Whenever a prominent awards ceremony draws close, there’s always a clamor for the addition of new categories to acknowledge overlooked contributions and satisfy the hearts of followers with niche passions.
Another commentator made the case supporting a scary games classification. That would be fantastic. The same goes for tabletop games, this being a dedicated supporter's campaign. But they will have to forgive me if I try to elbow in front since similar to blinkered fanatics, I have a cast-iron argument backing this proposal is the most urgent and important of all. This is the request: It's essential to create an award type for logic-based games.
Categorizing Game Types
Organizing artistic expressions is not a science; opinions vary greatly, and inevitably generate discussions and end in fuzzy definitions. It's understandable that cinema institutions steer clear of genre categories. However, it represents a necessary evil within the realm of interactive entertainment, showing incredible range they barely qualify a single creative category.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of achievement in video games to gain proper attention, while allowing diverse titles to receive proper recognition, classification by type becomes crucial.
Existing Game Classification System
Leading game ceremonies offer these classifications covering Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Collectively, these award types effectively encompass a lot of ground, and you can find room accommodating various experiences.
Different situation exists for logic-based experiences. No suitable classification appears to accommodate them. Consider three of this year’s best games, all very different: structural challenges of one title, intense tile-matching from another release, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles of a third title. What category would fit them within current classifications? Unfortunately, nowhere.
The Representation Problem
Numerous examples exist excellent brain-teasers launched regularly that have no home in entertainment awards, unless they happen to qualify award groups including Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, or the extremely competitive independent game categories.
- One classic puzzle game wasn’t nominated in any category during that awards season
- A different innovative game received no nominations during that ceremony
- Well-received sorting experience got ignored in 2021
- Just some puzzle games managed to sneak into independent or mobile categories
Significance of Puzzle Games
Commonly they're modest productions, yet the craft of the puzzle game carries substantial weight. Famous handheld logic titles rank among most popular titles in the world and have been for over a decade.
The iconic tile-matching title competes with famous sandbox experiences claiming status as best-selling game of all time; it also contends for best game of all time. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks for gaming as medium, and engaging with almost every other genre.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Puzzle games wouldn’t have this problem. You could fill five nominees interesting, varied, worthy titles annually without trouble — perhaps, with difficulty, given the need to exclude so many good games out.
Restating the point, these are games lacking appropriate categories during prominent ceremonies. Brain-teaser creators operate at the challenging frontier game development, creating some of most fundamental forms of gaming itself. Comparable to film action specialists, they warrant appreciation. Let’s not keep them waiting generations.
