Whenever a prominent prize-giving event nears, one notices an outcry to include additional classifications to recognize overlooked contributions and fill the spirits of fans who have specialized interests.
Another commentator previously argued for a horror game category. It would be amazing. Equally deserving are board games, this being a passionate advocate's mission. Yet I need to apologize in advance if I try to elbow in front since similar to blinkered fanatics, there's a strong justification for why my demand is the most urgent and important of all. This is the request: It's essential to create an award type for logic-based games.
Categorizing Game Types
Organizing artistic expressions defies precise measurement; opinions vary greatly, and it will always start arguments resulting in unclear classifications. It's understandable that film award organizations avoid this approach. However, it represents an essential concession in the world of gaming, which are so diverse they hardly constitute one unified medium.
For the full spectrum of interactive entertainment excellence to be recognized, and to ensure all game types to have a chance for representation, genre categories are essential.
Existing Game Classification System
Leading game ceremonies presently include classifications covering Action, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Collectively, these award types successfully include numerous genres, allowing placement for most games within them.
Not so for brain-teasing titles. No suitable classification appears for their placement. Examine these examples from this year’s best games, each quite distinct: structural challenges from a specific release, fast-paced pattern recognition of another game, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles of a third title. Which classification works within current classifications? Nowhere, that’s where.
Acknowledgment Issues
Numerous examples exist of brilliant puzzle games published annually without proper recognition at major award shows, except when they manage to fit classification types such as Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the intensely contested independent game categories.
- An iconic brain-teaser wasn’t nominated for anything in 2014
- Another imaginative release received no nominations in 2019
- A beloved organization game was overlooked in 2021
- Only a few logic titles managed to sneak into niche award types
Importance of Logic Titles
Frequently they represent small games, yet the craft in brain-teasers holds tremendous importance. Iconic mobile puzzle games count as the most-played games globally maintaining this status for many years.
The iconic tile-matching title challenges well-known building titles claiming status as most purchased experience; it’s also in the running as greatest title ever. Puzzle games are foundational to the art of video games, while interacting with almost every other genre.
The Solution and Justification
Puzzle games wouldn’t have such difficulty. You could fill a field of five interesting, varied, worthy titles every year with ease — or rather, with difficulty, given the need to exclude so many good games out.
To emphasize again, these represent titles that otherwise have no home in important events. Brain-teaser creators are working at the demanding boundary interactive creation, creating some of most fundamental forms of gaming itself. Just like cinema stunt performers, they merit acknowledgment. Don't make them wait decades.