Each time a prominent prize-giving event approaches, you'll find a demand to include additional classifications to acknowledge unsung work and fill the spirits of followers who have specialized interests.
A fellow writer has already made for a horror game category. It would be amazing. Equally deserving are strategy board titles, which is someone's personal cause. But they will have to forgive me when I prioritize since similar to blinkered fanatics, I possess a compelling case backing this proposal remains most pressing above others. The demand is this: We need an award type for logic-based games.
Categorizing Game Types
Organizing artistic expressions is not a science; it’s very subjective, and it will always generate discussions resulting in unclear classifications. There’s a reason movie academies steer clear of genre categories. However, it represents a necessary evil in the world of gaming, that demonstrate such variety they barely qualify as a single art form.
To recognize the complete range of achievement in video games to receive acknowledgment, while allowing diverse titles to receive proper recognition, specific award classifications remain vital.
Existing Game Classification System
Prominent interactive entertainment events currently feature classifications covering Action, Adventure-action titles, RPG experiences, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Together, these six categories actually cover numerous genres, allowing placement accommodating various experiences.
Not so for puzzle games. No suitable classification appears to put them. Examine these examples from recent excellent titles, showing diverse approaches: structural challenges in a particular game, the pulse-pounding block-matching from another release, engaging interpersonal challenges of a third title. Which classification works among existing types? Unfortunately, nowhere.
The Representation Problem
Many instances occur of brilliant puzzle games published annually that have no home during gaming ceremonies, if they accidentally match for categories like Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the extremely competitive small studio competitions.
- An iconic brain-teaser got overlooked for anything during that awards season
- Another imaginative release received no nominations in 2019
- A beloved organization game got ignored recently
- Limited numbers of logic titles scraped into niche award types
Importance of Logic Titles
These are often compact experiences, however the design in brain-teasers holds tremendous importance. Famous handheld logic titles count as the most-played games in the world maintaining this status for many years.
The legendary block-stacking game challenges well-known building titles for the title of best-selling game of all time; it additionally competes as greatest title ever. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks to the art of video games, and they are in conversation across multiple categories.
Proposal and Rationale
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter that issue. It would be easy to populate a field of five interesting, varied, worthy titles every year with ease — perhaps, with difficulty, given the need to exclude numerous deserving experiences.
And to reiterate, these represent titles that otherwise have no home at major gaming awards. Brain-teaser creators function at the hard edge of video game design, producing among essential manifestations within interactive entertainment. Similar to cinema stunt performers, they deserve recognition. Let’s not keep them waiting decades.
