Each time a prominent prize-giving event approaches, there’s always a demand for introducing of new categories to acknowledge underappreciated efforts and fill the hearts of fans who have specialized interests.
A fellow writer made the case for a horror game category. That would be fantastic. Equally deserving are strategy board titles, representing someone's personal cause. However, I must insist when I prioritize just as with other blinkered fanatics, I have a cast-iron argument backing this proposal is the most urgent above others. Here's the proposal: There should be an award type for logic-based games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Organizing artistic expressions defies precise measurement; opinions vary greatly, and it will always generate discussions concluding with vague boundaries. It's understandable that film award organizations steer clear of genre categories. However, it represents an essential concession in the world of interactive entertainment, that demonstrate such variety they hardly constitute a single creative category.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of interactive entertainment excellence to gain proper attention, while allowing diverse titles to have a chance for representation, specific award classifications remain vital.
Present Award Structure
Prominent interactive entertainment events offer these classifications covering Action, Adventure-action titles, RPG experiences, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Between them, these award types actually cover a lot of ground, making space possible for most games within them.
Different situation exists for logic-based experiences. No appropriate category exists for their placement. Examine these examples from recent excellent titles, showing diverse approaches: structural challenges of one title, fast-paced pattern recognition in a different title, engaging interpersonal challenges in another game. Which classification works among existing types? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Recognition Challenges
Many instances occur of brilliant puzzle games released every year without proper recognition at major award shows, if they accidentally match classification types such as Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, or the intensely contested Indie races.
- One classic puzzle game got overlooked for anything in 2014
- Another creative title missed out in 2019
- Popular arranging title was overlooked in 2021
- Just some brain-teasers managed to sneak into niche award types
Importance of Logic Titles
These are often small games, but the art in brain-teasers holds tremendous importance. Well-known matching games stand as most popular titles in the world and have been for over a decade.
The famous puzzle experience rivals popular creative games competing to become highest-selling title ever; it additionally competes as greatest title ever. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks to the art of video games, while interacting with almost every other genre.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Puzzle games wouldn’t have such difficulty. One could readily select five nominees with fascinating, diverse, deserving games annually without trouble — perhaps, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave so many good games out.
And to reiterate, these represent titles that otherwise have no home at major gaming awards. Puzzle game makers function at the hard edge game development, producing among most fundamental forms of the video game form. Similar to cinema stunt performers, they warrant appreciation. Don't make them wait 35 years.
