Each time a major awards ceremony approaches, there’s always a demand for the addition additional classifications to honor unsung work and delight the spirits of enthusiasts dedicated to specific genres.
My colleague previously argued for a horror game category. It would be amazing. So would strategy board titles, representing a dedicated supporter's campaign. Yet I need to apologize in advance for pushing forward since similar to blinkered fanatics, there's a strong justification for why my demand stands as crucial and significant. The demand is this: There should be an award type for logic-based games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Organizing artistic expressions defies precise measurement; opinions vary greatly, and inevitably start arguments and end in fuzzy definitions. This explains why film award organizations avoid this approach. But it is an unavoidable compromise within the realm of gaming, that demonstrate such variety they barely qualify a single creative category.
For the full spectrum of achievement in video games to gain proper attention, and for games of all stripes to compete fairly, specific award classifications remain vital.
Existing Game Classification System
The major gaming awards currently feature classifications covering Action, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Between them, these award types effectively encompass numerous genres, and you can find room for numerous titles.
This doesn't apply to puzzle games. No appropriate category exists for their placement. Think about these recent excellent titles, showing diverse approaches: structural challenges from a specific release, intense tile-matching of another game, thought-provoking social scenarios of a third title. Where could they possibly go within current classifications? Nowhere, that’s where.
The Representation Problem
There are dozens excellent brain-teasers released every year that have no home in entertainment awards, unless they happen to qualify classification types such as Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, or the intensely contested Indie races.
- One classic puzzle game received no recognition completely in 2014
- Another imaginative release was excluded that year
- Popular arranging title received no acknowledgment recently
- Just some puzzle games scraped into niche award types
Value of Brain-Teasers
Commonly they're small games, yet the craft behind logic titles carries substantial weight. Iconic mobile puzzle games rank among most popular titles in the world and have been for an extended period.
The legendary block-stacking game rivals well-known building titles claiming status as highest-selling title ever; it’s also in the running for top gaming experience. Puzzle games are foundational within interactive entertainment, and engaging with almost every other genre.
Proposal and Rationale
Puzzle games wouldn’t have this problem. One could readily select five nominees engaging, different, qualified experiences every year with ease — perhaps, with difficulty, given the need to exclude numerous deserving experiences.
And to reiterate, these represent titles without proper classification in important events. Logic title developers function at the demanding boundary game development, producing among most fundamental forms of the video game form. Similar to movie stunt professionals, they deserve recognition. Let’s not keep them waiting decades.
