Whenever a prominent awards ceremony draws close, there’s always an outcry for introducing fresh award types to honor overlooked contributions and satisfy the spirits of fans with niche passions.
My colleague previously argued advocating for terror-themed awards. That would rule. The same goes for board games, representing someone's personal cause. But they will have to forgive me if I try to elbow in front because like all blinkered fanatics, I have a cast-iron argument supporting my request is the most urgent and important of all. The demand is this: We need an award type for logic-based games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Categorizing art by genre is not a science; it’s very subjective, and inevitably start arguments resulting in unclear classifications. It's understandable that film award organizations avoid this approach. Yet it remains an unavoidable compromise within the realm of video games, that demonstrate such variety they hardly constitute a single creative category.
To recognize the complete range of gaming accomplishments to receive acknowledgment, and for games of all stripes to compete fairly, classification by type becomes crucial.
Existing Game Classification System
Prominent interactive entertainment events offer these genre categories for Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Collectively, these award types actually cover a lot of ground, making space possible for most games within them.
Not so for puzzle games. No appropriate category exists for their placement. Consider three of recent excellent titles, all very different: building puzzles from a specific release, the pulse-pounding block-matching in a different title, engaging interpersonal challenges in another game. Where could they possibly go among existing types? Nowhere, that’s where.
Acknowledgment Issues
There are dozens outstanding logic titles released every year that have no home at major award shows, unless they happen to qualify classification types such as Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, or the extremely competitive Indie races.
- An iconic brain-teaser received no recognition for anything in 2014
- Another creative title was excluded that year
- A beloved organization game received no acknowledgment in 2021
- Just some brain-teasers barely qualified for niche award types
Value of Brain-Teasers
Commonly they're compact experiences, yet the craft behind logic titles holds tremendous importance. Iconic mobile puzzle games rank among the most-played games in the world continuing this trend for an extended period.
The iconic tile-matching title challenges popular creative games for the title of best-selling game of all time; it also contends for best game of all time. Logic titles represent cornerstones within interactive entertainment, while interacting with diverse game types.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter that issue. You could fill five nominees interesting, varied, worthy titles each ceremony simply — actually, with challenge, given the need to exclude numerous deserving experiences.
To emphasize again, these represent titles that otherwise have no home at major gaming awards. Puzzle game makers operate at the hard edge interactive creation, developing some of essential manifestations within interactive entertainment. Similar to cinema stunt performers, they warrant appreciation. We shouldn't delay generations.
