Whenever a prominent awards ceremony approaches, one notices a clamor for introducing of new categories to acknowledge underappreciated efforts and fill the passions of followers dedicated to specific genres.
My colleague previously argued for a horror game category. That would be fantastic. So would strategy board titles, representing a dedicated supporter's campaign. Yet I need to apologize in advance for pushing forward since similar to single-minded supporters, I possess a compelling case supporting my request stands as crucial above others. Here's the proposal: There should be a classification for brain-teasing titles.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Organizing artistic expressions is not a science; opinions vary greatly, and typically start arguments and end in fuzzy definitions. There’s a reason movie academies steer clear of genre categories. Yet it remains a necessary evil within the realm of gaming, which are so diverse it's challenging to consider them a single creative category.
To recognize the complete range of interactive entertainment excellence to receive acknowledgment, while allowing diverse titles to receive proper recognition, genre categories are essential.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Leading game ceremonies currently feature classifications covering Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these award types successfully include numerous genres, making space possible accommodating various experiences.
Not so for logic-based experiences. No appropriate category exists for their placement. Examine these examples from this year’s best games, all very different: building puzzles from a specific release, fast-paced pattern recognition from another release, thought-provoking social scenarios from additional release. Which classification works between these six categories? Nowhere, that’s where.
Recognition Challenges
Numerous examples exist of brilliant puzzle games launched regularly without proper recognition during gaming ceremonies, except when they manage to fit classification types such as Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging Indie races.
- An iconic brain-teaser got overlooked completely that year
- Another imaginative release missed out during that ceremony
- A beloved organization game got ignored that year
- Limited numbers of logic titles managed to sneak into small studio or handheld classifications
Importance of Logic Titles
Frequently they represent modest productions, however the design behind logic titles carries substantial weight. Iconic mobile puzzle games rank among most popular titles globally maintaining this status for over a decade.
The famous puzzle experience rivals popular creative games claiming status as highest-selling title ever; it additionally competes for best game of all time. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks for gaming as medium, while interacting with diverse game types.
Proposal and Rationale
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter this problem. You could fill five nominees engaging, different, qualified experiences each ceremony simply — actually, with challenge, since numerous excellent many worthy titles.
Restating the point, these include experiences that otherwise have no home during prominent ceremonies. Puzzle game makers are working at the challenging frontier of video game design, creating some of essential manifestations of the video game form. Just like cinema stunt performers, they merit acknowledgment. We shouldn't delay generations.
