As any major honors show approaches, one notices a clamor to include additional classifications to recognize overlooked contributions and fill the hearts of enthusiasts dedicated to specific genres.
A fellow writer previously argued advocating for terror-themed awards. That would be fantastic. Equally deserving are strategy board titles, this being a passionate advocate's mission. Yet I need to apologize in advance for pushing forward since similar to blinkered fanatics, I have a cast-iron argument backing this proposal remains most pressing and important of all. Here's the proposal: It's essential to create an award type for logic-based games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Classifying creative works is not a science; it remains highly personal, and typically generate discussions and end in fuzzy definitions. This explains why movie academies steer clear of genre categories. But it is a necessary evil within the realm of interactive entertainment, which are so diverse it's challenging to consider them as a single art form.
For the full spectrum of achievement in video games to gain proper attention, while allowing diverse titles to compete fairly, specific award classifications remain vital.
Existing Game Classification System
Leading game ceremonies offer these award types recognizing Action, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Together, these classifications successfully include numerous genres, allowing placement for most games within them.
Not so for brain-teasing titles. There’s simply nowhere for their placement. Examine these examples from this year’s best games, showing diverse approaches: building puzzles from a specific release, fast-paced pattern recognition from another release, thought-provoking social scenarios in another game. What category would fit them within current classifications? Nowhere, that’s where.
Acknowledgment Issues
There are dozens excellent brain-teasers released every year without proper recognition at major award shows, unless they happen to qualify award groups including Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, or the extremely competitive independent game categories.
- One classic puzzle game wasn’t nominated completely during that awards season
- A different innovative game was excluded during that ceremony
- A beloved organization game was overlooked recently
- Only a few puzzle games managed to sneak into niche award types
Importance of Logic Titles
Commonly they're small games, however the design of the puzzle game carries substantial weight. Famous handheld logic titles stand as most engaged experiences globally continuing this trend for many years.
The iconic tile-matching title challenges well-known building titles claiming status as best-selling game of all time; it additionally competes for best game of all time. Puzzle games are foundational to the art of video games, and engaging across multiple categories.
The Solution and Justification
Puzzle games wouldn’t have that issue. One could readily select five nominees engaging, different, qualified experiences annually without trouble — or rather, with difficulty, given the need to exclude so many good games out.
Restating the point, these are games that otherwise have no home in important events. Brain-teaser creators operate at the demanding boundary of video game design, developing some of most fundamental forms within interactive entertainment. Just like cinema stunt performers, they merit acknowledgment. We shouldn't delay generations.
