Each time a prominent awards ceremony nears, you'll find a clamor to include additional classifications to honor underappreciated efforts and fill the hearts of followers with niche passions.
My colleague has already made supporting a scary games classification. That would be fantastic. So would tabletop games, this being a passionate advocate's mission. However, I must insist if I try to elbow in front because like all dedicated enthusiasts, I have a cast-iron argument supporting my request stands as crucial and important of all. This is the request: There should be an award type for logic-based games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Classifying creative works is not a science; it’s very subjective, and it will always generate discussions and end in fuzzy definitions. There’s a reason film award organizations don’t do it. But it is an unavoidable compromise for the industry of interactive entertainment, which are so diverse it's challenging to consider them a single creative category.
For the full spectrum of gaming accomplishments to gain proper attention, while allowing diverse titles to compete fairly, classification by type becomes crucial.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Prominent interactive entertainment events currently feature classifications covering Action, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Between them, these classifications actually cover a lot of ground, allowing placement for most games within them.
This doesn't apply to logic-based experiences. No appropriate category exists for their placement. Consider three of this year’s best games, each quite distinct: structural challenges from a specific release, fast-paced pattern recognition from another release, thought-provoking social scenarios from additional release. What category would fit them within current classifications? Simply put, no category fits.
Recognition Challenges
Numerous examples exist of brilliant puzzle games launched regularly without proper recognition during gaming ceremonies, unless they happen to qualify classification types such as Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, or the extremely competitive independent game categories.
- An iconic brain-teaser received no recognition completely in 2014
- Another creative title received no nominations during that ceremony
- A beloved organization game received no acknowledgment that year
- Limited numbers of logic titles managed to sneak into small studio or handheld classifications
Significance of Puzzle Games
Commonly they're small games, however the design behind logic titles carries substantial weight. Famous handheld logic titles rank among most engaged experiences in the world maintaining this status for many years.
The iconic tile-matching title rivals famous sandbox experiences claiming status as best-selling game of all time; it additionally competes as greatest title ever. Logic titles represent cornerstones to the art of video games, while interacting with diverse game types.
Proposal and Rationale
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter that issue. One could readily select five nominees interesting, varied, worthy titles every year with ease — perhaps, with difficulty, since numerous excellent numerous deserving experiences.
Restating the point, these represent titles that otherwise have no home in important events. Puzzle game makers operate at the hard edge interactive creation, creating some of essential manifestations of gaming itself. Comparable to cinema stunt performers, they merit acknowledgment. Don't make them wait decades.
