Each time a major awards ceremony nears, you'll find a clamor for introducing additional classifications to honor unsung work and delight the passions of followers who have specialized interests.
My colleague previously argued for a horror game category. It would be amazing. Equally deserving are board games, which is a dedicated supporter's campaign. Yet I need to apologize in advance for pushing forward just as with other dedicated enthusiasts, I have a cast-iron argument supporting my request stands as crucial and significant. This is the request: There should be a classification for brain-teasing titles.
Categorizing Game Types
Organizing artistic expressions isn't exact; opinions vary greatly, and typically generate discussions concluding with vague boundaries. It's understandable that film award organizations steer clear of genre categories. However, it represents an unavoidable compromise for the industry of video games, that demonstrate such variety it's challenging to consider them one unified medium.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of gaming accomplishments to receive acknowledgment, and for games of all stripes to compete fairly, genre categories are essential.
Present Award Structure
The major gaming awards presently include genre categories for Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Collectively, these award types successfully include a lot of ground, and you can find room accommodating various experiences.
Not so for logic-based experiences. There’s simply nowhere to put them. Examine these examples from recent excellent titles, showing diverse approaches: structural challenges in a particular game, fast-paced pattern recognition of another game, engaging interpersonal challenges in another game. Which classification works among existing types? Nowhere, that’s where.
Recognition Challenges
Numerous examples exist of brilliant puzzle games launched regularly lacking appropriate categories in entertainment awards, except when they manage to fit award groups including Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, or the extremely competitive independent game categories.
- A renowned logic title wasn’t nominated completely that year
- Another imaginative release received no nominations in 2019
- Well-received sorting experience got ignored in 2021
- Just some logic titles managed to sneak into niche award types
Importance of Logic Titles
These are often modest productions, but the art behind logic titles is of massive significance. Famous handheld logic titles rank among most popular titles globally and have been for an extended period.
The legendary block-stacking game rivals well-known building titles for the title of highest-selling title ever; it additionally competes for best game of all time. Puzzle games are foundational within interactive entertainment, and they are in conversation across multiple categories.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Puzzle games wouldn’t have this problem. It would be easy to populate five nominees with fascinating, diverse, deserving games annually without trouble — actually, with challenge, since numerous excellent so many good games out.
Restating the point, these include experiences lacking appropriate categories in important events. Logic title developers are working at the challenging frontier of video game design, producing among most fundamental forms of gaming itself. Comparable to film action specialists, they merit acknowledgment. Let’s not keep them waiting generations.
