Whenever a major honors show draws close, one notices an outcry for introducing additional classifications to honor overlooked contributions and fill the spirits of enthusiasts with niche passions.
A fellow writer has already made supporting a scary games classification. That would be fantastic. So would board games, representing a passionate advocate's mission. However, I must insist for pushing forward since similar to dedicated enthusiasts, I possess a compelling case supporting my request remains most pressing above others. This is the request: There should be an award type for logic-based games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Classifying creative works is not a science; opinions vary greatly, and it will always generate discussions and end in fuzzy definitions. This explains why film award organizations steer clear of genre categories. Yet it remains an unavoidable compromise in the world of gaming, that demonstrate such variety they hardly constitute a single creative category.
To recognize the complete range of achievement in video games to gain proper attention, while allowing diverse titles to have a chance for representation, specific award classifications remain vital.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Leading game ceremonies presently include genre categories for Action, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Collectively, these six categories effectively encompass numerous genres, and you can find room for most games within them.
Not so for puzzle games. No appropriate category exists for their placement. Examine these examples from outstanding current releases, showing diverse approaches: the architectural riddles of one title, fast-paced pattern recognition from another release, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles of a third title. What category would fit them within current classifications? Nowhere, that’s where.
Recognition Challenges
There are dozens of brilliant puzzle games released every year that have no home in entertainment awards, if they accidentally match award groups including Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, or the intensely contested independent game categories.
- An iconic brain-teaser got overlooked in any category in 2014
- Another creative title received no nominations during that ceremony
- A beloved organization game got ignored recently
- Only a few puzzle games barely qualified for small studio or handheld classifications
Importance of Logic Titles
These are often modest productions, but the art behind logic titles is of massive significance. Iconic mobile puzzle games count as the most-played games worldwide maintaining this status for many years.
The legendary block-stacking game competes with well-known building titles competing to become best-selling game of all time; it also contends for best game of all time. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks within interactive entertainment, while interacting across multiple categories.
The Solution and Justification
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter this problem. It would be easy to populate five nominees engaging, different, qualified experiences each ceremony simply — perhaps, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave so many good games out.
And to reiterate, these are games that otherwise have no home during prominent ceremonies. Logic title developers operate at the hard edge of video game design, creating some of the purest expressions within interactive entertainment. Just like film action specialists, they merit acknowledgment. Let’s not keep them waiting decades.
