Whenever a prominent awards ceremony draws close, there’s always a clamor for the addition fresh award types to recognize underappreciated efforts and fill the spirits of enthusiasts who have specialized interests.
Another commentator previously argued supporting a scary games classification. That would rule. Equally deserving are tabletop games, this being a passionate advocate's mission. However, I must insist if I try to elbow in front because like all blinkered fanatics, I possess a compelling case supporting my request stands as crucial and important of all. The demand is this: We need a category for puzzle games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Classifying creative works is not a science; it’s very subjective, and inevitably start arguments and end in fuzzy definitions. This explains why movie academies steer clear of genre categories. Yet it remains an unavoidable compromise for the industry of interactive entertainment, which are so diverse they barely qualify as a single art form.
For the full spectrum of gaming accomplishments to gain proper attention, and to ensure all game types to receive proper recognition, genre categories are essential.
Present Award Structure
Prominent interactive entertainment events currently feature classifications covering Action, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Collectively, these classifications effectively encompass many game types, allowing placement for numerous titles.
Not so for brain-teasing titles. No suitable classification appears for their placement. Examine these examples from this year’s best games, showing diverse approaches: building puzzles from a specific release, the pulse-pounding block-matching in a different title, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles of a third title. Which classification works among existing types? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Acknowledgment Issues
Numerous examples exist outstanding logic titles released every year that have no home in entertainment awards, except when they manage to fit award groups including Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging independent game categories.
- One classic puzzle game received no recognition for anything in 2014
- Another creative title missed out in 2019
- A beloved organization game received no acknowledgment recently
- Just some brain-teasers barely qualified for small studio or handheld classifications
Importance of Logic Titles
Commonly they're compact experiences, however the design behind logic titles holds tremendous importance. Famous handheld logic titles stand as the most-played games in the world continuing this trend for over a decade.
The iconic tile-matching title competes with well-known building titles claiming status as best-selling game of all time; it additionally competes for top gaming experience. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks within interactive entertainment, while interacting with diverse game types.
Proposal and Rationale
Logic titles wouldn't face this problem. You could fill multiple candidates engaging, different, qualified experiences annually without trouble — perhaps, with difficulty, given the need to exclude numerous deserving experiences.
To emphasize again, these represent titles that otherwise have no home during prominent ceremonies. Logic title developers are working at the hard edge game development, creating some of most fundamental forms within interactive entertainment. Similar to movie stunt professionals, they deserve recognition. Don't make them wait 35 years.
