Each time a prominent awards ceremony draws close, there’s always a clamor for the addition of new categories to recognize unsung work and delight the passions of fans with niche passions.
My colleague previously argued advocating for terror-themed awards. That would rule. So would board games, this being a passionate advocate's mission. Yet I need to apologize in advance if I try to elbow in front just as with other single-minded supporters, I possess a compelling case supporting my request remains most pressing and significant. This is the request: It's essential to create a classification for brain-teasing titles.
Categorizing Game Types
Classifying creative works is not a science; it remains highly personal, and inevitably generate discussions concluding with vague boundaries. It's understandable that film award organizations steer clear of genre categories. Yet it remains a necessary evil within the realm of interactive entertainment, showing incredible range it's challenging to consider them one unified medium.
To recognize the complete range of interactive entertainment excellence to be recognized, while allowing diverse titles to compete fairly, classification by type becomes crucial.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Prominent interactive entertainment events currently feature classifications covering Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Together, these classifications actually cover many game types, and you can find room for numerous titles.
Different situation exists for puzzle games. No suitable classification appears for their placement. Examine these examples from outstanding current releases, showing diverse approaches: the architectural riddles from a specific release, the pulse-pounding block-matching of another game, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles in another game. Which classification works between these six categories? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Acknowledgment Issues
Numerous examples exist of brilliant puzzle games released every year without proper recognition at major award shows, unless they happen to qualify for categories like Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the extremely competitive Indie races.
- An iconic brain-teaser wasn’t nominated for anything in 2014
- A different innovative game was excluded in 2019
- A beloved organization game was overlooked in 2021
- Limited numbers of logic titles managed to sneak into independent or mobile categories
Importance of Logic Titles
Frequently they represent compact experiences, yet the craft in brain-teasers carries substantial weight. Well-known matching games stand as most engaged experiences worldwide and have been for an extended period.
The famous puzzle experience competes with well-known building titles claiming status as best-selling game of all time; it also contends as greatest title ever. Logic titles represent cornerstones for gaming as medium, while interacting across multiple categories.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter this problem. You could fill multiple candidates engaging, different, qualified experiences annually without trouble — actually, with challenge, since numerous excellent numerous deserving experiences.
Restating the point, these are games without proper classification at major gaming awards. Puzzle game makers function at the hard edge interactive creation, developing some of most fundamental forms of the video game form. Similar to cinema stunt performers, they deserve recognition. We shouldn't delay 35 years.
