Each time a significant awards ceremony approaches, one notices a clamor to include of new categories to acknowledge unsung work and satisfy the passions of enthusiasts who have specialized interests.
Another commentator previously argued advocating for terror-themed awards. That would be fantastic. Equally deserving are tabletop games, representing a dedicated supporter's campaign. However, I must insist for pushing forward just as with other dedicated enthusiasts, I possess a compelling case for why my demand is the most urgent and significant. The demand is this: There should be an award type for logic-based games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Organizing artistic expressions is not a science; it remains highly personal, and typically start arguments resulting in unclear classifications. There’s a reason movie academies don’t do it. But it is an essential concession within the realm of video games, that demonstrate such variety they barely qualify as a single art form.
For the full spectrum of gaming accomplishments to gain proper attention, and to ensure all game types to compete fairly, classification by type becomes crucial.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Leading game ceremonies offer these classifications covering Action, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Between them, these six categories actually cover many game types, making space possible accommodating various experiences.
Not so for brain-teasing titles. No suitable classification appears for their placement. Consider three of recent excellent titles, each quite distinct: structural challenges of one title, intense tile-matching of another game, engaging interpersonal challenges in another game. What category would fit them between these six categories? Simply put, no category fits.
The Representation Problem
There are dozens excellent brain-teasers launched regularly without proper recognition in entertainment awards, unless they happen to qualify for categories like Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, or the extremely competitive Indie races.
- An iconic brain-teaser got overlooked for anything during that awards season
- A different innovative game received no nominations during that ceremony
- Well-received sorting experience got ignored that year
- Just some logic titles barely qualified for small studio or handheld classifications
Significance of Puzzle Games
Commonly they're compact experiences, but the art of the puzzle game is of massive significance. Iconic mobile puzzle games count as most popular titles globally continuing this trend for over a decade.
The legendary block-stacking game rivals well-known building titles claiming status as best-selling game of all time; it additionally competes for best game of all time. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks within interactive entertainment, and they are in conversation with almost every other genre.
The Solution and Justification
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter that issue. You could fill a field of five interesting, varied, worthy titles annually without trouble — or rather, with difficulty, given the need to exclude numerous deserving experiences.
And to reiterate, these are games without proper classification during prominent ceremonies. Brain-teaser creators are working at the challenging frontier interactive creation, creating some of most fundamental forms of gaming itself. Comparable to movie stunt professionals, they deserve recognition. We shouldn't delay generations.
