Whenever a significant awards ceremony nears, there’s always an outcry for introducing additional classifications to recognize underappreciated efforts and delight the hearts of followers dedicated to specific genres.
My colleague made the case supporting a scary games classification. That would be fantastic. Equally deserving are tabletop games, which is a passionate advocate's mission. However, I must insist for pushing forward because like all blinkered fanatics, I have a cast-iron argument backing this proposal remains most pressing above others. Here's the proposal: There should be an award type for logic-based games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Classifying creative works isn't exact; it remains highly personal, and it will always spark debates concluding with vague boundaries. This explains why film award organizations don’t do it. But it is an unavoidable compromise in the world of interactive entertainment, which are so diverse they barely qualify as a single art form.
To recognize the complete range of gaming accomplishments to receive acknowledgment, and for games of all stripes to compete fairly, specific award classifications remain vital.
Present Award Structure
Prominent interactive entertainment events offer these classifications covering Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these classifications actually cover many game types, making space possible for most games within them.
This doesn't apply to logic-based experiences. There’s simply nowhere to accommodate them. Consider three of outstanding current releases, all very different: building puzzles in a particular game, the pulse-pounding block-matching in a different title, thought-provoking social scenarios in another game. Where could they possibly go within current classifications? Nowhere, that’s where.
The Representation Problem
There are dozens outstanding logic titles published annually without proper recognition in entertainment awards, if they accidentally match for categories like Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the extremely competitive small studio competitions.
- A renowned logic title wasn’t nominated completely during that awards season
- A different innovative game received no nominations in 2019
- Well-received sorting experience was overlooked in 2021
- Just some brain-teasers scraped into small studio or handheld classifications
Significance of Puzzle Games
Commonly they're small games, yet the craft in brain-teasers holds tremendous importance. Well-known matching games count as most engaged experiences worldwide continuing this trend for an extended period.
The legendary block-stacking game rivals well-known building titles claiming status as 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, and they are in conversation with diverse game types.
The Solution and Justification
Puzzle games wouldn’t have that issue. You could fill five nominees with fascinating, diverse, deserving games every year with ease — perhaps, with difficulty, since numerous excellent numerous deserving experiences.
And to reiterate, these include experiences that otherwise have no home during prominent ceremonies. Logic title developers operate at the hard edge game development, producing among the purest expressions of gaming itself. Comparable to movie stunt professionals, they merit acknowledgment. Let’s not keep them waiting decades.
