Whenever a significant honors show nears, there’s always a clamor to include of new categories to honor underappreciated efforts and delight the spirits of enthusiasts with niche passions.
A fellow writer made the case for a horror game category. That would rule. Equally deserving are strategy board titles, representing a dedicated supporter's campaign. Yet I need to apologize in advance when I prioritize because like all dedicated enthusiasts, I have a cast-iron argument for why my demand remains most pressing above others. Here's the proposal: There should be an award type for logic-based games.
Categorizing Game Types
Classifying creative works is not a science; opinions vary greatly, and inevitably start arguments resulting in unclear classifications. It's understandable that movie academies avoid this approach. But it is an essential concession for the industry of video games, that demonstrate such variety it's challenging to consider them as a single art form.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of interactive entertainment excellence to gain proper attention, and for games of all stripes to receive proper recognition, specific award classifications remain vital.
Present Award Structure
The major gaming awards presently include genre categories for Action, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Between them, these classifications effectively encompass numerous genres, and you can find room accommodating various experiences.
Not so for brain-teasing titles. No suitable classification appears to accommodate them. Examine these examples from this year’s best games, showing diverse approaches: structural challenges in a particular game, the pulse-pounding block-matching from another release, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles in another game. What category would fit them among existing types? Nowhere, that’s where.
Acknowledgment Issues
Numerous examples exist of brilliant puzzle games published annually lacking appropriate categories at major award shows, unless they happen to qualify award groups including Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, or the extremely competitive Indie races.
- A renowned logic title wasn’t nominated in any category that year
- A different innovative game received no nominations during that ceremony
- Well-received sorting experience received no acknowledgment recently
- Only a few brain-teasers managed to sneak into independent or mobile categories
Significance of Puzzle Games
These are often modest productions, yet the craft in brain-teasers is of massive significance. Famous handheld logic titles count as most popular titles globally continuing this trend for many years.
The iconic tile-matching title rivals popular creative games claiming status as best-selling game of all time; it additionally competes for top gaming experience. Puzzle games are foundational for gaming as medium, and they are in conversation with diverse game types.
Proposal and Rationale
Puzzle games wouldn’t have this problem. It would be easy to populate multiple candidates with fascinating, diverse, deserving games annually without trouble — actually, with challenge, given the need to exclude numerous deserving experiences.
To emphasize again, these include experiences without proper classification in important events. Brain-teaser creators are working at the challenging frontier interactive creation, producing among most fundamental forms of the video game form. Comparable to film action specialists, they warrant appreciation. Don't make them wait decades.
