Whenever a prominent awards ceremony approaches, you'll find an outcry for introducing additional classifications to honor unsung work and delight the passions of fans with niche passions.
Another commentator made the case for a horror game category. That would be fantastic. The same goes for tabletop games, representing a passionate advocate's mission. Yet I need to apologize in advance for pushing forward just as with other blinkered fanatics, I have a cast-iron argument supporting my request remains most pressing and important of all. The demand is this: We need an award type for logic-based games.
Categorizing Game Types
Organizing artistic expressions defies precise measurement; it’s very subjective, and it will always start arguments concluding with vague boundaries. It's understandable that film award organizations don’t do it. But it is an essential concession in the world of interactive entertainment, that demonstrate such variety they barely qualify a single creative category.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of achievement in video games to gain proper attention, and to ensure all game types to receive proper recognition, genre categories are essential.
Present Award Structure
The major gaming awards offer these genre categories for Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, RPG experiences, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Collectively, these six categories effectively encompass a lot of ground, allowing placement for numerous titles.
This doesn't apply to logic-based experiences. No appropriate category exists for their placement. Consider three of outstanding current releases, all very different: the architectural riddles of one title, fast-paced pattern recognition from another release, engaging interpersonal challenges from additional release. Which classification works among existing types? Nowhere, that’s where.
Acknowledgment Issues
Numerous examples exist excellent brain-teasers released every year that have no home at major award shows, if they accidentally match award groups including Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, and the highly challenging independent game categories.
- One classic puzzle game wasn’t nominated completely in 2014
- A different innovative game was excluded in 2019
- Well-received sorting experience got ignored in 2021
- Just some logic titles managed to sneak into independent or mobile categories
Value of Brain-Teasers
Frequently they represent small games, yet the craft behind logic titles is of massive significance. Well-known matching games count as most engaged experiences in the world and have been for an extended period.
The legendary block-stacking game competes with famous sandbox experiences claiming status as best-selling game of all time; it’s also in the running for best game of all time. Puzzle games are foundational for gaming as medium, and they are in conversation with almost every other genre.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter that issue. One could readily select five nominees interesting, varied, worthy titles every year with ease — or rather, with difficulty, since numerous excellent many worthy titles.
Restating the point, these include experiences that otherwise have no home during prominent ceremonies. Logic title developers operate at the challenging frontier game development, creating some of the purest expressions of gaming itself. Comparable to movie stunt professionals, they deserve recognition. Let’s not keep them waiting generations.
