As any prominent awards ceremony approaches, there’s always a demand for the addition of new categories to recognize underappreciated efforts and fill the spirits of fans who have specialized interests.
Another commentator previously argued for a horror game category. It would be amazing. So would board games, representing someone's personal cause. But they will have to forgive me when I prioritize since similar to blinkered fanatics, I possess a compelling case for why my demand stands as crucial above others. Here's the proposal: There should be an award type for logic-based games.
Categorizing Game Types
Classifying creative works isn't exact; it’s very subjective, and it will always spark debates and end in fuzzy definitions. This explains why film award organizations steer clear of genre categories. But it is an essential concession in the world of interactive entertainment, showing incredible range it's challenging to consider them a single creative category.
To recognize the complete range of gaming accomplishments to be recognized, and for games of all stripes to compete fairly, genre categories are essential.
Existing Game Classification System
Leading game ceremonies offer these classifications covering Action, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Collectively, these award types actually cover numerous genres, making space possible for numerous titles.
Different situation exists for puzzle games. No suitable classification appears for their placement. Examine these examples from recent excellent titles, all very different: building puzzles from a specific release, fast-paced pattern recognition in a different title, engaging interpersonal challenges from additional release. What category would fit them between these six categories? Nowhere, that’s where.
The Representation Problem
There are dozens of brilliant puzzle games launched regularly that have no home in entertainment awards, if they accidentally match for categories like Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging small studio competitions.
- One classic puzzle game wasn’t nominated for anything in 2014
- Another imaginative release received no nominations in 2019
- Well-received sorting experience received no acknowledgment that year
- Just some brain-teasers scraped into small studio or handheld classifications
Importance of Logic Titles
Commonly they're modest productions, yet the craft of the puzzle game is of massive significance. Well-known matching games stand as the most-played games globally and have been for an extended period.
The iconic tile-matching title competes with popular creative games claiming status as most purchased experience; it also contends for top gaming experience. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks within interactive entertainment, and engaging with almost every other genre.
Proposal and Rationale
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter such difficulty. You could fill a field of five with fascinating, diverse, deserving games every year with ease — perhaps, with difficulty, given the need to exclude so many good games out.
Restating the point, these represent titles without proper classification during prominent ceremonies. Logic title developers operate at the challenging frontier interactive creation, developing some of essential manifestations of gaming itself. Similar to film action specialists, they warrant appreciation. Don't make them wait 35 years.
