I was wondering if text-mode games are allowed, in the sense of having up to 64x64 characters as opposed to 64x64 pixels? Would I be disqualified if I made a game with a resolution of 32x32 characters, considering the characters themselves have a resolution of 8x8, therefore technically giving a pixel resolution of 256x256?
Short answer: No. Because it still breaks the resolution. And depending on the characters they could easily be seen as sprites. And it could allow you to easily get past the challenges most people face with having text in their game.
Long answer: Yes. You could add this as an optional mode, similar to how CRT effects and such are allowed (as long as they're not enabled by default).
The reasoning behind this is simplicity. The use of resolution is a rated category, and it becomes a lot easier to rate if the rules are simple and defined. This is why optional effects are allowed, because the end user would have to explicitly enable them, and they'd know not to count it against you. Most people rate 5 stars for just meeting the resolution (rather than creative usage of it), but this means that when something clearly breaks the resolution restriction it can easily knock your position down!
