As any prominent honors show draws close, one notices a clamor to include additional classifications to honor unsung work and satisfy the passions of fans dedicated to specific genres.
My colleague previously argued supporting a scary games classification. It would be amazing. Equally deserving are strategy board titles, this being a dedicated supporter's campaign. Yet I need to apologize in advance if I try to elbow in front just as with other single-minded supporters, I have a cast-iron argument supporting my request is the most urgent and significant. This is the request: We need a category for puzzle games.
Categorizing Game Types
Categorizing art by genre is not a science; opinions vary greatly, and typically generate discussions and end in fuzzy definitions. This explains why film award organizations don’t do it. But it is a necessary evil in the world of video games, showing incredible range they barely qualify a single creative category.
For the full spectrum of gaming accomplishments to gain proper attention, while allowing diverse titles to receive proper recognition, specific award classifications remain vital.
Current Gaming Award Categories
The major gaming awards offer these genre categories for Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, RPG experiences, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these classifications successfully include many game types, making space possible for most games within them.
Not so for logic-based experiences. There’s simply nowhere to accommodate them. Think about these outstanding current releases, all very different: building puzzles from a specific release, fast-paced pattern recognition in a different title, engaging interpersonal challenges of a third title. What category would fit them among existing types? Unfortunately, nowhere.
The Representation Problem
Many instances occur outstanding logic titles released every year lacking appropriate categories in entertainment awards, if they accidentally match classification types such as Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, and the highly challenging Indie races.
- An iconic brain-teaser wasn’t nominated for anything in 2014
- A different innovative game received no nominations in 2019
- Popular arranging title got ignored recently
- Just some brain-teasers scraped into niche award types
Value of Brain-Teasers
Commonly they're compact experiences, but the art in brain-teasers is of massive significance. Iconic mobile puzzle games stand as most popular titles globally and have been for over a decade.
The iconic tile-matching title competes with well-known building titles competing to become highest-selling title ever; it additionally competes for top gaming experience. Puzzle games are foundational to the art of video games, and they are in conversation with almost every other genre.
Proposal and Rationale
Logic titles wouldn't face that issue. One could readily select multiple candidates interesting, varied, worthy titles each ceremony simply — or rather, with difficulty, given the need to exclude numerous deserving experiences.
Restating the point, these are games lacking appropriate categories at major gaming awards. Logic title developers function at the demanding boundary interactive creation, creating some of most fundamental forms of gaming itself. Comparable to film action specialists, they deserve recognition. Let’s not keep them waiting 35 years.
