Each time a prominent honors show nears, one notices a demand to include fresh award types to recognize overlooked contributions and delight the spirits of fans dedicated to specific genres.
Another commentator previously argued for a horror game category. It would be amazing. The same goes for tabletop games, which is a dedicated supporter's campaign. However, I must insist if I try to elbow in front because like all single-minded supporters, I possess a compelling case supporting my request is the most urgent and significant. Here's the proposal: There should be a category for puzzle games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Categorizing art by genre is not a science; opinions vary greatly, and inevitably start arguments concluding with vague boundaries. It's understandable that film award organizations don’t do it. Yet it remains an unavoidable compromise for the industry of gaming, showing incredible range it's challenging to consider them as a single art form.
For the full spectrum of gaming accomplishments to be recognized, while allowing diverse titles to receive proper recognition, specific award classifications remain vital.
Present Award Structure
Leading game ceremonies offer these award types recognizing Action, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Together, these six categories successfully include many game types, allowing placement for numerous titles.
Different situation exists for brain-teasing titles. No appropriate category exists to put them. Examine these examples from recent excellent titles, each quite distinct: structural challenges of one title, intense tile-matching in a different title, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles from additional release. What category would fit them between these six categories? Simply put, no category fits.
The Representation Problem
Numerous examples exist outstanding logic titles released every year that have no home at major award shows, if they accidentally match for categories like Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, and the highly challenging small studio competitions.
- An iconic brain-teaser wasn’t nominated in any category in 2014
- A different innovative game received no nominations that year
- Well-received sorting experience received no acknowledgment recently
- Only a few puzzle games managed to sneak into independent or mobile categories
Importance of Logic Titles
These are often compact experiences, but the art of the puzzle game holds tremendous importance. Iconic mobile puzzle games rank among most engaged experiences globally continuing this trend for many years.
The famous puzzle experience competes with popular creative games claiming status as highest-selling title ever; it additionally competes for top gaming experience. Logic titles represent cornerstones to the art of video games, and they are in conversation with diverse game types.
Proposal and Rationale
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter this problem. One could readily select multiple candidates with fascinating, diverse, deserving games annually without trouble — actually, with challenge, given the need to exclude so many good games out.
To emphasize again, these are games lacking appropriate categories at major gaming awards. Logic title developers operate at the challenging frontier of video game design, creating some of most fundamental forms within interactive entertainment. Just like film action specialists, they warrant appreciation. We shouldn't delay 35 years.
