New Compressed Archive; you may also use a third party program such as WinRAR or 7zip.

Step 3: Go to the Create New Project page on PlanetMinecraft and upload your map as normal! Be sure to take many screenshots to show off the interiors.

1st Place

• Secret Hand-made Object * plus $50 Steam Credit gifted to your Steam account.
  
• A Contest Themed, Gold, Pixel Art Trophy for Member's Profile Trophy Case.
  
• Profile Featured on PMC - 1 Week+.

* The hand-made object will be revealed during the contest. If you happen to win and don't want the object, you can opt to have your Steam credit increased to $100.

2nd Place

• $50 Steam Credit gifted to your Steam account.
• A Contest Themed, Silver, Pixel Art Trophy for Member's Profile Trophy Case.
  
• Profile Featured on PMC - 1 Week+.

3rd Place

• $25 Steam Credit gifted to your Steam account.
• Contest Themed, Bronze, Pixel Art Trophy for Member's Profile Trophy Case.
  
• Profile Featured on PMC - 1 Week+.
  

Finalists

• A special pixel art finalist medal in your profile trophy case.
  

Participants

• A special collectible pixel art participant badge in your profile trophy case
  

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