Anything Goes Contest Winners Announced: Part 1

Over 800 entries, 100 winners, & 1 slightly frazzled contest host

Hello, hello heroes! Back when we launched our latest AQW contest, we had 1 simple instruction: Anything Goes.

No theme. No limits. No guardrails. No safety rails attached to the guardrails.

Just pure, unfiltered creativity. And OMG… you did NOT disappoint!

You didn't just ~think~ outside the box; you launched the box into orbit, gave it wings and a sword, wrote a paperback story about it, painted it in twelve different art styles, then uploaded it to 5 social media platforms.

And what followed was the single largest contest ~and~ community event I have ever witnessed in the history of Artix Entertainment!

We received over 800 entries! Eight. Hundred. Entries!

Hold up; I need to type that again because I am still processing it. Eight hundred and eighteen entries, ermahgerd!!!

At first I was excited. Then I was impressed. Then, overwhelmed. Then I was impressed again. Then overwhelmed again. Every time I thought I had seen the most creative thing imaginable… another submission would appear and immediately prove me wrong. And then around the 500th entry, my coffee stopped being a beverage and became an actual support class.

Then came the judging. Oh yes, the judging — the completely reasonable and not-at-all terrifying task of reviewing, reading, listening, gawking, admiring, and scoring 800+ entries.

At that point it wasn't even a contest anymore… it was an Ultra Boss battle 👀 And if creativity was a stat, some of you showed up wearing full endgame gear. Impressive ~and~ daunting to say the least!

Thankfully, our amazing judges (aka the best party members!) stepped up to help tackle this colossal undertaking. Minds were blown, notes were compared, jaws were dropped, and scores were tallied.

We painstakingly reviewed every entry. And by painstakingly, I mean there may have been actual pain involved.

Some entries were separated by fractions of a point. Fractions! The math was mathing HARD.

And then we added the Social Media incentive; contestants could earn up to 5 bonus points by sharing their entries on Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.

Unsurprisingly, you all absolutely RAN with that idea!!

Everywhere I looked, AQWorlds was there. On FB! On Twitter! On YT! On Insta! On… TikTok?! Yes ofc there too, and even though I don’t personally use TikTok, I certainly saw the entries submitted there!

The vibe genuinely felt (and looked!) like the early 2010s all over again. Players sharing their creations across socials, friends tagging friends, artists inspiring artists, and creators cheering on other creators. The entire AQW community — past, present, and future — came together and started celebrating, just like how we did back in the golden days of browser-based gaming!

That feeling has always been one of the most special things about AQWorlds, and seeing it return in such a HUGE way reminded us how incredibly lucky we are to have this amazing community of heroes like you! 😍

So after countless hours weeks months of judging, comparing notes, tallying scores, applying bonus points, double-checking calculations, debating placements, organizing files, chasing screenshots, uploading images, making graphics, and after seventy gallons of coffee mysteriously vanished from my vicinity…

we finally reached our winners. Or, rather,

105 winners.

Alright listen: when your community is ~this~ unbelievably talented, “narrowing things down” becomes more of a negotiation with reality than a realistic expectation. Technically speaking, yes, we narrowed things down. Emotionally speaking, I wanted to give prizes to approximately everyone.

At one point I considered adding a 7th Place category. Then an 8th. Then a 9th. Then I was gently escorted away from the prize budget.

We didn't choose 105 winners… our community simply refused to let us choose less.

And because there are SO MANY incredible creations to showcase, we're splitting the celebration into 2 Design Notes!!!

Part 1 (this post!) showcases our Grand Prize, 1st Place, 2nd Place, and 3rd Place winners along with their incredible creations and stories, while also listing our 4th, 5th, and 6th Place runner-ups.

Part 2 will feature our 4th, 5th, and 6th Place winners to shine the spotlight on them + their creativity.

But whhyyy split it into two posts, you ask? Two reasons:

1. I physically cannot drink THAT much coffee in one sitting. Trust me, I’ve been trying.
2. Attempting to upload over 100 winning entries into a single Design Notes would probably crash the servers faster than a Friday night release.

Okay okay Beleen — enough caffeinated chit-chat! Enough suspense. Enough pretending my desktop isn't currently held together by folders named
FINAL_WINNERS
FINAL_FINAL_WINNERS_v2
FINAL_FINAL_WINNERS_FOR_REAL_THIS_ONE

It’s high time to celebrate the incredible creators who made this contest ~and~ this community unforgettable!

Drumroll, please 🥁🥁🥁

Grand Prize Winner: Cem

100,000 AdventureCoins
12 Month Membership
Exclusive “Anything Goes Grand Prize” Badge

Out of 800 entries, one creation was a cut above the rest — and considering it was a life-sized battle axe, I mean that quite literally. Fellow hero Cem forged an incredible real-world recreation of the Blinding Light of Destiny (with a time-lapse video!) while sharing a heartfelt story about growing up alongside AQWorlds.

As a child, Cem remembers racing home from school every Friday to experience the newest AQW release. Today, he's a teacher preparing to do exactly the same thing when AQW Infinity launches! Special shoutout also goes to his wife, who helped bring the project to life and will be joining Cem on the adventure with the second Kickstarter key.

Congratulations Cem, our illustrious Grand Prize winner!

 

1st Place Winners

50,000 AdventureCoins
12 Month Membership
“Anything Goes Contest Winner” Badge

Art: vincethepro

If AQW launched on SNES, I'm pretty sure this is exactly what it would have looked like. Inspired by classic retro RPGs, ambitious artist vincethepro reimagined AQWorlds as a pixel-art adventure complete with animated character selection screens and iconic heroes & villains from across Lore! The project serves as both a creative tribute ~and~ nostalgic love letter to the years spent exploring AQW's classes, characters, and stories. It feels like the opening screen of a game many of us would immediately spend 500 hours playing. And with Infinity on the horizon, I suspect most of us will hit that 500-hour mark within the first month of launch 😅

Please join us in celebrating vincethepro and his pixel-perfect work!

 

Writing: Jet

Jet's ambitious story, “A Tale of Worlds Coalescing,” explores the idea of a single character existing across the many timelines that now converge within AQWorlds Infinity. Drawing inspiration from AdventureQuest, DragonFable, MechQuest, AQWorlds, and even Sepulchure's timeline, the narrative weaves together Light, Darkness, dragons, necromancy, destiny, and the concept of Infinity itself — ntm, splayed across socials and even read aloud on YT! The result is a deeply lore-rich tale that feels like a celebration of the entire Artix Entertainment universe and the stories that brought us here.

The lands of Lore and planet Loreon salute you, Jet!

 

Video / Animation: The Rotted King

A lifelong fan of Artix Entertainment whose history with our games stretches back more than 20 years, The Rotted King transformed his passion into a fast-paced animated tribute to the worlds that inspired him. All the art was hand-drawn and created entirely in Adobe Animate! This project combines years of technical experience, a love of action choreography, and countless memories of growing up alongside AQW and other AE games. The Rotted King’s ultimate dream is to one day create cutscenes for AQWorlds Infinity itself — and after seeing this entry, we can absolutely see why!

Congratulations to The Rotted King, our phenomenal winner who probably has a fully maxed out animation skill tree.

 

Wildcard: Chattis

Chattis legitimately put the ‘card’ in Wildcard! What began as a simple “what if…” brainstorming session quickly spiraled into a full-blown passion project. Chattis designed character cards, game mechanics, stats, booster packs, promotional materials, videos, and even a functional game system inspired by AQW's lore, classes, and trademark chaos!!

Somewhere along the way, this project accidentally became art, writing, video production, game design, and wildcard all at once, which honestly feels appropriate for an Anything Goes contest.

Talk about playing your cards perfectly. A literal winning hand! Exceptional work, Chattis!

 

2nd Place Winners

25,000 AdventureCoins
6 Month Membership
"Anything Goes Contest Winner" Badge

Art: jonnygabriel

Artist and certifiable Master Madman of MS Paint, jonnygabriel created “Sally’s Tea Party of Evil”! And it is exactly what it sounds like: a gathering of AQW’s most delightfully sinister characters enjoying an unexpectedly wholesome tea party. Created entirely in MS Paint, the piece is packed with personality, lore references, expressive character interactions, and enough evil faction representation to qualify as an Anime Convention. Sally may have organized the party… but the real achievement was somehow getting this many evil NPCs into one room without a world-ending catastrophe happening.

You could say this entry was steeped in creativity and brewed to perfection. It’s simply 'tea'riffic, jonnygabriel!

 

Writing: Jase

Jase’s “A New Chapter Awaits” beautifully captures the unique moment AQWorlds finds itself in today: honoring nearly two decades of memories while looking ahead toward an exciting future! Much more than just an animated story about AQWorlds, it's a heartfelt tribute to the players, creators, and adventures that brought us together.

Equal parts nostalgia, gratitude, and anticipation, it reminds us that the next chapter belongs to all of us!

This story was filled with heart, hope, heroism, and hand-drawn art that hit us right in the feels. Exceptional work, Jase!

 

Video / Animation: Tombis16

What if Moglins had Tamagotchis… or actually WERE Tamagotchis? That delightfully cursed question led Tombis16 to create the Twillygotchi, a fully realized virtual pet experience inspired by classic handheld companions. Built in Unity and packed with custom artwork, animations, sound effects, and an entire instruction manual, the project perfectly captures the playful spirit that has always made AQWorlds feel a little (or a lot) wonderfully weird. 

Unlike other Tamagotchis, Twillygotchi appears significantly more resilient. Perhaps even invincible? I haven’t been able to kill my Twillygotchi yet, which is honestly a really weird flex, ngl. You can try it out yourself by playing Twillygotchi in the browser for free!!

Keep up the great work, Tombis16 — your virtual pet has very real charm and has definitely charmed the judges!

 

Wildcard: Victoria, aka Chilly

Everyone’s heard of Christmas in July… but Frostval in June is an entirely new holiday we need to trademark immediately!!! Fellow Frostval-lover and expert web-designer Victoria forged Frostval.com, a love letter to one of the most beloved traditions in AdventureQuest history. Combining over 20 years of Frostval memories into a beautifully designed interactive website, the project preserves holiday releases, nostalgia, and community history while creating a cozy space for fans to revisit their favorite seasonal moments. Built from the snowy ground up as a passion project, it captures the warmth, wonder, and magic that Frostval has brought to generations of heroes — and will continue delivering in Infinity and beyond! 

You could say this Frostval website sleighed the competition. Holly jolly work, Victoria / Chilly!

 

3rd Place Winners

10,000 AdventureCoins
3 Month Membership
“Anything Goes Contest Winner” Badge

Now, before we announce our 3rd Place winners, I need to explain something. 

You see, there was a tie in the Art category. At this stage of judging, we could have done the uh-hem “reasonable” thing and spent another week debating scores, consulting ancient prophecies, and determining which side of a decimal point destiny favored.

Or...

We could simply award them both. So we chose the latter!

And then, while we were at it, we somehow ended up with FOUR winners in the Wildcard category too, because it was totally a team effort and we could not NOT award one without awarding the others, ya know? 

So please join us in celebrating our 4 5 6 7 8 3rd Place winners!

Art: urtiga selvagem

This piece hits hard right in the nostalgia feels! “The Skies of Gilead” is a beautiful tribute to friendship, nostalgia, and the adventures we've shared throughout the years playing AQWorlds. Created as a portrait of the artist urtiga selvagem’s best friend both in-game and in real life, the piece showcases Winged Endymion soaring through one of their favorite maps from childhood, The Ruins of Great Gilead. Crafted with plenty of skill, heart, detail, and dedication, it became the artist's favorite work they've ever created — and we can absolutely see why!

The sky was NOT the limit for urtiga selvagem; their entry truly soared!

 

Art: TetraDraws

Artist TetraDraw wondered, "What if AdventureQuest Worlds crossed over with Adventure Time?" And BAM! “Adventure Time Worlds” answers that question with a colorful crossover packed with charm, personality, and an incredible amount of detail. There is so much perfect shading and craftsmanship poured into this piece that we’re secretly wondering if TetraDraws is actually an artist for Adventure Time.

In which case… when is the crossover happening, hmmm?! The lands of Lore ~and~ the Land of Ooo congratulate you, TetraDraws!

 

Writing: Saber Tooth Dragon1234

What started as a contest entry quickly turned into a deep dive through years of AQWorlds lore. After spending weeks catching up on the story and documenting thousands of words of research, Saber Tooth Dragon1234 created “Ash Dragonblade and the Ivory Table,” a new faction built around redemption, accountability, and second chances. And perhaps master timeline cartographers

Drawing inspiration from organizations like the Silent Sentinels, the story explores how former villains, broken heroes, and survivors can find purpose by helping others overcome the darkness they once faced themselves.

This entry certainly earned a seat at the Ivory Table. Outstanding work, Saber Tooth Dragon1234!

 

Video / Animation: Alther

What a wonderful example of the “show, don’t tell” philosophy! Inspired by the song “Wasureji no Kotonoha” (in English, “Forgotten Words”) by the Mirai Kodai Orchestra, fellow AQW hero Alther created an emotional animated storyboard celebrating one of AQWorlds’ most beloved storylines: the Chaos Lord Saga. Drawing from countless cutscenes, memories, and a healthy (aka obsessive?) appreciation for Drakath, the project reimagines the Hero’s journey through music, storytelling, and animation. It’s amazing how this entry captured the nostalgia, emotion, and sense of adventure that made so many of us fall in love with AQW… and maybe baddie daddy Drakath too, teheheehe!… in the first place.

A beautiful tribute to one of AQW's most beloved sagas. Exceptional work, Alther!

 

Wildcardssss: COFASIZ, MINGKY, FENZO, and ININDAY

“Infinity Unbound: Connecting Worlds” stood out for its creativity, cinematography, and the collaborative spirit behind it! The team combined art, storytelling, videography, and website design into a shared vision centered around connection and friendship.

“No matter the city, no matter the device—AQW Infinity ensures that the quest never ends and the friendship never fades.”

This project serves as a reminder that some of the best adventures aren’t solo quests at all… but rather the ones we team up to tackle together! Teamwork really does make the dream work. Congratz COFASIZ, MINGKY, FENZO, and ININDAY!

Important discovery: after watching their video and according to extensive scientific research that I definitely did not make up just now, wearing an AdventureQuest Worlds t-shirt grants +100 Cotton Armor DEF.

However, there exists a legendary weapon type capable of bypassing this defense:

AdventureQuest Worlds BattleOn Battle Cards.

Because a paper cut ~always~ crits for over 9000. That's just science. I don't make the rules… I merely suffer under them.

 

4th Place, 5th Place, and 6th Place Winners

After showcasing all these amazing heroes so far, we still have one very important truth left to face:

we are NOWHERE near done.

For the remainder of Part 1, I’m keeping things structured (responsibly, carefully, and with only minor internal panic) by listing our 4th, 5th, and 6th Place runner-ups.

Because even if we can’t show ~every~ entry in this post, we absolutely ~can~ recognize every creator who made this contest what it is! So while I wait for my emergency shipment of industrial-strength coffee to arrive before beginning Part 2, let’s meet our 88 other winners right now!

4th Place: 5,000 ACs + Badge

Ayanne, Isabel Bathory, Yachty, coolspy101, Drakonclaw, Demon jester, zxb, ben com PRIME, JFZ, Kevent, Eisen Claymore, Ang, Chiton, bayen, Zzino, Barrysoul, mordimort, Wah, dnjb, King Alden Alteon, Proxy, Linda Wilds, Valik the Darkblood, Phantom Warrior, Thallen, Claribel

5th Place: 2,500 ACs + Badge

Maltace, GhostAthena, L i n x, Quartz563, RAGENA, Vaylena Artes, Angzirkhu, riddlers riddle, Archmage_Smoker, Sultan Naufal, Arvyn Eternal, ragnarokpheonix1932, Mocha7721, Smartiys, Nawcks Eturnal, ru_by7, Aisux, Jaide, Jayriel, Tenchitor, Master Zuul, VPN, mck, AnUbIsTh3gArD, Yunah, Shadow Magigcian

6th Place: 1,000 ACs + Badge

Darksider Lilith, ddax, nartexr, satyred, Ishi_matsu0, Michael Deann Fudot, Crimsonera, Manor, xsosxquickiller, Garly, Neoslasher, parepochist, sacrilegious, Nitram, Darkness2929, Aizen Reeve, shaman1237622, Sleepingmoon, Subtely, mmiikkuu, PurpleDragonOfficial, Rusty_Angel, Thelokete, SleazyMite, _zera_, Venvirn, Lucifer, Rouk, nelda1, Cmd, Dreadscar, Holy_Samuel, Master Mage 1134, Lothar456, Whazzitoya, kai_zero

 

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!

Before we wrap up Part 1, there's just one last thing I want to say because I clearly haven’t said enough in the previous 3000 words and I’d hate to start being concise now.

THANK YOU!!!!

Thank you to everyone who entered. Thank you to everyone who shared entries. Thank you to everyone who cheered on creators. Thank you to everyone who left encouraging comments. And thank you to everyone who helped make this contest feel so special!

Whether you submitted an entry or simply enjoyed seeing what others created, whether you backed AQWorlds Infinity on Kickstarter from the get-go or discovered you can still make late pledges right now, whether you've been playing AQWorlds since 2008 or started your adventure 8 days ago, or whether you're a returning hero, a daily adventurer, a curious newcomer, or some random internet traveler who accidentally clicked this Design Notes post and got caught in its gravitational pull of awesomeness ~and~ run-on sentences…

Thank you all! From the bottom of our hearts and HP bars. Contests like this remind us why we've spent nearly two decades building this world, telling stories, slaying a bajillion Frogzards, and creating adventures alongside you. Because the heart & soul of AQWorlds has never been the classes, items, bosses, maps, rares, memes, moglins, chaos, dragons, or even AdventureCoins... well, okay, maybe a little AdventureCoins 😜...

It's always been the people! It’s always been you! Every player. Every story. Every guild. Every friendship. Every joke. Every pun. Every battle fought. Every challenge overcome. Every memory made. And everybody who ever logged in and became part of this game’s legacy. AQWorlds may be an online game… but the memories are real ~and~ they last a lifetime.

So yes, YOU are the reason AQWorlds still grows. You are the reason AQWorlds Infinity became possible. You are the reason we continue dreaming bigger! Building bigger! Creating bigger adventures! And finding new ways to bring heroes together year after year.

For that, we could not be more grateful to have you by our side. Together, we've spent a lifetime forging unforgettable memories. Together, we've laughed, celebrated, battled, created, and grown. And together, we are just getting started.

So here's to the next adventure! Here's to the next contest! And here's to all of you! Because real grand prize has always been the friends we made along the way.

...Okay, and maybe the 100,000 ACs too 😏

Thank you for helping us build this world! Thank you for helping us keep it alive!! Thank you for continuing to make AQWorlds feel like home!!! No matter how many years pass, one thing never changes:

Our community is the #1 reason the legend never ends.

On behalf of everyone at Artix Entertainment, thank you for being part of our community, our legacy, and for continuing to adventure & quest alongside us towards Infinity.

Battle on!
Beleen, our awestruck judges, Player Support who somehow survived awarding prizes to 105 heroes, and your incredibly grateful AdventureQuest Worlds team