Each time a major awards ceremony nears, there’s always an outcry for introducing additional classifications to recognize unsung work and fill the passions of fans dedicated to specific genres.
Another commentator previously argued for a horror game category. That would be fantastic. The same goes for strategy board titles, which is a dedicated supporter's campaign. But they will have to forgive me for pushing forward just as with other dedicated enthusiasts, I have a cast-iron argument supporting my request stands as crucial and important of all. Here's the proposal: We need an award type for logic-based games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Organizing artistic expressions is not a science; it remains highly personal, and typically start arguments and end in fuzzy definitions. 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 it's challenging to consider them as a single art form.
To recognize the complete range of interactive entertainment excellence to receive acknowledgment, while allowing diverse titles to compete fairly, classification by type becomes crucial.
Present Award Structure
The major gaming awards offer these award types recognizing Action, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these six categories effectively encompass numerous genres, making space possible for numerous titles.
Not so for puzzle games. No appropriate category exists to put them. Examine these examples from outstanding current releases, all very different: structural challenges from a specific release, fast-paced pattern recognition in a different title, engaging interpersonal challenges in another game. Where could they possibly go between these six categories? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Acknowledgment Issues
Many instances occur of brilliant puzzle games launched regularly lacking appropriate categories in entertainment awards, unless they happen to qualify for categories like Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, or the extremely competitive Indie races.
- One classic puzzle game wasn’t nominated for anything in 2014
- A different innovative game was excluded that year
- A beloved organization game got ignored recently
- Limited numbers of brain-teasers managed to sneak into independent or mobile categories
Value of Brain-Teasers
These are often small games, yet the craft behind logic titles is of massive significance. Famous handheld logic titles rank among most engaged experiences globally and have been for many years.
The legendary block-stacking game rivals famous sandbox experiences for the title of most purchased experience; it also contends for top gaming experience. Puzzle games are foundational to the art of video games, and engaging across multiple categories.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Logic titles wouldn't face this problem. One could readily select a field of five interesting, varied, worthy titles each ceremony simply — or rather, with difficulty, since numerous excellent many worthy titles.
And to reiterate, these represent titles lacking appropriate categories during prominent ceremonies. Puzzle game makers operate at the demanding boundary of video game design, creating some of most fundamental forms of the video game form. Similar to cinema stunt performers, they merit acknowledgment. Let’s not keep them waiting generations.
