As any prominent awards ceremony draws close, there’s always a demand to include additional classifications to acknowledge overlooked contributions and satisfy the hearts of fans dedicated to specific genres.
Another commentator made the case supporting a scary games classification. That would be fantastic. The same goes for board games, representing a passionate advocate's mission. Yet I need to apologize in advance if I try to elbow in front since similar to blinkered fanatics, I possess a compelling case supporting my request is the most urgent and significant. The demand is this: It's essential to create an award type for logic-based games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Classifying creative works is not a science; it remains highly personal, and inevitably spark debates concluding with vague boundaries. It's understandable that movie academies avoid this approach. However, it represents an unavoidable compromise in the world of gaming, that demonstrate such variety they hardly constitute one unified medium.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of gaming accomplishments to gain proper attention, and for games of all stripes to have a chance for representation, classification by type becomes crucial.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Prominent interactive entertainment events currently feature award types recognizing Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Together, these classifications successfully include many game types, and you can find room for numerous titles.
This doesn't apply to puzzle games. No suitable classification appears to accommodate them. Think about these outstanding current releases, each quite distinct: the architectural riddles from a specific release, fast-paced pattern recognition from another release, engaging interpersonal challenges from additional release. Where could they possibly go among existing types? Nowhere, that’s where.
The Representation Problem
Many instances occur of brilliant puzzle games published annually without proper recognition at major award shows, unless they happen to qualify for categories like Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging independent game categories.
- A renowned logic title wasn’t nominated in any category in 2014
- Another imaginative release missed out in 2019
- Well-received sorting experience received no acknowledgment recently
- Only a few brain-teasers scraped into niche award types
Value of Brain-Teasers
Commonly they're compact experiences, yet the craft in brain-teasers carries substantial weight. 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 famous sandbox experiences for the title of most purchased experience; it additionally competes for best game of all time. Puzzle games are foundational for gaming as medium, and they are in conversation across multiple categories.
The Solution and Justification
Puzzle games wouldn’t have this problem. One could readily select five nominees interesting, varied, worthy titles every year with ease — or rather, with difficulty, given the need to exclude numerous deserving experiences.
Restating the point, these are games that otherwise have no home at major gaming awards. Brain-teaser creators operate at the hard edge game development, creating some of essential manifestations of gaming itself. Just like movie stunt professionals, they merit acknowledgment. We shouldn't delay decades.
