Whenever a major prize-giving event approaches, one notices a clamor to include of new categories to recognize overlooked contributions and satisfy the hearts of enthusiasts who have specialized interests.
A fellow writer made the case supporting a scary games classification. That would rule. Equally deserving are board games, this being a passionate advocate's mission. But they will have to forgive me if I try to elbow in front because like all blinkered fanatics, I have a cast-iron argument for why my demand is the most urgent above others. Here's the proposal: There should be a category for puzzle games.
Categorizing Game Types
Organizing artistic expressions isn't exact; it’s very subjective, and typically generate discussions concluding with vague boundaries. There’s a reason movie academies don’t do it. But it is an unavoidable compromise in the world of interactive entertainment, which are so diverse it's challenging to consider them a single creative category.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of interactive entertainment excellence to be recognized, and for games of all stripes to compete fairly, classification by type becomes crucial.
Present Award Structure
The major gaming awards presently include classifications covering Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Collectively, these six categories actually cover numerous genres, making space possible for most games within them.
Different situation exists for brain-teasing titles. No appropriate category exists to put them. Consider three of recent excellent titles, each quite distinct: the architectural riddles in a particular game, fast-paced pattern recognition of another game, thought-provoking social scenarios of a third title. What category would fit them within current classifications? Nowhere, that’s where.
Recognition Challenges
There are dozens excellent brain-teasers launched regularly without proper recognition at major award shows, if they accidentally match classification types such as Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the intensely contested small studio competitions.
- An iconic brain-teaser wasn’t nominated for anything in 2014
- Another creative title was excluded that year
- A beloved organization game got ignored that year
- Limited numbers of brain-teasers barely qualified for small studio or handheld classifications
Importance of Logic Titles
Frequently they represent compact experiences, however the design of the puzzle game holds tremendous importance. Iconic mobile puzzle games rank among most engaged experiences globally and have been for over a decade.
The iconic tile-matching title challenges popular creative games claiming status as best-selling game of all time; it’s also in the running for best game of all time. Logic titles represent cornerstones for gaming as medium, and engaging with almost every other genre.
Proposal and Rationale
Logic titles wouldn't face that issue. It would be easy to populate five nominees with fascinating, diverse, deserving games annually without trouble — actually, with challenge, because you’d have to leave numerous deserving experiences.
And to reiterate, these represent titles lacking appropriate categories in important events. Brain-teaser creators are working at the hard edge game development, creating some of most fundamental forms of the video game form. Comparable to film action specialists, they deserve recognition. We shouldn't delay 35 years.
