As any significant prize-giving event approaches, one notices a clamor to include fresh award types to honor unsung work and delight the hearts of fans dedicated to specific genres.
A fellow writer made the case supporting a scary games classification. That would be fantastic. So would strategy board titles, this being someone's personal cause. But they will have to forgive me if I try to elbow in front because like all blinkered fanatics, I possess a compelling case backing this proposal is the most urgent above others. The demand is this: We need an award type for logic-based games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Categorizing art by genre is not a science; opinions vary greatly, and inevitably spark debates and end in fuzzy definitions. This explains why movie academies steer clear of genre categories. However, it represents an unavoidable compromise within the realm of gaming, showing incredible range it's challenging to consider them a single creative category.
For the full spectrum of achievement in video games to be recognized, and for games of all stripes to compete fairly, classification by type becomes crucial.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Prominent interactive entertainment events offer these award types recognizing Action, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Together, these classifications successfully include many game types, and you can find room accommodating various experiences.
This doesn't apply to logic-based experiences. No appropriate category exists for their placement. Think about these recent excellent titles, showing diverse approaches: the architectural riddles of one title, the pulse-pounding block-matching of another game, thought-provoking social scenarios in another game. What category would fit them among existing types? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Recognition Challenges
There are dozens outstanding logic titles launched regularly that have no home at major award shows, except when they manage to fit award groups including Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, or the intensely contested Indie races.
- A renowned logic title wasn’t nominated in any category in 2014
- Another creative title missed out that year
- A beloved organization game got ignored in 2021
- Limited numbers of brain-teasers managed to sneak into niche award types
Value of Brain-Teasers
Commonly they're compact experiences, but the art in brain-teasers carries substantial weight. Well-known matching games rank among the most-played games globally continuing this trend for over a decade.
The legendary block-stacking game challenges popular creative games claiming status as best-selling game of all time; it also contends as greatest title ever. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks to the art of video games, and they are in conversation with almost every other genre.
Proposal and Rationale
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter that issue. It would be easy to populate five nominees engaging, different, qualified experiences each ceremony simply — or rather, with difficulty, since numerous excellent many worthy titles.
To emphasize again, these represent titles without proper classification in important events. Puzzle game makers function at the hard edge game development, producing among the purest expressions within interactive entertainment. Just like movie stunt professionals, they merit acknowledgment. Let’s not keep them waiting 35 years.
