Each time a major prize-giving event draws close, you'll find an outcry for the addition of new categories to recognize overlooked contributions and delight the passions of followers dedicated to specific genres.
Another commentator previously argued supporting a scary games classification. That would be fantastic. Equally deserving are strategy board titles, which is a dedicated supporter's campaign. Yet I need to apologize in advance when I prioritize since similar to dedicated enthusiasts, I have a cast-iron argument supporting my request stands as crucial and important of all. The demand is this: It's essential to create an award type for logic-based games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Organizing artistic expressions defies precise measurement; it’s very subjective, and it will always spark debates and end in fuzzy definitions. There’s a reason film award organizations don’t do it. Yet it remains an unavoidable compromise for the industry of interactive entertainment, which are so diverse they barely qualify one unified medium.
To recognize the complete range of interactive entertainment excellence to gain proper attention, and to ensure all game types to have a chance for representation, genre categories are essential.
Existing Game Classification System
The major gaming awards currently feature award types recognizing Action, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Together, these six categories actually cover many game types, allowing placement for numerous titles.
This doesn't apply to puzzle games. There’s simply nowhere to put them. Consider three of recent excellent titles, showing diverse approaches: structural challenges from a specific release, fast-paced pattern recognition in a different title, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles in another game. What category would fit them among existing types? Unfortunately, nowhere.
The Representation Problem
Numerous examples exist outstanding logic titles launched regularly that have no home at major award shows, if they accidentally match classification types such as Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the intensely contested Indie races.
- A renowned logic title got overlooked in any category that year
- Another creative title was excluded in 2019
- Well-received sorting experience was overlooked recently
- Limited numbers of logic titles barely qualified for small studio or handheld classifications
Value of Brain-Teasers
Commonly they're compact experiences, but the art of the puzzle game holds tremendous importance. Iconic mobile puzzle games rank among the most-played games worldwide and have been for many years.
The iconic tile-matching title rivals well-known building titles for the title of highest-selling title ever; it additionally competes as greatest title ever. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks for gaming as medium, and they are in conversation with diverse game types.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter this problem. It would be easy to populate multiple candidates interesting, varied, worthy titles each ceremony simply — or rather, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave so many good games out.
Restating the point, these represent titles lacking appropriate categories during prominent ceremonies. Logic title developers are working at the hard edge interactive creation, developing some of most fundamental forms of the video game form. Similar to movie stunt professionals, they deserve recognition. Let’s not keep them waiting generations.
