As any significant honors show approaches, there’s always a clamor to include of new categories to acknowledge unsung work and delight the hearts of enthusiasts who have specialized interests.
My colleague made the case for a horror game category. That would be fantastic. So would board games, this being a dedicated supporter's campaign. Yet I need to apologize in advance if I try to elbow in front because like all single-minded supporters, I possess a compelling case supporting my request remains most pressing and significant. Here's the proposal: It's essential to create a classification for brain-teasing titles.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Classifying creative works is not a science; opinions vary greatly, and inevitably generate discussions resulting in unclear classifications. There’s a reason movie academies steer clear of genre categories. But it is an essential concession within the realm of interactive entertainment, which are so diverse they hardly constitute one unified medium.
For the full spectrum of interactive entertainment excellence to gain proper attention, and for games of all stripes to compete fairly, specific award classifications remain vital.
Present Award Structure
Leading game ceremonies presently include award types recognizing Action, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Between them, these six categories effectively encompass a lot of ground, making space possible accommodating various experiences.
This doesn't apply to logic-based experiences. There’s simply nowhere to accommodate them. Think about these recent excellent titles, showing diverse approaches: the architectural riddles of one title, intense tile-matching from another release, thought-provoking social scenarios of a third title. Where could they possibly go among existing types? Simply put, no category fits.
Recognition Challenges
Numerous examples exist of brilliant puzzle games launched regularly that have no home at major award shows, if they accidentally match for categories like Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the intensely contested small studio competitions.
- One classic puzzle game got overlooked completely in 2014
- A different innovative game received no nominations in 2019
- Well-received sorting experience was overlooked recently
- Just some logic titles barely qualified for small studio or handheld classifications
Importance of Logic Titles
Commonly they're modest productions, yet the craft behind logic titles holds tremendous importance. Iconic mobile puzzle games stand as most engaged experiences globally continuing this trend for many years.
The iconic tile-matching title challenges famous sandbox experiences for the title of highest-selling title ever; it’s also in the running for best game of all time. Logic titles represent cornerstones for gaming as medium, and they are in conversation with almost every other genre.
Proposal and Rationale
Puzzle games wouldn’t have such difficulty. One could readily select a field of five with fascinating, diverse, deserving games every year with ease — actually, with challenge, since numerous excellent numerous deserving experiences.
Restating the point, these are games lacking appropriate categories during prominent ceremonies. Logic title developers function at the demanding boundary of video game design, creating some of the purest expressions of gaming itself. Comparable to film action specialists, they merit acknowledgment. Don't make them wait decades.
