Each time a major prize-giving event nears, you'll find a clamor to include of new categories to acknowledge unsung work and delight the hearts of fans with niche passions.
My colleague previously argued for a horror game category. That would be fantastic. The same goes for board games, this being someone's personal cause. But they will have to forgive me if I try to elbow in front just as with other single-minded supporters, I possess a compelling case for why my demand is the most urgent above others. Here's the proposal: We need a classification for brain-teasing titles.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Organizing artistic expressions is not a science; opinions vary greatly, and inevitably spark debates and end in fuzzy definitions. There’s a reason cinema institutions don’t do it. Yet it remains an essential concession for the industry of interactive entertainment, which are so diverse they hardly constitute a single creative category.
For the full spectrum of achievement in video games to be recognized, while allowing diverse titles to have a chance for representation, specific award classifications remain vital.
Present Award Structure
Leading game ceremonies currently feature genre categories for Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Together, these award types effectively encompass many game types, making space possible for numerous titles.
Different situation exists for puzzle games. No appropriate category exists for their placement. Examine these examples from outstanding current releases, each quite distinct: the architectural riddles of one title, intense tile-matching of another game, engaging interpersonal challenges from additional release. Which classification works within current classifications? Nowhere, that’s where.
The Representation Problem
There are dozens excellent brain-teasers released every year lacking appropriate categories in entertainment awards, unless they happen to qualify award groups including Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, or the intensely contested Indie races.
- One classic puzzle game received no recognition completely that year
- Another creative title received no nominations in 2019
- Well-received sorting experience was overlooked that year
- Limited numbers of puzzle games scraped into independent or mobile categories
Importance of Logic Titles
Frequently they represent small games, however the design in brain-teasers holds tremendous importance. Iconic mobile puzzle games count as the most-played games in the world and have been for over a decade.
The famous puzzle experience competes with popular creative games competing to become best-selling game of all time; it’s also in the running for top gaming experience. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks for gaming as medium, and engaging across multiple categories.
The Solution and Justification
Logic titles wouldn't face such difficulty. One could readily select a field of five interesting, varied, worthy titles each ceremony simply — or rather, with difficulty, given the need to exclude numerous deserving experiences.
To emphasize again, these are games without proper classification at major gaming awards. Puzzle game makers are working at the demanding boundary game development, developing some of the purest expressions within interactive entertainment. Comparable to cinema stunt performers, they merit acknowledgment. Let’s not keep them waiting 35 years.
