Whenever a significant honors show approaches, you'll find a clamor for the addition additional classifications to recognize unsung work and fill the passions of fans who have specialized interests.
My colleague previously argued supporting a scary games classification. That would rule. So would strategy board titles, which is a dedicated supporter's campaign. Yet I need to apologize in advance for pushing forward since similar to single-minded supporters, I possess a compelling case supporting my request stands as crucial and significant. This is the request: There should be an award type for logic-based games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Classifying creative works isn't exact; opinions vary greatly, and inevitably spark debates resulting in unclear classifications. It's understandable that cinema institutions steer clear of genre categories. Yet it remains a necessary evil in the world of video games, which are so diverse they hardly constitute one unified medium.
For the full spectrum of achievement in video games to gain proper attention, and for games of all stripes to have a chance for representation, specific award classifications remain vital.
Present Award Structure
Prominent interactive entertainment events offer these genre categories for Action, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Collectively, these classifications effectively encompass numerous genres, allowing placement for numerous titles.
This doesn't apply to logic-based experiences. There’s simply nowhere to put them. Consider three of this year’s best games, showing diverse approaches: building puzzles of one title, fast-paced pattern recognition in a different title, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles in another game. Which classification works between these six categories? Nowhere, that’s where.
Recognition Challenges
Many instances occur outstanding logic titles released every year without proper recognition at major award shows, except when they manage to fit classification types such as Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the extremely competitive small studio competitions.
- A renowned logic title wasn’t nominated completely that year
- A different innovative game missed out in 2019
- A beloved organization game was overlooked that year
- Only a few brain-teasers barely qualified for niche award types
Value of Brain-Teasers
These are often compact experiences, however the design of the puzzle game holds tremendous importance. Famous handheld logic titles count as the most-played games in the world and have been for an extended period.
The legendary block-stacking game 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 across multiple categories.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Puzzle games wouldn’t have this problem. One could readily select a field of five interesting, varied, worthy titles every year with ease — or rather, with difficulty, since numerous excellent so many good games out.
And to reiterate, these include experiences lacking appropriate categories during prominent ceremonies. Puzzle game makers function at the hard edge of video game design, developing some of essential manifestations of the video game form. Just like cinema stunt performers, they deserve recognition. We shouldn't delay generations.