Each time a prominent awards ceremony nears, you'll find a demand to include additional classifications to acknowledge unsung work and satisfy the hearts of enthusiasts with niche passions.
My colleague previously argued for a horror game category. That would be fantastic. Equally deserving are tabletop games, this being a passionate advocate's mission. Yet I need to apologize in advance for pushing forward since similar to blinkered fanatics, there's a strong justification for why my demand remains most pressing above others. The demand is this: We need a category for puzzle games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Classifying creative works is not a science; opinions vary greatly, and inevitably start arguments resulting in unclear classifications. There’s a reason cinema institutions avoid this approach. But it is a necessary evil in the world of gaming, showing incredible range they hardly constitute one unified medium.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of gaming accomplishments to receive acknowledgment, and to ensure all game types to compete fairly, genre categories are essential.
Existing Game Classification System
The major gaming awards presently include classifications covering Action, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Together, these six categories successfully include numerous genres, and you can find room for numerous titles.
Different situation exists for brain-teasing titles. No appropriate category exists to accommodate them. Consider three of outstanding current releases, all very different: structural challenges of one title, the pulse-pounding block-matching from another release, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles of a third title. Where could they possibly go between these six categories? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Recognition Challenges
Many instances occur of brilliant puzzle games launched regularly without proper recognition during gaming ceremonies, unless they happen to qualify for categories like Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, and the highly challenging Indie races.
- A renowned logic title wasn’t nominated in any category in 2014
- Another imaginative release missed out during that ceremony
- Well-received sorting experience received no acknowledgment that year
- Only a few logic titles managed to sneak into niche award types
Significance of Puzzle Games
These are often modest productions, however the design behind logic titles carries substantial weight. Iconic mobile puzzle games count as most engaged experiences globally maintaining this status for an extended period.
The legendary block-stacking game rivals well-known building titles claiming status as highest-selling title ever; it also contends for best game of all time. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks to the art of video games, and engaging with diverse game types.
The Solution and Justification
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter such difficulty. You could fill five nominees with fascinating, diverse, deserving games annually without trouble — actually, with challenge, given the need to exclude many worthy titles.
And to reiterate, these include experiences without proper classification in important events. Logic title developers operate at the hard edge game development, producing among the purest expressions within interactive entertainment. Comparable to movie stunt professionals, they warrant appreciation. We shouldn't delay generations.
