Whenever a major awards ceremony approaches, you'll find an outcry for introducing additional classifications to recognize underappreciated efforts and satisfy the passions of enthusiasts who have specialized interests.
Another commentator made the case advocating for terror-themed awards. It would be amazing. So would board games, which is a passionate advocate's mission. Yet I need to apologize in advance if I try to elbow in front just as with other single-minded supporters, I possess a compelling case supporting my request remains most pressing above others. Here's the proposal: There should be an award type for logic-based games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Categorizing art by genre isn't exact; it’s very subjective, and it will always start arguments concluding with vague boundaries. There’s a reason cinema institutions don’t do it. However, it represents a necessary evil for the industry of video games, showing incredible range they hardly constitute as a single art form.
To recognize the complete range of gaming accomplishments to be recognized, and to ensure all game types to receive proper recognition, genre categories are essential.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Prominent interactive entertainment events presently include award types recognizing Action, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Collectively, these six categories effectively encompass numerous genres, and you can find room for most games within them.
Different situation exists for brain-teasing titles. No suitable classification appears to accommodate them. Consider three of outstanding current releases, each quite distinct: building puzzles of one title, fast-paced pattern recognition of another game, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles in another game. What category would fit them within current classifications? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Recognition Challenges
Numerous examples exist excellent brain-teasers launched regularly lacking appropriate categories at major award shows, except when they manage to fit award groups including Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, or the extremely competitive Indie races.
- One classic puzzle game got overlooked completely in 2014
- Another creative title missed out that year
- A beloved organization game was overlooked that year
- Limited numbers of puzzle games scraped into niche award types
Value of Brain-Teasers
These are often compact experiences, yet the craft behind logic titles carries substantial weight. Famous handheld logic titles count as most engaged experiences globally maintaining this status for over a decade.
The legendary block-stacking game challenges popular creative games competing to become most purchased experience; it also contends for top gaming experience. Puzzle games are foundational for gaming as medium, and engaging with almost every other genre.
Proposal and Rationale
Puzzle games wouldn’t have this problem. One could readily select multiple candidates engaging, different, qualified experiences annually without trouble — or rather, with difficulty, given the need to exclude numerous deserving experiences.
And to reiterate, these represent titles lacking appropriate categories during prominent ceremonies. Puzzle game makers are working at the hard edge of video game design, creating some of most fundamental forms of gaming itself. Similar to film action specialists, they merit acknowledgment. Let’s not keep them waiting 35 years.
