Each time a prominent awards ceremony draws close, one notices a clamor for introducing of new categories to recognize underappreciated efforts and fill the spirits of fans who have specialized interests.
A fellow writer has already made advocating for terror-themed awards. That would rule. Equally deserving are strategy board titles, representing a passionate advocate's mission. But they will have to forgive me when I prioritize just as with other single-minded supporters, there's a strong justification for why my demand remains most pressing and significant. This is the request: There should be an award type for logic-based games.
Categorizing Game Types
Classifying creative works is not a science; it’s very subjective, and inevitably generate discussions resulting in unclear classifications. There’s a reason film award organizations steer clear of genre categories. However, it represents an unavoidable compromise for the industry of video games, that demonstrate such variety it's challenging to consider them one unified medium.
For the full spectrum of interactive entertainment excellence to be recognized, and to ensure all game types to compete fairly, classification by type becomes crucial.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Leading game ceremonies presently include genre categories for Action, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Collectively, these award types actually cover a lot of ground, making space possible for most games within them.
This doesn't apply to puzzle games. No appropriate category exists to accommodate them. Consider three of outstanding current releases, showing diverse approaches: structural challenges in a particular game, intense tile-matching from another release, thought-provoking social scenarios of a third title. What category would fit them between these six categories? Nowhere, that’s where.
The Representation Problem
Many instances occur excellent brain-teasers launched regularly that have no home at major award shows, except when they manage to fit classification types such as Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the extremely competitive Indie races.
- An iconic brain-teaser got overlooked in any category during that awards season
- Another creative title was excluded that year
- Well-received sorting experience got ignored recently
- Limited numbers of brain-teasers scraped into small studio or handheld classifications
Importance of Logic Titles
Commonly they're compact experiences, yet the craft of the puzzle game carries substantial weight. Iconic mobile puzzle games stand as most popular titles in the world and have been for many years.
The legendary block-stacking game rivals popular creative games competing to become most purchased experience; it additionally competes as greatest title ever. Puzzle games are foundational within interactive entertainment, and engaging across multiple categories.
The Solution and Justification
Logic titles wouldn't face such difficulty. You could fill a field of five interesting, varied, worthy titles each ceremony simply — or rather, with difficulty, given the need to exclude so many good games out.
Restating the point, these represent titles that otherwise have no home in important events. Brain-teaser creators function at the demanding boundary interactive creation, producing among the purest expressions of gaming itself. Similar to cinema stunt performers, they merit acknowledgment. Don't make them wait decades.
