As any major awards ceremony approaches, you'll find a clamor for introducing of new categories to recognize unsung work and fill the hearts of followers with niche passions.
My colleague previously argued for a horror game category. That would be fantastic. Equally deserving are strategy board titles, this being someone's personal cause. Yet I need to apologize in advance if I try to elbow in front since similar to dedicated enthusiasts, I have a cast-iron argument supporting my request is the most urgent and important of all. Here's the proposal: It's essential to create a classification for brain-teasing titles.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Categorizing art by genre isn't exact; it remains highly personal, and typically generate discussions resulting in unclear classifications. There’s a reason cinema institutions don’t do it. Yet it remains an unavoidable compromise within the realm of interactive entertainment, which are so diverse they hardly constitute as a single art form.
For the full spectrum of gaming accomplishments to receive acknowledgment, and for games of all stripes to receive proper recognition, specific award classifications remain vital.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Prominent interactive entertainment events presently include classifications covering Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Collectively, these award types successfully include numerous genres, allowing placement for most games within them.
Not so for brain-teasing titles. There’s simply nowhere to accommodate them. Examine these examples from outstanding current releases, all very different: the architectural riddles of one title, fast-paced pattern recognition of another game, engaging interpersonal challenges in another game. What category would fit them within current classifications? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Acknowledgment Issues
Many instances occur excellent brain-teasers released every year without proper recognition in entertainment awards, except when they manage to fit classification types such as Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, and the highly challenging independent game categories.
- A renowned logic title got overlooked in any category that year
- Another imaginative release received no nominations in 2019
- A beloved organization game was overlooked that year
- Just some puzzle games managed to sneak into niche award types
Importance of Logic Titles
These are often compact experiences, however the design behind logic titles holds tremendous importance. Iconic mobile puzzle games rank among most engaged experiences worldwide and have been for over a decade.
The legendary block-stacking game competes with popular creative games claiming status as most purchased experience; it’s also in the running for best game of all time. Puzzle games are foundational to the art of video games, and they are in conversation with diverse game types.
Proposal and Rationale
Logic titles wouldn't face that issue. It would be easy to populate a field of five engaging, different, qualified experiences annually without trouble — perhaps, with difficulty, given the need to exclude numerous deserving experiences.
And to reiterate, these represent titles lacking appropriate categories at major gaming awards. Logic title developers operate at the challenging frontier interactive creation, creating some of the purest expressions within interactive entertainment. Similar to film action specialists, they merit acknowledgment. Don't make them wait generations.
