Each time a prominent honors show draws close, there’s always a clamor for introducing fresh award types to acknowledge unsung work and delight the passions of enthusiasts who have specialized interests.
A fellow writer made the case advocating for terror-themed awards. That would rule. So would board games, which is someone's personal cause. But they will have to forgive me if I try to elbow in front because like all dedicated enthusiasts, I possess a compelling case supporting my request remains most pressing and important of all. The demand is this: We need an award type for logic-based games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Organizing artistic expressions is not a science; opinions vary greatly, and it will always spark debates resulting in unclear classifications. There’s a reason film award organizations avoid this approach. Yet it remains an essential concession for the industry of video games, which are so diverse they barely qualify a single creative category.
For the full spectrum of gaming accomplishments to gain proper attention, while allowing diverse titles to receive proper recognition, classification by type becomes crucial.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Leading game ceremonies presently include classifications covering Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Between them, these six categories effectively encompass many game types, and you can find room for most games within them.
This doesn't apply to logic-based experiences. No suitable classification appears to put them. Consider three of recent excellent titles, all very different: structural challenges of one title, the pulse-pounding block-matching from another release, thought-provoking social scenarios in another game. Which classification works within current classifications? Simply put, no category fits.
Acknowledgment Issues
There are dozens excellent brain-teasers launched regularly that have no home during gaming ceremonies, if they accidentally match classification types such as Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging small studio competitions.
- One classic puzzle game got overlooked in any category in 2014
- Another creative title received no nominations in 2019
- Well-received sorting experience received no acknowledgment that year
- Just some logic titles barely qualified for small studio or handheld classifications
Significance of Puzzle Games
Commonly they're modest productions, yet the craft behind logic titles is of massive significance. Famous handheld logic titles rank among most popular titles worldwide maintaining this status for many years.
The legendary block-stacking game rivals popular creative games claiming status as most purchased experience; it also contends as greatest title ever. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks to the art of video games, and they are in conversation with diverse game types.
Proposal and Rationale
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter this problem. You could fill a field of five engaging, different, qualified experiences each ceremony simply — or rather, with difficulty, since numerous excellent many worthy titles.
Restating the point, these include experiences without proper classification at major gaming awards. Brain-teaser creators are working at the hard edge game development, developing some of the purest expressions of gaming itself. Just like cinema stunt performers, they merit acknowledgment. Let’s not keep them waiting generations.
