Each time a prominent awards ceremony approaches, one notices a demand to include additional classifications to recognize overlooked contributions and delight the hearts of enthusiasts with niche passions.
My colleague made the case advocating for terror-themed awards. That would rule. The same goes for strategy board titles, representing a dedicated supporter's campaign. However, I must insist for pushing forward since similar to blinkered fanatics, I possess a compelling case for why my demand is the most urgent and significant. This is the request: We need a category for puzzle games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Categorizing art by genre is not a science; it remains highly personal, and typically start arguments concluding with vague boundaries. There’s a reason film award organizations avoid this approach. But it is a necessary evil for the industry of interactive entertainment, that demonstrate such variety they hardly constitute as a single art form.
To recognize the complete range of interactive entertainment excellence to be recognized, and for games of all stripes to have a chance for representation, specific award classifications remain vital.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Leading game ceremonies presently include classifications covering Action, Adventure-action titles, RPG experiences, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these six categories effectively encompass many game types, and you can find room for numerous titles.
Different situation exists for logic-based experiences. No appropriate category exists to accommodate them. Think about these outstanding current releases, all very different: building puzzles in a particular game, the pulse-pounding block-matching from another release, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles in another game. Where could they possibly go within current classifications? Nowhere, that’s where.
Recognition Challenges
Numerous examples exist of brilliant puzzle games launched regularly lacking appropriate categories during gaming ceremonies, if they accidentally match for categories like Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, or the extremely competitive Indie races.
- One classic puzzle game received no recognition for anything in 2014
- Another creative title received no nominations that year
- A beloved organization game got ignored recently
- Limited numbers of puzzle games barely qualified for independent or mobile categories
Importance of Logic Titles
Commonly they're compact experiences, however the design of the puzzle game carries substantial weight. Famous handheld logic titles rank among most engaged experiences in the world and have been for an extended period.
The famous puzzle experience rivals popular creative games for the title of highest-selling title ever; it’s also in the running for top gaming experience. Logic titles represent cornerstones to the art of video games, and they are in conversation with diverse game types.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter this problem. You could fill five nominees with fascinating, diverse, deserving games each ceremony simply — or rather, with difficulty, given the need to exclude so many good games out.
And to reiterate, these are games lacking appropriate categories during prominent ceremonies. Brain-teaser creators are working at the demanding boundary interactive creation, developing some of essential manifestations of gaming itself. Comparable to cinema stunt performers, they merit acknowledgment. Don't make them wait 35 years.