Each time a prominent honors show nears, one notices a demand for introducing of new categories to honor unsung work and delight the hearts of enthusiasts dedicated to specific genres.
My colleague made the case supporting a scary games classification. It would be amazing. The same goes for tabletop games, this being a passionate advocate's mission. However, I must insist for pushing forward just as with other blinkered fanatics, I have a cast-iron argument backing this proposal stands as crucial above others. This is the request: It's essential to create an award type for logic-based games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Organizing artistic expressions defies precise measurement; opinions vary greatly, and inevitably start arguments resulting in unclear classifications. It's understandable that cinema institutions don’t do it. Yet it remains a necessary evil in the world of video games, showing incredible range it's challenging to consider them one unified medium.
For the full spectrum of interactive entertainment excellence to be recognized, while allowing diverse titles to receive proper recognition, genre categories are essential.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Leading game ceremonies currently feature genre categories for Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, RPG experiences, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Together, these six categories effectively encompass many game types, allowing placement accommodating various experiences.
Not so for logic-based experiences. There’s simply nowhere for their placement. Examine these examples from this year’s best games, each quite distinct: structural challenges from a specific release, intense tile-matching from another release, thought-provoking social scenarios in another game. Which classification works within current classifications? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Recognition Challenges
Numerous examples exist of brilliant puzzle games published annually lacking appropriate categories during gaming ceremonies, unless they happen to qualify classification types such as Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, and the highly challenging independent game categories.
- One classic puzzle game received no recognition completely during that awards season
- A different innovative game missed out in 2019
- Well-received sorting experience got ignored recently
- Only a few logic titles scraped into independent or mobile categories
Value of Brain-Teasers
Commonly they're small games, but the art in brain-teasers is of massive significance. Iconic mobile puzzle games stand as most engaged experiences globally maintaining this status for an extended period.
The iconic tile-matching title competes with popular creative games competing to become best-selling game of all time; it additionally competes for top gaming experience. Puzzle games are foundational for gaming as medium, and they are in conversation with almost every other genre.
The Solution and Justification
Puzzle games wouldn’t have this problem. One could readily select five nominees interesting, varied, worthy titles each ceremony simply — perhaps, with difficulty, since numerous excellent numerous deserving experiences.
Restating the point, these are games lacking appropriate categories at major gaming awards. Brain-teaser creators function at the hard edge of video game design, developing some of most fundamental forms within interactive entertainment. Just like film action specialists, they deserve recognition. Don't make them wait generations.
