Whenever a major awards ceremony approaches, you'll find a demand for the addition fresh award types to acknowledge underappreciated efforts and satisfy the hearts of enthusiasts with niche passions.
A fellow writer has already made for a horror game category. That would be fantastic. Equally deserving are tabletop games, representing a dedicated supporter's campaign. However, I must insist for pushing forward just as with other single-minded supporters, I have a cast-iron argument supporting my request stands as crucial above others. This is the request: There should be an award type for logic-based games.
Categorizing Game Types
Organizing artistic expressions is not a science; it’s very subjective, and it will always spark debates resulting in unclear classifications. This explains why movie academies steer clear of genre categories. But it is an unavoidable compromise in the world of video games, which are so diverse they barely qualify as a single art form.
For the full spectrum of interactive entertainment excellence to be recognized, while allowing diverse titles to compete fairly, genre categories are essential.
Existing Game Classification System
Leading game ceremonies currently feature award types recognizing Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Collectively, these award types successfully include many game types, allowing placement for most games within them.
Different situation exists for logic-based experiences. No appropriate category exists to put them. Examine these examples from this year’s best games, showing diverse approaches: building puzzles of one title, fast-paced pattern recognition from another release, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles in another game. Where could they possibly go within current classifications? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Recognition Challenges
There are dozens of brilliant puzzle games launched regularly that have no home in entertainment awards, except when they manage to fit classification types such as Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, or the intensely contested Indie races.
- One classic puzzle game got overlooked completely during that awards season
- Another creative title missed out that year
- Popular arranging title got ignored that year
- Limited numbers of puzzle games barely qualified for small studio or handheld classifications
Value of Brain-Teasers
Commonly they're modest productions, yet the craft of the puzzle game holds tremendous importance. Well-known matching games rank among the most-played games in the world and have been for over a decade.
The legendary block-stacking game competes with well-known building titles for the title of most purchased experience; it’s also in the running for best game of all time. Puzzle games are foundational for gaming as medium, while interacting across multiple categories.
The Solution and Justification
Puzzle games wouldn’t have this problem. You could fill a field of five engaging, different, qualified experiences every year with ease — or rather, with difficulty, given the need to exclude numerous deserving experiences.
And to reiterate, these represent titles without proper classification in important events. Logic title developers are working at the hard edge interactive creation, developing some of most fundamental forms within interactive entertainment. Just like movie stunt professionals, they deserve recognition. We shouldn't delay decades.
