Whenever a significant honors show approaches, one notices a clamor to include fresh award types to honor overlooked contributions and fill the hearts of enthusiasts who have specialized interests.
A fellow writer previously argued for a horror game category. That would rule. The same goes for tabletop games, representing a passionate advocate's mission. Yet I need to apologize in advance for pushing forward just as with other blinkered fanatics, I have a cast-iron argument backing this proposal is the most urgent and important of all. This is the request: It's essential to create an award type for logic-based games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Categorizing art by genre isn't exact; opinions vary greatly, and typically generate discussions resulting in unclear classifications. There’s a reason movie academies steer clear of genre categories. However, it represents an essential concession for the industry of interactive entertainment, that demonstrate such variety they barely qualify a single creative category.
For the full spectrum of achievement in video games to gain proper attention, while allowing diverse titles to receive proper recognition, specific award classifications remain vital.
Existing Game Classification System
Leading game ceremonies offer these award types recognizing Action, Adventure-action titles, RPG experiences, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Together, these six categories successfully include numerous genres, making space possible for numerous titles.
Different situation exists for brain-teasing titles. No suitable classification appears for their placement. Consider three of recent excellent titles, all very different: structural challenges of one title, the pulse-pounding block-matching from another release, thought-provoking social scenarios of a third title. Where could they possibly go within current classifications? Nowhere, that’s where.
Recognition Challenges
Many instances occur excellent brain-teasers published annually that have no home in entertainment awards, except when they manage to fit classification types such as Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging independent game categories.
- A renowned logic title received no recognition in any category in 2014
- Another creative title missed out that year
- Well-received sorting experience received no acknowledgment in 2021
- Only a few logic titles barely qualified for independent or mobile categories
Importance of Logic Titles
Frequently they represent small games, but the art in brain-teasers carries substantial weight. Famous handheld logic titles rank among most popular titles worldwide and have been for an extended period.
The legendary block-stacking game competes with popular creative games competing to become most purchased experience; it also contends as greatest title ever. Puzzle games are foundational to the art of video games, while interacting with almost every other genre.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Logic titles wouldn't face such difficulty. You could fill multiple candidates engaging, different, qualified experiences each ceremony simply — or rather, with difficulty, given the need to exclude so many good games out.
Restating the point, these are games lacking appropriate categories during prominent ceremonies. Brain-teaser creators function at the hard edge interactive creation, producing among the purest expressions within interactive entertainment. Similar to film action specialists, they warrant appreciation. We shouldn't delay 35 years.
