Each time a major awards ceremony draws close, you'll find an outcry for the addition of new categories to acknowledge unsung work and satisfy the hearts of fans who have specialized interests.
Another commentator previously argued for a horror game category. That would be fantastic. So would tabletop games, representing someone's personal cause. But they will have to forgive me if I try to elbow in front just as with other blinkered fanatics, I possess a compelling case backing this proposal stands as crucial above others. Here's the proposal: We need an award type for logic-based games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Categorizing art by genre isn't exact; opinions vary greatly, and inevitably generate discussions concluding with vague boundaries. It's understandable that movie academies steer clear of genre categories. Yet it remains a necessary evil for the industry of gaming, that demonstrate such variety they hardly constitute as a single art form.
For the full spectrum of achievement in video games to receive acknowledgment, and for games of all stripes to compete fairly, genre categories are essential.
Existing Game Classification System
The major gaming awards currently feature classifications covering Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Together, these six categories actually cover numerous genres, allowing placement accommodating various experiences.
Not so for brain-teasing titles. There’s simply nowhere to put them. Think about these recent excellent titles, all very different: building puzzles of one title, the pulse-pounding block-matching in a different title, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles in another game. Which classification works among existing types? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Recognition Challenges
There are dozens of brilliant puzzle games published annually without proper recognition in entertainment awards, except when they manage to fit award groups including Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, or the intensely contested small studio competitions.
- One classic puzzle game received no recognition for anything during that awards season
- A different innovative game received no nominations in 2019
- A beloved organization game received no acknowledgment that year
- Just some logic titles managed to sneak into independent or mobile categories
Value of Brain-Teasers
Frequently they represent small games, yet the craft behind logic titles carries substantial weight. Iconic mobile puzzle games rank among most popular titles worldwide maintaining this status for an extended period.
The famous puzzle experience competes with famous sandbox experiences claiming status as best-selling game of all time; it’s also in the running for best game of all time. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks for gaming as medium, while interacting with diverse game types.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter such difficulty. It would be easy to populate a field of five engaging, different, qualified experiences every year with ease — or rather, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave so many good games out.
And to reiterate, these are games that otherwise have no home at major gaming awards. Logic title developers are working at the hard edge interactive creation, producing among essential manifestations of gaming itself. Comparable to cinema stunt performers, they deserve recognition. Don't make them wait decades.
