As any significant awards ceremony draws close, one notices an outcry to include additional classifications to acknowledge underappreciated efforts and fill the hearts of fans who have specialized interests.
Another commentator made the case for a horror game category. That would be fantastic. The same goes for board games, which is a passionate advocate's mission. But they will have to forgive me for pushing forward because like all single-minded supporters, there's a strong justification backing this proposal remains most pressing and important of all. This is the request: There should be an award type for logic-based games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Classifying creative works is not a science; it’s very subjective, and it will always generate discussions resulting in unclear classifications. It's understandable that movie academies don’t do it. But it is a necessary evil within the realm of video games, that demonstrate such variety it's challenging to consider them one unified medium.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of interactive entertainment excellence to receive acknowledgment, and for games of all stripes to receive proper recognition, specific award classifications remain vital.
Present Award Structure
Prominent interactive entertainment events offer these classifications covering Action, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Together, these six categories successfully include numerous genres, allowing placement accommodating various experiences.
Not so for brain-teasing titles. No appropriate category exists to put them. Consider three of this year’s best games, showing diverse approaches: structural challenges from a specific release, fast-paced pattern recognition of another game, engaging interpersonal challenges of a third title. What category would fit them within current classifications? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Recognition Challenges
Many instances occur excellent brain-teasers launched regularly that have no home at major award shows, if they accidentally match award groups including Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, and the highly challenging Indie races.
- An iconic brain-teaser got overlooked in any category that year
- Another imaginative release missed out in 2019
- Popular arranging title was overlooked recently
- Limited numbers of brain-teasers scraped into independent or mobile categories
Value of Brain-Teasers
Frequently they represent modest productions, but the art in brain-teasers carries substantial weight. Iconic mobile puzzle games count as most popular titles globally and have been for an extended period.
The famous puzzle experience rivals well-known building titles competing to become most purchased experience; it also contends as greatest title ever. Puzzle games are foundational to the art of video games, and they are in conversation with almost every other genre.
Proposal and Rationale
Puzzle games wouldn’t have this problem. One could readily select multiple candidates with fascinating, diverse, deserving games annually without trouble — perhaps, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave so many good games out.
And to reiterate, these are games that otherwise have no home at major gaming awards. Puzzle game makers are working at the demanding boundary game development, creating some of the purest expressions of gaming itself. Similar to movie stunt professionals, they deserve recognition. We shouldn't delay 35 years.
