Each time a prominent awards ceremony approaches, one notices a clamor for the addition of new categories to recognize underappreciated efforts and fill the spirits of fans who have specialized interests.
My colleague has already made advocating for terror-themed awards. That would be fantastic. The same goes for tabletop games, representing a dedicated supporter's campaign. Yet I need to apologize in advance if I try to elbow in front just as with other single-minded supporters, I have a cast-iron argument supporting my request is the most urgent and significant. This is the request: We need an award type for logic-based games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Organizing artistic expressions is not a science; opinions vary greatly, and it will always start arguments resulting in unclear classifications. There’s a reason movie academies don’t do it. Yet it remains an unavoidable compromise for the industry of video games, that demonstrate such variety they barely qualify one unified medium.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of interactive entertainment excellence to be recognized, and to ensure all game types to receive proper recognition, genre categories are essential.
Existing Game Classification System
The major gaming awards currently feature classifications covering Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, RPG experiences, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Collectively, these six categories effectively encompass a lot of ground, allowing placement for most games within them.
Different situation exists for brain-teasing titles. No appropriate category exists for their placement. Think about these outstanding current releases, showing diverse approaches: the architectural riddles from a specific release, intense tile-matching of another game, engaging interpersonal challenges of a third title. What category would fit them within current classifications? Simply put, no category fits.
Recognition Challenges
There are dozens outstanding logic titles launched regularly without proper recognition in entertainment awards, if they accidentally match for categories like Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, and the highly challenging Indie races.
- An iconic brain-teaser got overlooked in any category in 2014
- Another creative title received no nominations during that ceremony
- Popular arranging title was overlooked in 2021
- Just some puzzle games barely qualified for niche award types
Importance of Logic Titles
Commonly they're compact experiences, yet the craft behind logic titles holds tremendous importance. Iconic mobile puzzle games count as the most-played games globally maintaining this status for over a decade.
The famous puzzle experience rivals famous sandbox experiences claiming status as best-selling game of all time; it also contends for best game of all time. Puzzle games are foundational within interactive entertainment, and engaging with diverse game types.
The Solution and Justification
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter that issue. It would be easy to populate multiple candidates engaging, different, qualified experiences every year with ease — perhaps, with difficulty, given the need to exclude many worthy titles.
And to reiterate, these include experiences lacking appropriate categories at major gaming awards. Logic title developers are working at the challenging frontier game development, developing some of most fundamental forms of the video game form. Similar to movie stunt professionals, they warrant appreciation. Don't make them wait decades.
