Whenever a prominent prize-giving event draws close, one notices a clamor for the addition of new categories to honor overlooked contributions and fill the passions of fans dedicated to specific genres.
My colleague made the case for a horror game category. That would be fantastic. Equally deserving are strategy board titles, representing someone's personal cause. But they will have to forgive me for pushing forward just as with other single-minded supporters, there's a strong justification for why my demand is the most urgent and significant. The demand is this: There should be an award type for logic-based games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Categorizing art by genre is not a science; it’s very subjective, and inevitably spark debates resulting in unclear classifications. There’s a reason movie academies steer clear of genre categories. Yet it remains an unavoidable compromise for the industry of video games, which are so diverse it's challenging to consider them one unified medium.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of achievement in video games to receive acknowledgment, and to ensure all game types to receive proper recognition, specific award classifications remain vital.
Existing Game Classification System
Prominent interactive entertainment events presently include classifications covering Action, Adventure-action titles, RPG experiences, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Collectively, these six categories successfully include numerous genres, making space possible for most games within them.
Not so for puzzle games. No appropriate category exists for their placement. Think about these this year’s best games, showing diverse approaches: building puzzles in a particular game, intense tile-matching of another game, engaging interpersonal challenges of a third title. Where could they possibly go within current classifications? Nowhere, that’s where.
Recognition Challenges
Many instances occur outstanding logic titles launched regularly without proper recognition in entertainment awards, except when they manage to fit for categories like Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, and the highly challenging Indie races.
- An iconic brain-teaser received no recognition completely that year
- A different innovative game was excluded in 2019
- Popular arranging title received no acknowledgment recently
- Just some puzzle games managed to sneak into small studio or handheld classifications
Value of Brain-Teasers
These are often small games, however the design of the puzzle game carries substantial weight. Famous handheld logic titles rank among most engaged experiences worldwide continuing this trend for many years.
The iconic tile-matching title rivals popular creative games for the title of most purchased experience; it’s also in the running for best game of all time. Puzzle games are foundational for gaming as medium, while interacting with diverse game types.
Proposal and Rationale
Logic titles wouldn't face this problem. It would be easy to populate a field of five with fascinating, diverse, deserving games every year with ease — actually, with challenge, because you’d have to leave numerous deserving experiences.
And to reiterate, these are games lacking appropriate categories at major gaming awards. Logic title developers operate at the hard edge interactive creation, developing some of most fundamental forms of the video game form. Comparable to cinema stunt performers, they warrant appreciation. Let’s not keep them waiting 35 years.
