Each time a prominent honors show approaches, one notices a clamor for introducing fresh award types to acknowledge overlooked contributions and satisfy the hearts of followers dedicated to specific genres.
Another commentator previously argued supporting a scary games classification. That would rule. So would strategy board titles, this being a passionate advocate's mission. Yet I need to apologize in advance when I prioritize since similar to single-minded supporters, I possess a compelling case supporting my request remains most pressing and important of all. Here's the proposal: It's essential to create an award type for logic-based games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Organizing artistic expressions is not a science; opinions vary greatly, and it will always spark debates and end in fuzzy definitions. This explains why movie academies steer clear of genre categories. However, it represents a necessary evil for the industry of interactive entertainment, that demonstrate such variety it's challenging to consider them one unified medium.
To recognize the complete range of interactive entertainment excellence to gain proper attention, and for games of all stripes to compete fairly, genre categories are essential.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Leading game ceremonies currently feature genre categories for Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these six categories successfully include many game types, allowing placement for most games within them.
Not so for logic-based experiences. There’s simply nowhere to accommodate them. Think about these recent excellent titles, each quite distinct: building puzzles of one title, the pulse-pounding block-matching in a different title, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles of a third title. Which classification works within current classifications? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Recognition Challenges
Numerous examples exist of brilliant puzzle games released every year lacking appropriate categories at major award shows, except when they manage to fit for categories like Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the extremely competitive small studio competitions.
- One classic puzzle game received no recognition completely during that awards season
- Another imaginative release was excluded in 2019
- Well-received sorting experience received no acknowledgment in 2021
- Limited numbers of logic titles barely qualified for independent or mobile categories
Value of Brain-Teasers
Commonly they're compact experiences, but the art behind logic titles carries substantial weight. Famous handheld logic titles rank among most popular titles in the world and have been for an extended period.
The legendary block-stacking game rivals famous sandbox experiences for the title of most purchased experience; it also contends for best game of all time. Logic titles represent cornerstones to the art of video games, while interacting across multiple categories.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Puzzle games wouldn’t have this problem. It would be easy to populate five nominees engaging, different, qualified experiences each ceremony simply — perhaps, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave numerous deserving experiences.
And to reiterate, these include experiences that otherwise have no home at major gaming awards. Puzzle game makers are working at the demanding boundary interactive creation, creating some of the purest expressions within interactive entertainment. Comparable to movie stunt professionals, they deserve recognition. Don't make them wait generations.
