Whenever a prominent prize-giving event draws close, there’s always a demand for introducing of new categories to honor underappreciated efforts and delight the hearts of enthusiasts with niche passions.
Another commentator previously argued for a horror game category. It would be amazing. The same goes for strategy board titles, representing a passionate advocate's mission. But they will have to forgive me if I try to elbow in front just as with other blinkered fanatics, I have a cast-iron argument for why my demand stands as crucial and important of all. Here's the proposal: We need an award type for logic-based games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Classifying creative works isn't exact; it’s very subjective, and typically spark debates resulting in unclear classifications. It's understandable that movie academies avoid this approach. However, it represents an essential concession for the industry of video games, that demonstrate such variety it's challenging to consider them a single creative category.
For the full spectrum of interactive entertainment excellence to be recognized, and for games of all stripes to compete fairly, specific award classifications remain vital.
Present Award Structure
Prominent interactive entertainment events currently feature award types recognizing Action, Adventure-action titles, RPG experiences, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Between them, these award types effectively encompass a lot of ground, and you can find room for most games within them.
Not so for logic-based experiences. There’s simply nowhere for their placement. Consider three of this year’s best games, showing diverse approaches: building puzzles in a particular game, the pulse-pounding block-matching from another release, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles from additional release. Which classification works among existing types? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Acknowledgment Issues
Numerous examples exist outstanding logic titles launched regularly lacking appropriate categories at major award shows, except when they manage to fit award groups including Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, or the extremely competitive small studio competitions.
- An iconic brain-teaser got overlooked in any category during that awards season
- Another creative title received no nominations that year
- Well-received sorting experience got ignored that year
- Only a few brain-teasers managed to sneak into independent or mobile categories
Value of Brain-Teasers
Frequently they represent small games, however the design in brain-teasers carries substantial weight. Iconic mobile puzzle games stand as the most-played games worldwide and have been for many years.
The famous puzzle experience challenges well-known building titles claiming status as best-selling game of all time; it also contends for top gaming experience. Puzzle games are foundational within interactive entertainment, and engaging across multiple categories.
Proposal and Rationale
Logic titles wouldn't face this problem. One could readily select multiple candidates interesting, varied, worthy titles annually without trouble — perhaps, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave numerous deserving experiences.
Restating the point, these are games that otherwise have no home in important events. Brain-teaser creators are working at the hard edge of video game design, producing among most fundamental forms of gaming itself. Comparable to cinema stunt performers, they merit acknowledgment. We shouldn't delay decades.
