As any major awards ceremony draws close, one notices an outcry for introducing of new categories to recognize unsung work and fill the passions of followers dedicated to specific genres.
A fellow writer has already made for a horror game category. That would be fantastic. The same goes for strategy board titles, representing a passionate advocate's mission. However, I must insist when I prioritize since similar to single-minded supporters, I have a cast-iron argument backing this proposal remains most pressing and significant. This is the request: We need an award type for logic-based games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Organizing artistic expressions is not a science; it’s very subjective, and inevitably generate discussions concluding with vague boundaries. This explains why cinema institutions avoid this approach. Yet it remains a necessary evil in the world of interactive entertainment, showing incredible range they barely qualify a single creative category.
For the full spectrum of interactive entertainment excellence to be recognized, and to ensure all game types to have a chance for representation, specific award classifications remain vital.
Current Gaming Award Categories
The major gaming awards offer these classifications covering Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, RPG experiences, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these classifications successfully include a lot of ground, making space possible for most games within them.
This doesn't apply to brain-teasing titles. No appropriate category exists to put them. Examine these examples from this year’s best games, each quite distinct: building puzzles of one title, intense tile-matching from another release, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles from additional release. Where could they possibly go between these six categories? Simply put, no category fits.
The Representation Problem
There are dozens excellent brain-teasers launched regularly that have no home at major award shows, except when they manage to fit classification types such as Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, or the extremely competitive independent game categories.
- A renowned logic title wasn’t nominated completely that year
- Another creative title received no nominations in 2019
- A beloved organization game received no acknowledgment recently
- Just some puzzle games barely qualified for niche award types
Significance of Puzzle Games
These are often compact experiences, however the design behind logic titles is of massive significance. Iconic mobile puzzle games stand as most popular titles in the world continuing this trend for an extended period.
The legendary block-stacking game competes with popular creative games claiming status as highest-selling title ever; it also contends for top gaming experience. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks for gaming as medium, and engaging across multiple categories.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter that issue. One could readily select five nominees interesting, varied, worthy titles annually without trouble — perhaps, with difficulty, given the need to exclude so many good games out.
And to reiterate, these are games without proper classification during prominent ceremonies. Puzzle game makers operate at the demanding boundary interactive creation, creating some of the purest expressions of gaming itself. Comparable to film action specialists, they merit acknowledgment. Don't make them wait decades.
