As any major honors show draws close, you'll find an outcry to include of new categories to recognize unsung work and fill the spirits of followers who have specialized interests.
A fellow writer has already made for a horror game category. It would be amazing. The same goes for strategy board titles, this being a dedicated supporter's campaign. But they will have to forgive me for pushing forward just as with other single-minded supporters, I have a cast-iron argument for why my demand is the most urgent and significant. Here's the proposal: There should be an award type for logic-based games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Categorizing art by genre defies precise measurement; it’s very subjective, and inevitably start arguments concluding with vague boundaries. There’s a reason film award organizations steer clear of genre categories. Yet it remains an essential concession for the industry of video games, that demonstrate such variety they barely qualify a single creative category.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of achievement in video games to receive acknowledgment, while allowing diverse titles to have a chance for representation, classification by type becomes crucial.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Leading game ceremonies currently feature classifications covering Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Collectively, these classifications effectively encompass a lot of ground, making space possible for most games within them.
Not so for brain-teasing titles. There’s simply nowhere for their placement. Think about these outstanding current releases, showing diverse approaches: building puzzles in a particular game, the pulse-pounding block-matching from another release, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles of a third title. What category would fit them between these six categories? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Acknowledgment Issues
Many instances occur of brilliant puzzle games released every year without proper recognition at major award shows, if they accidentally match classification types such as Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, or the extremely competitive independent game categories.
- One classic puzzle game received no recognition completely in 2014
- Another creative title received no nominations that year
- A beloved organization game was overlooked recently
- Just some brain-teasers scraped into niche award types
Value of Brain-Teasers
These are often small games, but the art in brain-teasers holds tremendous importance. Iconic mobile puzzle games rank among most popular titles globally maintaining this status for many years.
The famous puzzle experience competes with well-known building titles for the title of best-selling game of all time; it’s also in the running as greatest title ever. Puzzle games are foundational for gaming as medium, and engaging with diverse game types.
Proposal and Rationale
Puzzle games wouldn’t have this problem. One could readily select a field of five interesting, varied, worthy titles every year with ease — actually, with challenge, because you’d have to leave so many good games out.
And to reiterate, these are games without proper classification in important events. Logic title developers operate at the hard edge of video game design, creating some of the purest expressions within interactive entertainment. Just like movie stunt professionals, they warrant appreciation. Don't make them wait 35 years.
