Whenever a significant prize-giving event draws close, one notices an outcry for the addition of new categories to acknowledge overlooked contributions and fill the spirits of enthusiasts with niche passions.
My colleague made the case for a horror game category. It would be amazing. So would strategy board titles, which is someone's personal cause. However, I must insist if I try to elbow in front since similar to single-minded supporters, I possess a compelling case supporting my request remains most pressing and significant. The demand is this: We need an award type for logic-based games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Organizing artistic expressions defies precise measurement; it remains highly personal, and it will always start arguments concluding with vague boundaries. This explains why film award organizations steer clear of genre categories. But it is an essential concession in the world of gaming, showing incredible range they barely qualify a single creative category.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of interactive entertainment excellence to be recognized, and for games of all stripes to receive proper recognition, genre categories are essential.
Present Award Structure
Prominent interactive entertainment events offer these classifications covering Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these award types actually cover numerous genres, allowing placement accommodating various experiences.
Different situation exists for logic-based experiences. No suitable classification appears to accommodate them. Consider three of outstanding current releases, each quite distinct: structural challenges in a particular game, the pulse-pounding block-matching in a different title, engaging interpersonal challenges of a third title. What category would fit them between these six categories? Unfortunately, nowhere.
The Representation Problem
There are dozens excellent brain-teasers launched regularly lacking appropriate categories at major award shows, if they accidentally match classification types such as Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, and the highly challenging Indie races.
- A renowned logic title wasn’t nominated for anything during that awards season
- Another imaginative release was excluded in 2019
- A beloved organization game received no acknowledgment that year
- Just some logic titles managed to sneak into independent or mobile categories
Value of Brain-Teasers
Frequently they represent compact experiences, but the art in brain-teasers carries substantial weight. Iconic mobile puzzle games count as most engaged experiences globally continuing this trend for over a decade.
The famous puzzle experience challenges popular creative games claiming status as best-selling game of all time; it also contends for best game of all time. Puzzle games are foundational to the art of video games, and they are in conversation across multiple categories.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Puzzle games wouldn’t have such difficulty. You could fill a field of five engaging, different, qualified experiences annually without trouble — or rather, with difficulty, since numerous excellent numerous deserving experiences.
To emphasize again, these are games that otherwise have no home in important events. Puzzle game makers operate at the hard edge game development, creating some of the purest expressions within interactive entertainment. Just like cinema stunt performers, they deserve recognition. Don't make them wait 35 years.
