Whenever a major prize-giving event approaches, there’s always an outcry to include additional classifications to honor unsung work and satisfy the spirits of followers dedicated to specific genres.
Another commentator has already made supporting a scary games classification. It would be amazing. So would strategy board titles, this being a passionate advocate's mission. However, I must insist for pushing forward since similar to blinkered fanatics, I have a cast-iron argument supporting my request remains most pressing and important of all. This is the request: We need an award type for logic-based games.
Categorizing Game Types
Categorizing art by genre isn't exact; opinions vary greatly, and inevitably generate discussions resulting in unclear classifications. This explains why film award organizations avoid this approach. However, it represents an unavoidable compromise for the industry of video games, 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 be recognized, and to ensure all game types to have a chance for representation, specific award classifications remain vital.
Present Award Structure
Prominent interactive entertainment events offer these classifications covering Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Together, these classifications actually cover a lot of ground, allowing placement accommodating various experiences.
Not so for logic-based experiences. No suitable classification appears for their placement. Examine these examples from recent excellent titles, all very different: structural challenges of one title, the pulse-pounding block-matching of another game, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles in another game. Where could they possibly go between these six categories? Unfortunately, nowhere.
The Representation Problem
There are dozens excellent brain-teasers launched regularly without proper recognition in entertainment awards, if they accidentally match award groups including Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, or the intensely contested small studio competitions.
- One classic puzzle game got overlooked completely in 2014
- Another creative title was excluded in 2019
- Well-received sorting experience received no acknowledgment recently
- Only a few puzzle games scraped into independent or mobile categories
Significance of Puzzle Games
These are often small games, however the design of the puzzle game carries substantial weight. Famous handheld logic titles rank among most engaged experiences in the world and have been for over a decade.
The iconic tile-matching title rivals popular creative games claiming status as highest-selling title ever; it’s also in the running for best game of all time. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks for gaming as medium, and they are in conversation across multiple categories.
The Solution and Justification
Puzzle games wouldn’t have such difficulty. It would be easy to populate a field of five engaging, different, qualified experiences annually without trouble — or rather, with difficulty, since numerous excellent so many good games out.
To emphasize again, these include experiences lacking appropriate categories during prominent ceremonies. Brain-teaser creators operate at the hard edge game development, developing some of most fundamental forms of the video game form. Comparable to cinema stunt performers, they warrant appreciation. We shouldn't delay 35 years.
