Each time a major awards ceremony draws close, you'll find an outcry for the addition of new categories to recognize underappreciated efforts and fill the passions of fans who have specialized interests.
Another commentator has already made for a horror game category. That would be fantastic. So would strategy board titles, which is a passionate advocate's mission. Yet I need to apologize in advance for pushing forward just as with other single-minded supporters, there's a strong justification for why my demand remains most pressing and significant. Here's the proposal: There should be an award type for logic-based games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Classifying creative works defies precise measurement; it’s very subjective, and typically generate discussions resulting in unclear classifications. There’s a reason film award organizations steer clear of genre categories. However, it represents an unavoidable compromise within the realm of video games, showing incredible range they barely qualify as a single art form.
To recognize the complete range of achievement in video games to gain proper attention, and for games of all stripes to receive proper recognition, specific award classifications remain vital.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Leading game ceremonies currently feature genre categories for Action, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Together, these classifications actually cover a lot of ground, making space possible for most games within them.
This doesn't apply to puzzle games. No suitable classification appears to put them. Consider three of recent excellent titles, all very different: building puzzles in a particular game, the pulse-pounding block-matching in a different title, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles in another game. What category would fit them between these six categories? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Recognition Challenges
Numerous examples exist outstanding logic titles published annually that have no home at major award shows, if they accidentally match classification types such as Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging Indie races.
- One classic puzzle game received no recognition completely in 2014
- Another imaginative release was excluded during that ceremony
- A beloved organization game received no acknowledgment that year
- Only a few logic titles scraped into niche award types
Importance of Logic Titles
Frequently they represent small games, however the design behind logic titles is of massive significance. Famous handheld logic titles stand as most popular titles in the world maintaining this status for an extended period.
The iconic tile-matching title rivals famous sandbox experiences claiming status as highest-selling title ever; it additionally competes as greatest title ever. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks within interactive entertainment, and they are in conversation across multiple categories.
The Solution and Justification
Puzzle games wouldn’t have such difficulty. It would be easy to populate five nominees interesting, varied, worthy titles annually without trouble — perhaps, with difficulty, given the need to exclude many worthy titles.
To emphasize again, these include experiences without proper classification during prominent ceremonies. Puzzle game makers operate at the demanding boundary of video game design, producing among most fundamental forms of the video game form. Just like film action specialists, they deserve recognition. Let’s not keep them waiting decades.
