Each time a prominent awards ceremony nears, there’s always a clamor for introducing additional classifications to recognize overlooked contributions and delight the passions of enthusiasts with niche passions.
My colleague previously argued advocating for terror-themed awards. That would rule. The same goes for board games, representing someone's personal cause. Yet I need to apologize in advance if I try to elbow in front just as with other dedicated enthusiasts, I have a cast-iron argument for why my demand remains most pressing above others. The demand is this: We need a classification for brain-teasing titles.
Categorizing Game Types
Organizing artistic expressions isn't exact; it’s very subjective, and it will always generate discussions concluding with vague boundaries. This explains why cinema institutions steer clear of genre categories. But it is a necessary evil within the realm of interactive entertainment, showing incredible range they hardly constitute as a single art form.
To recognize the complete range of achievement in video games to be recognized, and for games of all stripes to compete fairly, specific award classifications remain vital.
Existing Game Classification System
The major gaming awards offer these genre categories for Action, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Between them, these award types effectively encompass many game types, and you can find room accommodating various experiences.
Different situation exists for logic-based experiences. There’s simply nowhere to put them. Examine these examples from recent excellent titles, showing diverse approaches: structural challenges from a specific release, the pulse-pounding block-matching in a different title, thought-provoking social scenarios of a third title. What category would fit them between these six categories? Nowhere, that’s where.
Recognition Challenges
There are dozens excellent brain-teasers published annually that have no home in entertainment awards, unless they happen to qualify for categories like Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, and the highly challenging small studio competitions.
- A renowned logic title received no recognition in any category during that awards season
- Another creative title was excluded in 2019
- Popular arranging title received no acknowledgment that year
- Just some logic titles scraped into niche award types
Importance of Logic Titles
These are often compact experiences, however the design behind logic titles holds tremendous importance. Well-known matching games rank among the most-played games globally maintaining this status for over a decade.
The iconic tile-matching title challenges popular creative games claiming status as best-selling game of all time; it’s also in the running for best game of all time. Logic titles represent cornerstones within interactive entertainment, and engaging across multiple categories.
Proposal and Rationale
Puzzle games wouldn’t have such difficulty. You could fill five nominees engaging, different, qualified experiences annually without trouble — actually, with challenge, given the need to exclude so many good games out.
Restating the point, these are games without proper classification at major gaming awards. Puzzle game makers function at the hard edge interactive creation, producing among the purest expressions within interactive entertainment. Just like movie stunt professionals, they merit acknowledgment. Don't make them wait generations.
