As any major awards ceremony approaches, there’s always a demand for the addition fresh award types to acknowledge overlooked contributions and fill the hearts of fans with niche passions.
A fellow writer previously argued supporting a scary games classification. It would be amazing. So would tabletop games, this being a passionate advocate's mission. But they will have to forgive me if I try to elbow in front since similar to single-minded supporters, I possess a compelling case for why my demand remains most pressing and significant. The demand is this: We need an award type for logic-based games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Categorizing art by genre isn't exact; opinions vary greatly, and inevitably generate discussions and end in fuzzy definitions. It's understandable that film award organizations 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 gain proper attention, while allowing diverse titles to compete fairly, specific award classifications remain vital.
Present Award Structure
The major gaming awards presently include classifications covering Action, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Together, these six categories effectively encompass a lot of ground, and you can find room accommodating various experiences.
This doesn't apply to brain-teasing titles. There’s simply nowhere for their placement. Examine these examples from recent excellent titles, showing diverse approaches: structural challenges from a specific release, the pulse-pounding block-matching of another game, thought-provoking social scenarios from additional release. Which classification works between these six categories? Nowhere, that’s where.
Recognition Challenges
Numerous examples exist excellent brain-teasers released every year without proper recognition during gaming ceremonies, except when they manage to fit award groups including Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, and the highly challenging small studio competitions.
- One classic puzzle game received no recognition in any category in 2014
- A different innovative game missed out during that ceremony
- Popular arranging title was overlooked in 2021
- Only a few brain-teasers managed to sneak into niche award types
Value of Brain-Teasers
These are often modest productions, but the art behind logic titles carries substantial weight. Well-known matching games stand as most popular titles worldwide maintaining this status for many years.
The iconic tile-matching title competes with well-known building titles for the title of most purchased experience; it additionally competes for best game of all time. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks for gaming as medium, and engaging with almost every other genre.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter such difficulty. It would be easy to populate five nominees with fascinating, diverse, deserving games every year with ease — perhaps, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave so many good games out.
Restating the point, these are games that otherwise have no home in important events. Puzzle game makers are working at the challenging frontier interactive creation, developing some of essential manifestations of gaming itself. Just like movie stunt professionals, they merit acknowledgment. Don't make them wait 35 years.
