Wild Marathon - Rules of the game 2024

Welcome to the fourth season of Wild Marathon!

We're starting a new year-long game. It will be a continuation of the previous season: the rules will remain the same, but new tasks will be added. I'm wildly delighted that Wild Marathon has brought together a warm bunch of enthusiasts who are addicted to this  creative game. And for those who are new here, join in - it's great stimulation of the creative processes and just interesting and fun. Let's play!

What is this game about?

Personally, I've conceived this game for the sake of discipline. Creativity is my job, but there's very little time for new personal projects. That's why clear deadlines and goals are necessary. This is the only way to implement ideas and grow. 

Stable results, including in creativity, only come from self-organized people. Talent without discipline remains only potential. So this game will help us to organise our creative process better and work on time according to the tasks set.

We choose the tasks ourselves, but we are inspired by the wildlife that this marathon is all about.

Bottom line: this game is designed to promote wildlife, creativity and creative time-management. Shall we play?

What are the rules of the game?

How often do we play?

This season the rules will be as follows: we receive a new task once a month at the beginning of the month. You have one month to complete the task, but you can do more than one entry. The work must be fresh, created during the game.

How do we choose the task?

The tasks come from a wild alphabet that will allow us to learn about the animal world from A to Z during this year. There will be a Latin alphabet for foreign participants, and there is Russian alphabet too. Once a month we randomly draw a letter of the alphabet. When a letter is determined, each participant chooses any member of the fauna currently existing on the planet whose name begins with that letter (Latin letter can be used in your own language too, so name of the animal must start with this letter but can be in your own language). You can also use a scientific name if you wish. Animals, birds, insects, fish, reptiles etc. - any existing characters that suit your preferences and creative goals.

This season we are finishing up the letters of the alphabet left over from last season. We've used up 12 letters out of 30, so there are plenty of choices, and the most prolific letters haven't been played yet. We've got some great choices ahead of us.

Can we have a mythical or fairytale creature?

Important: extinct animals are not part of the game, neither are mythical and fairytale characters. Let me be clear: dinosaurs do not play, fairytale dragons do not play. But fairytale Lion king can play because it is based on real animal. Let's be inspired by the animal world that still exists around us. 

Can we make not felted work?

Once you have chosen a hero, you can begin to create your work within a month. You can work on the task in absolutely any technique: felting, embroidery, knitting, drawing, sewing, carving, sculpting, baking, whatever you like. You don't have to create an animal figurine or a toy. It could be a hat inspired by a chosen butterfly, mittens with a zebra pattern or a kitchen board with an animal silhouette. It is important that you are inspired by a particular animal and it can be visible in the finished work.

This way, we won't be making the same animal, but many different ones. There won't be unwanted animals, but there will be a way out of your comfort zone. After all, we will have to study and choose according to our own creative preferences. But we'll create freely, consciously and what we really want.

Can I have plants?

There will be two stages in the game, which we will dedicate to flora. We will add lichens and fungi to the plants. Experience shows that incredible works turn out. Details on these stages will appear when they drop in the game. 

Will there be more intrigue?

Yes, there will be another stage with a restriction. Here we will limit ourselves in colour. In addition to the letter, the whole work will have to be done in monochrome - using only black and white: you can choose an animal with a suitable colouring or discolour any animal. Monochrome helps you to concentrate on form and detail - one more good practice.

Is last year's work allowed?

The work must be fresh, created during current game. You don’t have to participate in every game. The marathon is completely voluntary. But remember, the main point of the game is creative time-management, so it is better to keep up with tasks and deadlines.

Will there be prizes?

There are no prizes in the game and no selection of the best work. Everyone is a winner. Everyone improves themselves, but in a warm, friendly atmosphere and on interesting tasks.

Where and when do we get the tasks?

The challenge raffle takes place at the beginning of each month on a live broadcast on this website. The video of the raffle can be viewed on the screen by selecting the right month game in the video menu.  

You do not need to register to participate in the game. Just come to this page and watch. Before the livestream, I send invitations to the participants (for registered users) and do announcements in social media. The results of the ruffle are also posted on social media.

How to join the game?

It's easy. No registration is required. You can join any time (and quit too), but this game is about discipline and creativity, so for personal progress it is better to work to deadlines and not skip tasks.

Once you have decided on an animal, embody your character in any technique or form during a month. The deadline is the last day of each month. The finished work must be posted on your account in one of following social networks: Instagram or Facebook and must include the number of the game (or month of the game) and the hashtag of the game #bibabowildmarathon. That way I can trace your work, repost it and add it to the game collection.

An important additional rule: you must add not only a photo and a hashtag, but also a description of the work to the publication. Something interesting about the chosen animal. You don't need to rewrite wikipedia. One or two facts are enough. Why you chose it, what inspired you. This way the work always wins, and we learn a lot of interesting things about the animal world around us in a year.

Bottom line: once a month we do a work on a chosen animal with a given letter, post it with an interesting description and hashtag #bibabowildmarathon. And so it goes for a whole year! Can you imagine how many interesting things you get to create?

Where can I see the entries?

You can follow the participants' entries on Instagram or on Facebook using the tag #bibabowildmarathon. 

There are already thousands of entries from previous games to be inspired by with this tag.

At the end of each game month, I summarise and compile an overall collection of work, which I publish on social media.

I'll also collect and publish your work on the game page on my website. The works for each stage will be collected on the appropriate page, which you can access by selecting the desired game month in the video menu. 

Let's play! Inspiration and time, everyone!