Each time a major awards ceremony nears, there’s always a clamor for introducing of new categories to recognize overlooked contributions and delight the spirits of followers with niche passions.
My colleague has already made for a horror game category. It would be amazing. Equally deserving are tabletop games, representing a passionate advocate's mission. However, I must insist for pushing forward because like all dedicated enthusiasts, I possess a compelling case supporting my request remains most pressing and important of all. The demand is this: It's essential to create an award type for logic-based games.
Categorizing Game Types
Categorizing art by genre defies precise measurement; opinions vary greatly, and inevitably generate discussions concluding with vague boundaries. It's understandable that film award organizations don’t do it. However, it represents a necessary evil within the realm of gaming, which are so diverse it's challenging to consider them a single creative category.
For the full spectrum of gaming accomplishments to receive acknowledgment, and for games of all stripes to compete fairly, classification by type becomes crucial.
Existing Game Classification System
The major gaming awards 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 successfully include numerous genres, allowing placement accommodating various experiences.
Different situation exists for logic-based experiences. No suitable classification appears for their placement. Consider three of recent excellent titles, each quite distinct: the architectural riddles from a specific release, intense tile-matching in a different title, thought-provoking social scenarios of a third title. Which classification works within current classifications? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Acknowledgment Issues
Many instances occur excellent brain-teasers launched regularly lacking appropriate categories in entertainment awards, unless they happen to qualify classification types such as Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, or the intensely contested independent game categories.
- An iconic brain-teaser got overlooked in any category that year
- Another imaginative release missed out in 2019
- A beloved organization game was overlooked that year
- Limited numbers of puzzle games managed to sneak into small studio or handheld classifications
Significance of Puzzle Games
Frequently they represent modest productions, yet the craft in brain-teasers is of massive significance. Iconic mobile puzzle games stand as the most-played games globally maintaining this status for over a decade.
The famous puzzle experience competes with famous sandbox experiences competing to become best-selling game of all time; it also contends as greatest title ever. Puzzle games are foundational to the art of video games, and engaging with almost every other genre.
The Solution and Justification
Puzzle games wouldn’t have this problem. It would be easy to populate five nominees with fascinating, diverse, deserving games annually without trouble — actually, with challenge, since numerous excellent so many good games out.
To emphasize again, these include experiences that otherwise have no home during prominent ceremonies. Puzzle game makers are working at the hard edge of video game design, creating some of most fundamental forms of gaming itself. Similar to movie stunt professionals, they warrant appreciation. Let’s not keep them waiting decades.
