Each time a significant awards ceremony approaches, you'll find a clamor for the addition additional classifications to recognize unsung work and delight the spirits of followers dedicated to specific genres.
My colleague previously argued for a horror game category. It would be amazing. So would board games, representing a dedicated supporter's campaign. Yet I need to apologize in advance when I prioritize just as with other single-minded supporters, there's a strong justification supporting my request remains most pressing and important of all. The demand is this: There should be an award type for logic-based games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Categorizing art by genre is not a science; it remains highly personal, and it will always spark debates concluding with vague boundaries. There’s a reason film award organizations steer clear of genre categories. Yet it remains an essential concession for the industry of interactive entertainment, that demonstrate such variety it's challenging to consider them a single creative category.
To recognize the complete range of interactive entertainment excellence to receive acknowledgment, and to ensure all game types to have a chance for representation, classification by type becomes crucial.
Current Gaming Award Categories
The major gaming awards currently feature classifications covering Action, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Collectively, these award types successfully include a lot of ground, allowing placement for most games within them.
Different situation exists for brain-teasing titles. There’s simply nowhere to accommodate them. Examine these examples from recent excellent titles, all very different: structural challenges in a particular game, the pulse-pounding block-matching in a different title, engaging interpersonal challenges of a third title. What category would fit them between these six categories? Simply put, no category fits.
Acknowledgment Issues
Many instances occur of brilliant puzzle games released every year that have no home in entertainment awards, unless they happen to qualify for categories like Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging Indie races.
- One classic puzzle game received no recognition completely that year
- Another imaginative release missed out during that ceremony
- Popular arranging title got ignored that year
- Only a few puzzle games managed to sneak into independent or mobile categories
Significance of Puzzle Games
These are often modest productions, but the art in brain-teasers carries substantial weight. Iconic mobile puzzle games count as the most-played games worldwide maintaining this status for many years.
The iconic tile-matching title challenges well-known building titles claiming status as highest-selling title ever; it additionally competes for best game of all time. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks within interactive entertainment, while interacting with almost every other genre.
Proposal and Rationale
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter that issue. One could readily select five nominees interesting, varied, worthy titles annually without trouble — or rather, with difficulty, since numerous excellent so many good games out.
And to reiterate, these represent titles that otherwise have no home at major gaming awards. Puzzle game makers function at the hard edge interactive creation, creating some of most fundamental forms of gaming itself. Similar to cinema stunt performers, they warrant appreciation. Let’s not keep them waiting generations.
