Whenever a major honors show nears, you'll find a clamor to include fresh award types to recognize underappreciated efforts and satisfy the spirits of fans dedicated to specific genres.
Another commentator previously argued supporting a scary games classification. It would be amazing. So would strategy board titles, this being a passionate advocate's mission. But they will have to forgive me for pushing forward just as with other blinkered fanatics, there's a strong justification for why my demand remains most pressing above others. Here's the proposal: We need a classification for brain-teasing titles.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Organizing artistic expressions is not a science; it’s very subjective, and typically spark debates resulting in unclear classifications. This explains why movie academies don’t do it. But it is a necessary evil within the realm of interactive entertainment, which are so diverse they hardly constitute as a single art form.
For comprehensive acknowledgment 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
Leading game ceremonies offer these classifications covering Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Collectively, these classifications effectively encompass a lot of ground, and you can find room for most games within them.
Not so for logic-based experiences. No appropriate category exists to put them. Think about these recent excellent titles, each quite distinct: building puzzles in a particular game, intense tile-matching from another release, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles of a third title. Which classification works within current classifications? Unfortunately, nowhere.
The Representation Problem
There are dozens outstanding logic titles released every year lacking appropriate categories during gaming ceremonies, unless they happen to qualify for categories like Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging small studio competitions.
- A renowned logic title wasn’t nominated for anything in 2014
- Another imaginative release was excluded in 2019
- A beloved organization game got ignored recently
- Limited numbers of puzzle games managed to sneak into small studio or handheld classifications
Importance of Logic Titles
Frequently they represent small games, however the design in brain-teasers holds tremendous importance. Iconic mobile puzzle games rank among most engaged experiences worldwide continuing this trend for many years.
The legendary block-stacking game challenges well-known building titles for the title of highest-selling title ever; it also contends for best game of all time. Puzzle games are foundational within interactive entertainment, while interacting with almost every other genre.
The Solution and Justification
Puzzle games wouldn’t have that issue. One could readily select five nominees with fascinating, diverse, deserving games annually without trouble — or rather, with difficulty, given the need to exclude many worthy titles.
Restating the point, these include experiences that otherwise have no home during prominent ceremonies. Logic title developers function at the hard edge of video game design, producing among most fundamental forms within interactive entertainment. Similar to cinema stunt performers, they warrant appreciation. We shouldn't delay 35 years.
