As any prominent prize-giving event nears, there’s always a clamor to include of new categories to honor overlooked contributions and fill the hearts of enthusiasts who have specialized interests.
A fellow writer previously argued supporting a scary games classification. That would be fantastic. The same goes for tabletop games, representing a passionate advocate's mission. But they will have to forgive me when I prioritize because like all single-minded supporters, I have a cast-iron argument for why my demand stands as crucial above others. This is the request: There should be an award type for logic-based games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Categorizing art by genre is not a science; opinions vary greatly, and it will always generate discussions and end in fuzzy definitions. It's understandable that cinema institutions steer clear of genre categories. Yet it remains a necessary evil for the industry of video games, that demonstrate such variety they barely qualify a single creative category.
To recognize the complete range of gaming accomplishments to gain proper attention, and to ensure all game types to have a chance for representation, genre categories are essential.
Existing Game Classification System
Prominent interactive entertainment events offer these genre categories for Action, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Collectively, these classifications successfully include numerous genres, and you can find room for numerous titles.
Not so for puzzle games. No suitable classification appears to put them. Consider three of recent excellent titles, showing diverse approaches: structural challenges in a particular game, fast-paced pattern recognition from another release, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles of a third title. What category would fit them among existing types? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Recognition Challenges
Numerous examples exist excellent brain-teasers launched regularly lacking appropriate categories in entertainment awards, if they accidentally match award groups including Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, or the intensely contested Indie races.
- One classic puzzle game got overlooked for anything that year
- Another imaginative release received no nominations in 2019
- A beloved organization game got ignored in 2021
- Only a few brain-teasers barely qualified for small studio or handheld classifications
Significance of Puzzle Games
Commonly they're compact experiences, however the design of the puzzle game carries substantial weight. Well-known matching games stand as most engaged experiences in the world maintaining this status for over a decade.
The famous puzzle experience rivals popular creative games competing to become most purchased experience; it also contends for best game of all time. Puzzle games are foundational for gaming as medium, and engaging with almost every other genre.
Proposal and Rationale
Logic titles wouldn't face such difficulty. You could fill five nominees with fascinating, diverse, deserving games annually without trouble — perhaps, with difficulty, given the need to exclude so many good games out.
And to reiterate, these include experiences lacking appropriate categories in important events. Logic title developers function at the hard edge interactive creation, creating some of essential manifestations within interactive entertainment. Similar to movie stunt professionals, they merit acknowledgment. Let’s not keep them waiting 35 years.
