Whenever a significant prize-giving event draws close, there’s always an outcry for the addition fresh award types to acknowledge unsung work and fill the passions of followers with niche passions.
My colleague made the case supporting a scary games classification. That would rule. The same goes for strategy board titles, representing a dedicated supporter's campaign. Yet I need to apologize in advance when I prioritize because like all blinkered fanatics, I possess a compelling case supporting my request is the most urgent above others. Here's the proposal: There should be a classification for brain-teasing titles.
Categorizing Game Types
Classifying creative works isn't exact; it remains highly personal, and inevitably generate discussions resulting in unclear classifications. It's understandable that movie academies avoid this approach. Yet it remains a necessary evil for the industry of interactive entertainment, showing incredible range they hardly constitute as a single art form.
For the full spectrum of achievement in video games to receive acknowledgment, and to ensure all game types to receive proper recognition, genre categories are essential.
Current Gaming Award Categories
The major gaming awards presently include classifications covering Action, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Collectively, these classifications successfully include numerous genres, allowing placement accommodating various experiences.
Not so for puzzle games. There’s simply nowhere to accommodate them. Think about these recent excellent titles, all very different: structural challenges of one title, fast-paced pattern recognition of another game, thought-provoking social scenarios of a third title. Where could they possibly go within current classifications? Nowhere, that’s where.
The Representation Problem
Many instances occur of brilliant puzzle games released every year that have no home at major award shows, unless they happen to qualify classification types such as Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the intensely contested Indie races.
- One classic puzzle game received no recognition completely in 2014
- A different innovative game was excluded in 2019
- Well-received sorting experience received no acknowledgment in 2021
- Only a few logic titles barely qualified for small studio or handheld classifications
Importance of Logic Titles
These are often compact experiences, however the design of the puzzle game holds tremendous importance. Famous handheld logic titles rank among most popular titles globally continuing this trend for an extended period.
The famous puzzle experience challenges famous sandbox experiences claiming status as highest-selling title ever; it also contends as greatest title ever. Logic titles represent cornerstones for gaming as medium, while interacting across multiple categories.
The Solution and Justification
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter this problem. One could readily select a field of five interesting, varied, worthy titles every year with ease — actually, with challenge, since numerous excellent many worthy titles.
Restating the point, these represent titles lacking appropriate categories during prominent ceremonies. Puzzle game makers function at the challenging frontier interactive creation, developing some of essential manifestations of gaming itself. Just like cinema stunt performers, they deserve recognition. Let’s not keep them waiting decades.
