Whenever a prominent honors show draws close, there’s always a clamor for the addition additional classifications to honor unsung work and fill the hearts of followers with niche passions.
Another commentator made the case supporting a scary games classification. It would be amazing. The same goes for tabletop games, representing someone's personal cause. Yet I need to apologize in advance when I prioritize since similar to dedicated enthusiasts, I have a cast-iron argument supporting my request is the most urgent and important of all. Here's the proposal: We need an award type for logic-based games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Organizing artistic expressions defies precise measurement; opinions vary greatly, and typically generate discussions and end in fuzzy definitions. There’s a reason film award organizations steer clear of genre categories. However, it represents an essential concession in the world of gaming, which are so diverse it's challenging to consider them one unified medium.
To recognize the complete range of gaming accomplishments to be recognized, and for games of all stripes to receive proper recognition, genre categories are essential.
Present Award Structure
Leading game ceremonies presently include classifications covering Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, RPG experiences, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Together, these classifications successfully include numerous genres, making space possible for numerous titles.
Different situation exists for logic-based experiences. There’s simply nowhere to put them. Think about these recent excellent titles, showing diverse approaches: building puzzles of one title, intense tile-matching in a different title, thought-provoking social scenarios from additional release. Which classification works among existing types? Nowhere, that’s where.
Acknowledgment Issues
There are dozens excellent brain-teasers launched regularly without proper recognition at major award shows, if they accidentally match for categories like Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging independent game categories.
- A renowned logic title wasn’t nominated in any category that year
- Another imaginative release missed out in 2019
- Well-received sorting experience received no acknowledgment that year
- Only a few puzzle games scraped into small studio or handheld classifications
Value of Brain-Teasers
These are often compact experiences, yet the craft behind logic titles carries substantial weight. Famous handheld logic titles count as most engaged experiences globally continuing this trend for many years.
The legendary block-stacking game competes with well-known building titles competing to become most purchased experience; it’s also in the running as greatest title ever. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks within interactive entertainment, while interacting with almost every other genre.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Puzzle games wouldn’t have this problem. It would be easy to populate a field of five interesting, varied, worthy titles every year with ease — or rather, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave so many good games out.
Restating the point, these include experiences that otherwise have no home at major gaming awards. Puzzle game makers function at the demanding boundary of video game design, creating some of the purest expressions of gaming itself. Similar to film action specialists, they warrant appreciation. Don't make them wait 35 years.
