As any prominent awards ceremony draws close, there’s always a demand for introducing additional classifications to recognize underappreciated efforts and fill the hearts of fans dedicated to specific genres.
Another commentator previously argued advocating for terror-themed awards. That would rule. The same goes for tabletop games, this being a passionate advocate's mission. But they will have to forgive me if I try to elbow in front because like all single-minded supporters, I have a cast-iron argument supporting my request stands as crucial and important of all. Here's the proposal: It's essential to create a classification for brain-teasing titles.
Categorizing Game Types
Classifying creative works defies precise measurement; it remains highly personal, and inevitably start arguments concluding with vague boundaries. There’s a reason film award organizations avoid this approach. But it is an essential concession within the realm of video games, which are so diverse they hardly constitute as a single art form.
To recognize the complete range of gaming accomplishments to be recognized, while allowing diverse titles to receive proper recognition, specific award classifications remain vital.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Leading game ceremonies offer these genre categories for Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Together, these classifications actually cover numerous genres, and you can find room for most games within them.
This doesn't apply to puzzle games. No appropriate category exists to accommodate them. Examine these examples from this year’s best games, showing diverse approaches: the architectural riddles in a particular game, the pulse-pounding block-matching from another release, thought-provoking social scenarios from additional release. What category would fit them within current classifications? Nowhere, that’s where.
The Representation Problem
Numerous examples exist of brilliant puzzle games published annually without proper recognition during gaming ceremonies, unless they happen to qualify for categories like Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging small studio competitions.
- An iconic brain-teaser wasn’t nominated in any category in 2014
- A different innovative game received no nominations in 2019
- A beloved organization game received no acknowledgment in 2021
- Only a few logic titles scraped into niche award types
Importance of Logic Titles
Frequently they represent compact experiences, however the design of the puzzle game is of massive significance. Iconic mobile puzzle games count as the most-played games worldwide continuing this trend for over a decade.
The famous puzzle experience competes with famous sandbox experiences claiming status as highest-selling title ever; it additionally competes as greatest title ever. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks within interactive entertainment, and engaging across multiple categories.
Proposal and Rationale
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter such difficulty. One could readily select a field of five engaging, different, qualified experiences every year with ease — or rather, with difficulty, given the need to exclude numerous deserving experiences.
To emphasize again, these are games that otherwise have no home at major gaming awards. Logic title developers operate at the challenging frontier of video game design, developing some of the purest expressions of gaming itself. Similar to film action specialists, they warrant appreciation. Don't make them wait 35 years.
