Each time a major awards ceremony draws close, you'll find an outcry for introducing additional classifications to acknowledge overlooked contributions and satisfy the hearts of enthusiasts with niche passions.
A fellow writer has already made for a horror game category. That would be fantastic. So would tabletop games, which is a dedicated supporter's campaign. But they will have to forgive me for pushing forward because like all dedicated enthusiasts, I have a cast-iron argument backing this proposal remains most pressing above others. This is the request: It's essential to create an award type for logic-based games.
Categorizing Game Types
Categorizing art by genre defies precise measurement; opinions vary greatly, and it will always spark debates resulting in unclear classifications. This explains why cinema institutions don’t do it. But it is an unavoidable compromise in the world of video games, that demonstrate such variety they barely qualify a single creative category.
To recognize the complete range of gaming accomplishments to be recognized, and to ensure all game types to compete fairly, specific award classifications remain vital.
Existing Game Classification System
The major gaming awards offer these classifications covering Action, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Collectively, these classifications effectively encompass a lot of ground, making space possible for most games within them.
This doesn't apply to puzzle games. No appropriate category exists for their placement. Think about these outstanding current releases, showing diverse approaches: the architectural riddles of one title, fast-paced pattern recognition in a different title, engaging interpersonal challenges of a third title. What category would fit them between these six categories? Simply put, no category fits.
Acknowledgment Issues
Numerous examples exist of brilliant puzzle games released every year that have no home at major award shows, unless they happen to qualify award groups including Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging small studio competitions.
- One classic puzzle game got overlooked in any category that year
- Another creative title missed out in 2019
- Well-received sorting experience received no acknowledgment in 2021
- Only a few brain-teasers managed to sneak into niche award types
Value of Brain-Teasers
Commonly they're compact experiences, yet the craft behind logic titles holds tremendous importance. Iconic mobile puzzle games count as most popular titles in the world continuing this trend for over a decade.
The iconic tile-matching title challenges well-known building titles for the title of best-selling game of all time; it also contends for best game of all time. Puzzle games are foundational for gaming as medium, while interacting with diverse game types.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter such difficulty. It would be easy to populate a field of five with fascinating, diverse, deserving games each ceremony simply — actually, with challenge, because you’d have to leave so many good games out.
And to reiterate, these are games without proper classification during prominent ceremonies. Brain-teaser creators function at the hard edge interactive creation, developing some of essential manifestations of the video game form. Just like film action specialists, they deserve recognition. We shouldn't delay 35 years.
