As any major awards ceremony draws close, you'll find a clamor for introducing additional classifications to honor overlooked contributions and satisfy the hearts of enthusiasts with niche passions.
A fellow writer made the case supporting a scary games classification. That would rule. Equally deserving are tabletop games, representing someone's personal cause. However, I must insist when I prioritize just as with other dedicated enthusiasts, there's a strong justification supporting my request stands as crucial above others. The demand is this: We need a classification for brain-teasing titles.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Categorizing art by genre is not a science; it’s very subjective, and inevitably spark debates resulting in unclear classifications. This explains why film award organizations avoid this approach. But it is an unavoidable compromise for the industry of gaming, showing incredible range they hardly constitute a single creative category.
To recognize the complete range of interactive entertainment excellence to receive acknowledgment, and for games of all stripes to have a chance for representation, genre categories are essential.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Leading game ceremonies presently include award types recognizing Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, RPG experiences, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Together, these six categories effectively encompass a lot of ground, making space possible accommodating various experiences.
Not so for brain-teasing titles. No appropriate category exists to put them. Consider three of this year’s best games, all very different: building puzzles of one title, intense tile-matching of another game, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles in another game. Where could they possibly go between these six categories? Nowhere, that’s where.
Recognition Challenges
Numerous examples exist of brilliant puzzle games launched regularly that have no home at major award shows, unless they happen to qualify for categories like Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the intensely contested Indie races.
- A renowned logic title wasn’t nominated completely that year
- Another imaginative release missed out during that ceremony
- Well-received sorting experience was overlooked that year
- Limited numbers of puzzle games barely qualified for niche award types
Importance of Logic Titles
Frequently they represent modest productions, however the design in brain-teasers holds tremendous importance. Iconic mobile puzzle games stand as the most-played games worldwide maintaining this status for many years.
The legendary block-stacking game competes with famous sandbox experiences competing to become highest-selling title ever; it also contends for top gaming experience. Logic titles represent cornerstones within interactive entertainment, while interacting across multiple categories.
The Solution and Justification
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter that issue. You could fill five nominees engaging, different, qualified experiences every year with ease — or rather, with difficulty, given the need to exclude many worthy titles.
To emphasize again, these represent titles without proper classification during prominent ceremonies. Puzzle game makers operate at the challenging frontier of video game design, producing among most fundamental forms within interactive entertainment. Just like cinema stunt performers, they warrant appreciation. Don't make them wait generations.
