Each time a major honors show approaches, there’s always a clamor for the addition of new categories to recognize underappreciated efforts and fill the hearts of enthusiasts with niche passions.
My colleague has already made for a horror game category. That would rule. Equally deserving are strategy board titles, representing someone's personal cause. But they will have to forgive me for pushing forward because like all single-minded supporters, I have a cast-iron argument supporting my request remains most pressing above others. The demand is this: We need a classification for brain-teasing titles.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Classifying creative works is not a science; it remains highly personal, and typically generate discussions resulting in unclear classifications. There’s a reason cinema institutions avoid this approach. Yet it remains an unavoidable compromise for the industry of video games, which are so diverse it's challenging to consider them as a single art form.
For the full spectrum of gaming accomplishments to be recognized, and for games of all stripes to receive proper recognition, classification by type becomes crucial.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Leading game ceremonies presently include award types recognizing Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Between them, these award types effectively encompass numerous genres, and you can find room accommodating various experiences.
This doesn't apply to logic-based experiences. No appropriate category exists to put them. Think about these recent excellent titles, each quite distinct: structural challenges of one title, intense tile-matching from another release, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles of a third title. Where could they possibly go between these six categories? Simply put, no category fits.
Recognition Challenges
There are dozens outstanding logic titles launched regularly that have no home in entertainment awards, unless they happen to qualify classification types such as Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the intensely contested independent game categories.
- An iconic brain-teaser received no recognition in any category that year
- A different innovative game was excluded that year
- Popular arranging title received no acknowledgment in 2021
- Just some puzzle games barely qualified for independent or mobile categories
Importance of Logic Titles
These are often modest productions, however the design of the puzzle game holds tremendous importance. Well-known matching games rank among most engaged experiences worldwide continuing this trend for an extended period.
The legendary block-stacking game challenges well-known building titles claiming status as highest-selling title ever; it’s also in the running for best game of all time. Logic titles represent cornerstones within interactive entertainment, and engaging across multiple categories.
The Solution and Justification
Logic titles wouldn't face this problem. You could fill a field of five interesting, varied, worthy titles each ceremony simply — or rather, with difficulty, since numerous excellent many worthy titles.
And to reiterate, these represent titles that otherwise have no home at major gaming awards. Puzzle game makers operate at the challenging frontier game development, creating some of essential manifestations of the video game form. Similar to movie stunt professionals, they deserve recognition. Let’s not keep them waiting decades.
