Whenever a prominent awards ceremony draws close, one notices an outcry to include additional classifications to recognize unsung work and fill the spirits of fans who have specialized interests.
A fellow writer made the case for a horror game category. It would be amazing. Equally deserving are strategy board titles, representing a passionate advocate's mission. But they will have to forgive me when I prioritize since similar to single-minded supporters, there's a strong justification backing this proposal remains most pressing and important of all. The demand is this: We need an award type for logic-based games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Classifying creative works defies precise measurement; it remains highly personal, and inevitably generate discussions resulting in unclear classifications. It's understandable that film award organizations avoid this approach. But it is an essential concession for the industry of interactive entertainment, showing incredible range they hardly constitute a single creative category.
For the full spectrum of interactive entertainment excellence to receive acknowledgment, and for games of all stripes to compete fairly, genre categories are essential.
Current Gaming Award Categories
The major gaming awards presently include classifications covering Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, RPG experiences, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Together, these award types successfully include a lot of ground, making space possible for numerous titles.
Different situation exists for puzzle games. No appropriate category exists for their placement. Consider three of this year’s best games, all very different: the architectural riddles of one title, fast-paced pattern recognition in a different title, thought-provoking social scenarios from additional release. What category would fit them within current classifications? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Recognition Challenges
Numerous examples exist excellent brain-teasers published annually without proper recognition at major award shows, unless they happen to qualify classification types such as Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, or the extremely competitive independent game categories.
- A renowned logic title wasn’t nominated completely that year
- A different innovative game received no nominations in 2019
- Well-received sorting experience got ignored recently
- Just some brain-teasers managed to sneak into small studio or handheld classifications
Significance of Puzzle Games
These are often modest productions, yet the craft behind logic titles holds tremendous importance. Well-known matching games rank among most engaged experiences in the world maintaining this status for over a decade.
The iconic tile-matching title challenges well-known building titles competing to become highest-selling title ever; it’s also in the running as greatest title ever. Puzzle games are foundational to the art of video games, and engaging with almost every other genre.
The Solution and Justification
Puzzle games wouldn’t have this problem. One could readily select a field of five interesting, varied, worthy titles annually without trouble — actually, with challenge, since numerous excellent many worthy titles.
And to reiterate, these include experiences without proper classification during prominent ceremonies. Logic title developers operate at the demanding boundary game development, producing among most fundamental forms of the video game form. Just like cinema stunt performers, they deserve recognition. We shouldn't delay generations.
