Each time a significant prize-giving event draws close, you'll find a clamor for the addition fresh award types to honor underappreciated efforts and delight the hearts of fans dedicated to specific genres.
Another commentator previously argued advocating for terror-themed awards. That would rule. So would tabletop games, representing a passionate advocate's mission. But they will have to forgive me for pushing forward because like all single-minded supporters, I possess a compelling case supporting my request remains most pressing and important of all. This is the request: It's essential to create a classification for brain-teasing titles.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Classifying creative works defies precise measurement; opinions vary greatly, and typically generate discussions and end in fuzzy definitions. There’s a reason movie academies steer clear of genre categories. Yet it remains an unavoidable compromise in the world of video games, which are so diverse it's challenging to consider them as a single art form.
To recognize the complete range of interactive entertainment excellence to receive acknowledgment, and for games of all stripes to receive proper recognition, classification by type becomes crucial.
Existing Game Classification System
The major gaming awards presently include award types recognizing Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Between them, these award types actually cover a lot of ground, and you can find room for most games within them.
This doesn't apply to puzzle games. No suitable classification appears to accommodate them. Think about these recent excellent titles, each quite distinct: the architectural riddles from a specific release, the pulse-pounding block-matching from another release, thought-provoking social scenarios of a third title. What category would fit them within current classifications? Simply put, no category fits.
Acknowledgment Issues
There are dozens outstanding logic titles released every year that have no home during gaming ceremonies, except when they manage to fit classification types such as Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, or the extremely competitive independent game categories.
- A renowned logic title received no recognition completely in 2014
- Another imaginative release received no nominations during that ceremony
- Well-received sorting experience received no acknowledgment that year
- Only a few puzzle games managed to sneak into niche award types
Importance of Logic Titles
These are often compact experiences, however the design behind logic titles holds tremendous importance. Famous handheld logic titles count as most engaged experiences in the world continuing this trend for over a decade.
The famous puzzle experience competes with famous sandbox experiences competing to become most purchased experience; it’s also in the running for best game of all time. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks to the art of video games, while interacting across multiple categories.
Proposal and Rationale
Puzzle games wouldn’t have this problem. You could fill 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 are games lacking appropriate categories in important events. Puzzle game makers operate at the hard edge game development, developing some of essential manifestations of gaming itself. Comparable to cinema stunt performers, they deserve recognition. Don't make them wait 35 years.