As any prominent awards ceremony nears, one notices a clamor for the addition of new categories to acknowledge underappreciated efforts and satisfy the passions of enthusiasts with niche passions.
My colleague previously argued supporting a scary games classification. It would be amazing. The same goes for board games, which is a dedicated supporter's campaign. However, I must insist if I try to elbow in front just as with other dedicated enthusiasts, there's a strong justification backing this proposal stands as crucial and significant. The demand is this: We need an award type for logic-based games.
Categorizing Game Types
Categorizing art by genre defies precise measurement; it’s very subjective, and inevitably spark debates resulting in unclear classifications. There’s a reason film award organizations avoid this approach. But it is an essential concession within the realm of gaming, which are so diverse they hardly constitute a single creative category.
For the full spectrum of interactive entertainment excellence to be recognized, and for games of all stripes to receive proper recognition, genre categories are essential.
Current Gaming Award Categories
The major gaming awards currently feature genre categories for Action, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Together, these six categories effectively encompass numerous genres, and you can find room accommodating various experiences.
This doesn't apply to brain-teasing titles. No appropriate category exists for their placement. Examine these examples from this year’s best games, showing diverse approaches: structural challenges from a specific release, the pulse-pounding block-matching in a different title, thought-provoking social scenarios in another game. Which classification works between these six categories? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Recognition Challenges
Many instances occur outstanding logic titles launched regularly lacking appropriate categories during gaming ceremonies, if they accidentally match for categories like Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, and the highly challenging independent game categories.
- One classic puzzle game got overlooked completely in 2014
- A different innovative game received no nominations in 2019
- Well-received sorting experience received no acknowledgment that year
- Only a few brain-teasers scraped into small studio or handheld classifications
Value of Brain-Teasers
These are often small games, yet the craft in brain-teasers holds tremendous importance. Iconic mobile puzzle games count as the most-played games in the world continuing this trend for over a decade.
The iconic tile-matching title challenges famous sandbox experiences for the title of most purchased experience; it also contends for top gaming experience. Logic titles represent cornerstones within interactive entertainment, and they are in conversation with almost every other genre.
Proposal and Rationale
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter that issue. You could fill multiple candidates with fascinating, diverse, deserving games every year with ease — actually, with challenge, since numerous excellent numerous deserving experiences.
To emphasize again, these are games without proper classification at major gaming awards. Brain-teaser creators are working at the challenging frontier of video game design, developing some of the purest expressions of gaming itself. Similar to movie stunt professionals, they merit acknowledgment. Don't make them wait generations.
