Whenever a prominent prize-giving event nears, you'll find an outcry for introducing additional classifications to honor overlooked contributions and satisfy the hearts of enthusiasts with niche passions.
My colleague previously argued advocating for terror-themed awards. That would be fantastic. Equally deserving are tabletop games, which is a passionate advocate's mission. Yet I need to apologize in advance when I prioritize since similar to single-minded supporters, I have a cast-iron argument backing this proposal remains most pressing above others. Here's the proposal: It's essential to create an award type for logic-based games.
Categorizing Game Types
Organizing artistic expressions is not a science; it remains highly personal, and it will always start arguments and end in fuzzy definitions. This explains why cinema institutions avoid this approach. However, it represents an unavoidable compromise for the industry of interactive entertainment, showing incredible range they barely qualify as a single art form.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of interactive entertainment excellence to be recognized, while allowing diverse titles to receive proper recognition, classification by type becomes crucial.
Existing Game Classification System
The major gaming awards offer these genre categories for Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, RPG experiences, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Between them, these classifications successfully include many game types, making space possible accommodating various experiences.
This doesn't apply to logic-based experiences. No suitable classification appears to accommodate them. Examine these examples from this year’s best games, showing diverse approaches: structural challenges in a particular game, intense tile-matching from another release, engaging interpersonal challenges in another game. Where could they possibly go within current classifications? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Recognition Challenges
Many instances occur of brilliant puzzle games published annually that have no home at major award shows, unless they happen to qualify award groups including Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, or the extremely competitive Indie races.
- An iconic brain-teaser got overlooked for anything in 2014
- Another imaginative release was excluded during that ceremony
- A beloved organization game was overlooked in 2021
- Just some puzzle games barely qualified for niche award types
Importance of Logic Titles
Commonly they're small games, however the design behind logic titles is of massive significance. Famous handheld logic titles count as the most-played games worldwide maintaining this status for over a decade.
The famous puzzle experience rivals famous sandbox experiences competing to become highest-selling title ever; it additionally competes for best game of all time. Puzzle games are foundational to the art of video games, while interacting with almost every other genre.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter that issue. One could readily select a field of five with fascinating, diverse, deserving games annually without trouble — or rather, with difficulty, given the need to exclude so many good games out.
Restating the point, these are games without proper classification during prominent ceremonies. Brain-teaser creators operate at the demanding boundary of video game design, producing among essential manifestations within interactive entertainment. Comparable to cinema stunt performers, they merit acknowledgment. Let’s not keep them waiting 35 years.
