Each time a significant awards ceremony draws close, you'll find a clamor to include of new categories to honor unsung work and delight the hearts of fans dedicated to specific genres.
A fellow writer previously argued for a horror game category. That would rule. Equally deserving are strategy board titles, which is a dedicated supporter's campaign. However, I must insist for pushing forward since similar to single-minded supporters, I possess a compelling case for why my demand is the most urgent and important of all. The demand is this: We need an award type for logic-based games.
Categorizing Game Types
Categorizing art by genre is not a science; it remains highly personal, and typically start arguments resulting in unclear classifications. It's understandable that cinema institutions avoid this approach. Yet it remains an unavoidable compromise for the industry of gaming, that demonstrate such variety they barely qualify a single creative category.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of achievement in video games to receive acknowledgment, and to ensure all game types to have a chance for representation, genre categories are essential.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Leading game ceremonies presently include classifications covering Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Collectively, these classifications actually cover many game types, and you can find room accommodating various experiences.
Not so for logic-based experiences. No appropriate category exists to put them. Examine these examples from this year’s best games, each quite distinct: building puzzles from a specific release, intense tile-matching of another game, engaging interpersonal challenges from additional release. What category would fit them among existing types? Simply put, no category fits.
Recognition Challenges
Numerous examples exist of brilliant puzzle games published annually that have no home during gaming ceremonies, unless they happen to qualify classification types such as Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, or the intensely contested independent game categories.
- One classic puzzle game got overlooked in any category in 2014
- A different innovative game was excluded during that ceremony
- A beloved organization game received no acknowledgment in 2021
- Just some logic titles managed to sneak into small studio or handheld classifications
Significance of Puzzle Games
These are often small games, however the design in brain-teasers is of massive significance. Famous handheld logic titles rank among most engaged experiences globally continuing this trend for over a decade.
The iconic tile-matching title challenges well-known building titles for the title of highest-selling title ever; it’s also in the running as greatest title ever. Puzzle games are foundational for gaming as medium, while interacting across multiple categories.
Proposal and Rationale
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter that issue. It would be easy to populate a field of five interesting, varied, worthy titles every year with ease — actually, with challenge, because you’d have to leave many worthy titles.
Restating the point, these represent titles without proper classification in important events. Puzzle game makers operate at the challenging frontier game development, developing some of the purest expressions of the video game form. Just like cinema stunt performers, they merit acknowledgment. Don't make them wait decades.
