Each time a significant awards ceremony approaches, you'll find a clamor for introducing of new categories to honor underappreciated efforts and fill the passions of fans with niche passions.
My colleague previously argued for a horror game category. That would rule. Equally deserving are board games, this being a dedicated supporter's campaign. But they will have to forgive me if I try to elbow in front because like all single-minded supporters, I possess a compelling case for why my demand is the most urgent and significant. This is the request: It's essential to create a category for puzzle games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Organizing artistic expressions is not a science; it remains highly personal, and it will always start arguments concluding with vague boundaries. It's understandable that cinema institutions steer clear of genre categories. But it is an unavoidable compromise within the realm of interactive entertainment, showing incredible range they hardly constitute one unified medium.
To recognize the complete range of gaming accomplishments to gain proper attention, while allowing diverse titles to receive proper recognition, classification by type becomes crucial.
Present Award Structure
The major gaming awards offer these award types recognizing Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Together, these six categories successfully include numerous genres, making space possible for numerous titles.
This doesn't apply to logic-based experiences. No suitable classification appears to accommodate them. Examine these examples from recent excellent titles, all very different: structural challenges of one title, the pulse-pounding block-matching of another game, engaging interpersonal challenges from additional release. Where could they possibly go between these six categories? Nowhere, that’s where.
The Representation Problem
There are dozens excellent brain-teasers published annually without proper recognition during gaming ceremonies, except when they manage to fit award groups including Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, and the highly challenging independent game categories.
- A renowned logic title received no recognition for anything that year
- A different innovative game was excluded that year
- A beloved organization game received no acknowledgment that year
- Only a few brain-teasers scraped into small studio or handheld classifications
Value of Brain-Teasers
These are often modest productions, yet the craft in brain-teasers holds tremendous importance. Iconic mobile puzzle games stand as most engaged experiences globally maintaining this status for many years.
The legendary block-stacking game competes with famous sandbox experiences claiming status as best-selling game of all time; it’s also in the running as greatest title ever. Logic titles represent cornerstones for gaming as medium, and engaging with diverse game types.
The Solution and Justification
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter that issue. It would be easy to populate five nominees engaging, different, qualified experiences each ceremony simply — perhaps, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave many worthy titles.
Restating the point, these include experiences without proper classification during prominent ceremonies. Logic title developers are working at the hard edge game development, developing some of essential manifestations of the video game form. Similar to cinema stunt performers, they merit acknowledgment. We shouldn't delay generations.
