Whenever a prominent honors show approaches, one notices an outcry for the addition of new categories to acknowledge underappreciated efforts and fill the passions of fans with niche passions.
My colleague made the case advocating for terror-themed awards. That would be fantastic. Equally deserving are strategy board titles, which is a dedicated supporter's campaign. However, I must insist if I try to elbow in front because like all dedicated enthusiasts, there's a strong justification supporting my request 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
Categorizing art by genre isn't exact; opinions vary greatly, and typically start arguments resulting in unclear classifications. There’s a reason cinema institutions steer clear of genre categories. But it is a necessary evil within the realm of gaming, that demonstrate such variety they barely qualify as a single art form.
To recognize the complete range of interactive entertainment excellence to be recognized, and to ensure all game types to compete fairly, specific award classifications remain vital.
Present Award Structure
The major gaming awards presently include genre categories for Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Between them, these award types successfully include numerous genres, allowing placement for most games within them.
This doesn't apply to puzzle games. There’s simply nowhere for their placement. Examine these examples from recent excellent titles, showing diverse approaches: the architectural riddles from a specific release, intense tile-matching from another release, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles of a third title. What category would fit them between these six categories? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Acknowledgment Issues
There are dozens of brilliant puzzle games released every year that have no home during gaming ceremonies, except when they manage to fit for categories like Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, or the extremely competitive small studio competitions.
- An iconic brain-teaser received no recognition for anything in 2014
- Another imaginative release received no nominations that year
- A beloved organization game got ignored that year
- Only a few logic titles scraped into independent or mobile categories
Value of Brain-Teasers
Commonly they're compact experiences, but the art of the puzzle game holds tremendous importance. Iconic mobile puzzle games count as the most-played games in the world continuing this trend for an extended period.
The legendary block-stacking game rivals well-known building titles claiming status as best-selling game of all time; it also contends for best game of all time. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks for gaming as medium, and they are in conversation with diverse game types.
The Solution and Justification
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter this problem. One could readily select a field of five with fascinating, diverse, deserving games annually without trouble — perhaps, with difficulty, given the need to exclude numerous deserving experiences.
And to reiterate, these represent titles lacking appropriate categories during prominent ceremonies. Brain-teaser creators are working at the hard edge of video game design, producing among most fundamental forms within interactive entertainment. Just like movie stunt professionals, they merit acknowledgment. Let’s not keep them waiting generations.
