Firstly, I'd just like to say that all of you have probably stopped reading this by now and skipped down to the names of the winners, so I'll just get on with it, okay?
THE WINNER: Promise Hollows by Ozbot!
Suburban noir was a beautiful twist, merging the corruption of noir with the politics of parent/teacher associations. It also presented the first build-your-own-setting system I've seen that really helped the process of telling the story. I look forwards to giving this one a try.
RUNNERS-UP:
Star Empire by Colin Fredericks and Emma White
This is what a complete challenge entry should look like, not a concept awaiting development, but ready for serious playtesting right away.
Forbidden City by Graham W
A war rpg that's all about the mental struggle, not winning the war. Forbidden City got the "Surprise Me!" point as I had to think over the rules many times to fully appreciate the story they would create.
I'm going to try to arrange playtests for all three of these entries, so let me know if you want to tweak them a bit before we try them. There won't be much opportunity to play until the new year anyways, so you've got some time.
Each entry's write-up will go up in the next few minutes. I will be sticking around the forum over the next few weeks, and I'm willing to continue discussing all the entries in greater detail if you'd like.