As any significant prize-giving event draws close, one notices a clamor for the addition fresh award types to acknowledge unsung work and satisfy the passions of followers with niche passions.
My colleague previously argued for a horror game category. That would be fantastic. Equally deserving are strategy board titles, which is someone's personal cause. 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 remains most pressing and significant. Here's the proposal: 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 spark debates resulting in unclear classifications. There’s a reason cinema institutions steer clear of genre categories. But it is a necessary evil in the world of interactive entertainment, that demonstrate such variety they hardly constitute one unified medium.
To recognize the complete range of interactive entertainment excellence to receive acknowledgment, while allowing diverse titles to receive proper recognition, classification by type becomes crucial.
Existing Game Classification System
The major gaming awards presently include award types recognizing Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Collectively, these classifications actually cover many game types, making space possible for most games within them.
Different situation exists for puzzle games. There’s simply nowhere for their placement. Think about these outstanding current releases, all very different: the architectural riddles from a specific release, fast-paced pattern recognition in a different title, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles in another game. What category would fit them among existing types? Nowhere, that’s where.
The Representation Problem
Numerous examples exist excellent brain-teasers released every year without proper recognition during gaming ceremonies, if they accidentally match classification types such as Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, and the highly challenging Indie races.
- An iconic brain-teaser received no recognition completely in 2014
- Another creative title missed out in 2019
- A beloved organization game received no acknowledgment in 2021
- Limited numbers of brain-teasers barely qualified for niche award types
Value of Brain-Teasers
These are often compact experiences, however the design of the puzzle game carries substantial weight. Well-known matching games count as most engaged experiences worldwide and have been for an extended period.
The iconic tile-matching title rivals well-known building titles claiming status as most purchased experience; it additionally competes for best game of all time. Logic titles represent cornerstones to the art of video games, and they are in conversation across multiple categories.
The Solution and Justification
Puzzle games wouldn’t have this problem. You could fill five nominees with fascinating, diverse, deserving games each ceremony simply — perhaps, with difficulty, given the need to exclude so many good games out.
Restating the point, these include experiences that otherwise have no home during prominent ceremonies. Logic title developers are working at the challenging frontier of video game design, creating some of most fundamental forms of gaming itself. Similar to movie stunt professionals, they warrant appreciation. We shouldn't delay generations.
