I'm really sorry, Callum, but even if I could break the rules, I just finished the judging after all. Sorry.
The results:
rofklaw: You Lose Everything: I like the dissonances very much, as well as the synth pads. The only thing that holds me back from this winning the challenge is that the piano's a little too heavy on lofi effects, which is what makes the very end the most worth listening to.
JudahRoydes: Gameover: The beginning is amazing. While the rest is good as well, I really do feel the main key being in major ruins the mood a bit.
Raywonder: Death of a Hero: Very nice haunting atmosphere. At the same time, however, the only thing holding me back from picking you as the winner is the melody: it almost sounds more like it was meant for a dark in-game cinematic, as opposed to losing a game, because the mood sounds more suspenseful than defeated.
Kilig: To Lose: Very nice music, and is certainly among my top picks in this challenge. Personally, though, I felt a little more silence could accompany the end, instead of ending abruptly with a reversed choir.
Peregrinus: We Fall Together: I like your choice of instruments; it's not overwhelmingly MIDI-esque while not being overwhelmingly-realistic like some AAA game composers, either.
Vinz: Defeat: This is one of my personal favorites of the submissions. I am especially impressed that you chose to make the bagpipes play a melody different than what I expected.
yoshimitsu: Painstaking Progress Undone: Sorry I forgot to comment on this one again. The depressing mood is nice, but the quick release of the strings at some points contrasts with the attack to the point that it takes away from the quality.
pgil: The Sad Ending: You have a nice start via the melody, but, upon, listening to it again, I think what brought you down was the arranging: it sounds too MIDI-esque to me, the exception being the flute.
Xion: Continue? (Y/N): I imagine this would fit well in a science-fiction-tinged horror game, it sounds so dark. Not that that's a problem at all; on the contrary, it's one of my favorites for the purpose of this challenge. Sorry I forgot to comment earlier, btw.
Turkowski: Regret Your Decisions: I think the noise of what sounds like a distorted square wave is a little too overwhelming. Everything else is definitely good, though.
E-Rock: He's Dead, Jim: Funny that you chose this instrumentation: I recently played Dead Cyborg, which involved similar music. I can easily imagine this for said game.
tipp: Sorry: Sorry (pun intended), but I'd have to agree with Kilig; it sounds a little bit more like generic Brian Eno, especially in the beginning, than sad music reflecting the loss of a game.
All these being judged, it was VERY hard for me to pick which of two submissions were best qualified to win, and the only reason the winner wins is because of my own preferred genre of music. That being said, the winner is:
E-Rock: He's Dead, Jim!It's a VERY nice build, and the electric guitar only added to how much I enjoyed it. The best part would be the synth pads playing as if they were legato cellos, and the subtle celeste-esque arpeggio is very nice as well! And as I said before, it also fits well for the preexisting game I had played. Congratulations!
I'll also throw in an honorable mention, who was the other choice for winner:
Vinz: DefeatThe overall sense of defeat fits very well. Almost sounds like you're playing a war game in some foreign nation, and you lost the war, an idea enhanced by your choice of artwork for the piece. Congratulations to you as well!
So, yeah. Thanks everyone for letting me host this challenge, and I look forward to competing in future events.