Whenever a major prize-giving event draws close, one notices a demand for introducing additional classifications to acknowledge underappreciated efforts and satisfy the hearts of fans who have specialized interests.
A fellow writer made the case supporting a scary games classification. It would be amazing. The same goes for strategy board titles, this being someone's personal cause. But they will have to forgive me if I try to elbow in front since similar to single-minded supporters, I have a cast-iron argument for why my demand is the most urgent and significant. Here's the proposal: It's essential to create an award type for logic-based games.
Categorizing Game Types
Categorizing art by genre is not a science; opinions vary greatly, and it will always generate discussions and end in fuzzy definitions. There’s a reason movie academies avoid this approach. However, it represents an unavoidable compromise within the realm of video games, which are so diverse they hardly constitute one unified medium.
For the full spectrum of interactive entertainment excellence to gain proper attention, and for games of all stripes to have a chance for representation, specific award classifications remain vital.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Prominent interactive entertainment events presently include genre categories for Action, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Between them, these classifications actually cover many game types, and you can find room for most games within them.
Not so for logic-based experiences. No appropriate category exists to put them. Examine these examples from recent excellent titles, all very different: building puzzles in a particular game, the pulse-pounding block-matching from another release, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles of a third title. Which classification works between these six categories? Unfortunately, nowhere.
The Representation Problem
Numerous examples exist of brilliant puzzle games launched regularly lacking appropriate categories during gaming ceremonies, if they accidentally match for categories like Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, and the highly challenging Indie races.
- An iconic brain-teaser got overlooked in any category that year
- Another creative title received no nominations in 2019
- Popular arranging title got ignored recently
- Only a few puzzle games barely qualified for niche award types
Significance of Puzzle Games
Frequently they represent compact experiences, yet the craft behind logic titles carries substantial weight. Famous handheld logic titles count as most popular titles worldwide continuing this trend for an extended period.
The iconic tile-matching title competes with famous sandbox experiences claiming status as highest-selling title ever; it also contends for best game of all time. Puzzle games are foundational within interactive entertainment, and engaging with almost every other genre.
The Solution and Justification
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter such difficulty. One could readily select multiple candidates interesting, varied, worthy titles annually without trouble — actually, with challenge, because you’d have to leave so many good games out.
And to reiterate, these are games that otherwise have no home during prominent ceremonies. Logic title developers are working at the demanding boundary interactive creation, creating some of the purest expressions within interactive entertainment. Just like movie stunt professionals, they merit acknowledgment. Let’s not keep them waiting generations.
