As any major honors show draws close, you'll find an outcry to include fresh award types to honor underappreciated efforts and delight the passions of fans with niche passions.
Another commentator previously argued supporting a scary games classification. That would be fantastic. Equally deserving are board games, representing someone's personal cause. However, I must insist if I try to elbow in front just as with other single-minded supporters, there's a strong justification backing this proposal is the most urgent and important of all. This is the request: We need an award type for logic-based games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Categorizing art by genre isn't exact; it remains highly personal, and it will always spark debates and end in fuzzy definitions. This explains why cinema institutions steer clear of genre categories. Yet it remains an essential concession within the realm of gaming, which are so diverse they hardly constitute a single creative category.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of gaming accomplishments to receive acknowledgment, and for games of all stripes to compete fairly, specific award classifications remain vital.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Leading game ceremonies offer these classifications covering Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Together, these six categories actually cover many game types, making space possible for numerous titles.
Different situation exists for puzzle games. No appropriate category exists for their placement. Consider three of recent excellent titles, showing diverse approaches: the architectural riddles of one title, intense tile-matching of another game, thought-provoking social scenarios of a third title. Which classification works between these six categories? Simply put, no category fits.
Recognition Challenges
Many instances occur excellent brain-teasers launched regularly that have no home during gaming ceremonies, if they accidentally match for categories like Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, or the extremely competitive Indie races.
- One classic puzzle game got overlooked completely in 2014
- A different innovative game was excluded during that ceremony
- Well-received sorting experience got ignored that year
- Just some brain-teasers managed to sneak into independent or mobile categories
Importance of Logic Titles
Commonly they're modest productions, however the design in brain-teasers is of massive significance. Famous handheld logic titles stand as most popular titles worldwide and have been for an extended period.
The legendary block-stacking game competes with famous sandbox experiences claiming status as most purchased experience; it’s also in the running for best game of all time. Puzzle games are foundational for gaming as medium, and engaging across multiple categories.
Proposal and Rationale
Logic titles wouldn't face this problem. You could fill multiple candidates interesting, varied, worthy titles annually without trouble — perhaps, with difficulty, given the need to exclude many worthy titles.
And to reiterate, these are games lacking appropriate categories at major gaming awards. Puzzle game makers are working at the hard edge interactive creation, developing some of the purest expressions within interactive entertainment. Similar to movie stunt professionals, they warrant appreciation. Let’s not keep them waiting 35 years.
