Each time a major prize-giving event nears, there’s always an outcry for introducing fresh award types to recognize underappreciated efforts and delight the passions of fans who have specialized interests.
My colleague made the case for a horror game category. That would rule. So would strategy board titles, representing a passionate advocate's mission. However, I must insist when I prioritize just as with other blinkered fanatics, there's a strong justification supporting my request remains most pressing above others. Here's the proposal: We need an award type for logic-based games.
Categorizing Game Types
Categorizing art by genre isn't exact; opinions vary greatly, and inevitably spark debates and end in fuzzy definitions. There’s a reason film award organizations steer clear of genre categories. But it is an essential concession within the realm of gaming, which are so diverse it's challenging to consider them as a single art form.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of interactive entertainment excellence to be recognized, and for games of all stripes to have a chance for representation, specific award classifications remain vital.
Existing Game Classification System
Prominent interactive entertainment events presently include classifications covering Action, Adventure-action titles, RPG experiences, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these award types actually cover a lot of ground, allowing placement for most games within them.
Different situation exists for puzzle games. No suitable classification appears to accommodate them. Consider three of recent excellent titles, showing diverse approaches: structural challenges in a particular game, fast-paced pattern recognition of another game, engaging interpersonal challenges of a third title. Where could they possibly go among existing types? Unfortunately, nowhere.
The Representation Problem
There are dozens outstanding logic titles published annually lacking appropriate categories at major award shows, except when they manage to fit classification types such as Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, or the extremely competitive small studio competitions.
- A renowned logic title received no recognition completely in 2014
- Another creative title received no nominations during that ceremony
- Well-received sorting experience was overlooked that year
- Only a few brain-teasers managed to sneak into niche award types
Value of Brain-Teasers
Commonly they're compact experiences, however the design in brain-teasers holds tremendous importance. Well-known matching games stand as most popular titles globally maintaining this status for over a decade.
The famous puzzle experience challenges popular creative games for the title of highest-selling title ever; it additionally competes as greatest title ever. Logic titles represent cornerstones within interactive entertainment, while interacting with almost every other genre.
Proposal and Rationale
Puzzle games wouldn’t have that issue. It would be easy to populate five nominees with fascinating, diverse, deserving games every year with ease — perhaps, with difficulty, given the need to exclude so many good games out.
And to reiterate, these are games that otherwise have no home in important events. Puzzle game makers are working at the challenging frontier interactive creation, developing some of essential manifestations of gaming itself. Similar to film action specialists, they deserve recognition. We shouldn't delay decades.
