Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring

Scott Hardie | February 9, 2014
We're on the eve of another tournament in the goo game. I wonder what surprises this one has in store. Good luck, everyone!

Since 2014 began, my attention has been almost entirely consumed by planning for the wedding and honeymoon. That's going to have to continue for a while longer, but I very much look forward to things getting back to normal in April. I have a lot of plans and a lot of pent-up energy for working on Funeratic. :-)

I could use your help with the next season of the goo game, please. Just as we did a year ago, I'm inviting players to create their own goo themes. Invent your own set of five or ten goos around a unifying concept, and send them to me for publication sometime in the spring. You'll get points added to your score as if you had solved them. This is optional but hopefully fun for all. Some details:

- For each goo, you must provide the source image, gooed image, category, and clue. The images should be 360 x 360 (this helps), but I can resize them if necessary. If you lack Photoshop or other tools for bending and warping the faces, try this tool for making the goos.

- For the theme, it would be great if you could name it and write a description, but I can easily do that part if you'd prefer; just let me know the concept. I have a specific way of selecting theme images myself.

- Please send these to me by email. (If you don't have my address, reply here or in private and I'll send it to you.) I'd prefer for you to send me two emails please: Firstly, just send the gooed images, categories, and clues, so that I have a few days to guess the goos myself, then later a follow-up email with the source images and answers. However, I can accept everything in a single email if that makes a difference.

- Only one theme per player.

- I must receive your submission no later than Friday February 28, the last day of the winter season.

Thanks to everyone who participates, and in particular to Chris Lemler for suggesting this in a private conversation. Chris has already sent me his goos and I had fun solving them. I hope to see more good themes soon!

Scott Hardie | February 21, 2014
Congrats, Joanna! That was an excellent and well-deserved victory today! Justin, Mike, Samir, way to keep up the fight. This was a tough tournament, and I hope a fun one too.

I'd love to announce changes in the game for the spring, but it's no secret that with the wedding next month, my time is short. The only thing new this spring will be the player-requested goos, which must be submitted by next Friday. I have only received one set so far, but several other players have talked to me about it. Here's hoping for some good goos.

Until March, enjoy some bonus goos.

Scott Hardie | March 1, 2014
Chris, Matthew, and Steve, many thanks for submitting a set of goos! Each of you will get an extra five points added to your score. (This won't actually appear on the site until Tuesday evening.)

If you sent me goos and I did not just name you, then there's been some kind of mixup. Please contact me ASAP.

Scott Hardie | March 6, 2014
I'd really like to honor the next Hall of Fame inductee this month on schedule, but I must apologize because the wedding is going to make that (and lots of other things) impossible for the next few weeks. It will have to wait until early April. My thanks for your patience.