Each time a prominent honors show draws close, one notices an outcry for introducing of new categories to recognize unsung work and satisfy the spirits of fans who have specialized interests.
My colleague made the case supporting a scary games classification. It would be amazing. Equally deserving are strategy board titles, this being a dedicated supporter's campaign. Yet I need to apologize in advance if I try to elbow in front because like all blinkered fanatics, I have a cast-iron argument backing this proposal stands as crucial and important of all. This is the request: There should be an award type for logic-based games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Organizing artistic expressions defies precise measurement; it remains highly personal, and it will always generate discussions concluding with vague boundaries. It's understandable that cinema institutions don’t do it. Yet it remains an unavoidable compromise in the world of gaming, that demonstrate such variety they barely qualify one unified medium.
To recognize the complete range of achievement in video games to gain proper attention, and to ensure all game types to have a chance for representation, genre categories are essential.
Existing Game Classification System
Leading game ceremonies currently feature classifications covering Action, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Between them, these six categories effectively encompass numerous genres, making space possible for most games within them.
This doesn't apply to puzzle games. No appropriate category exists to accommodate them. Examine these examples from recent excellent titles, each quite distinct: structural challenges from a specific release, fast-paced pattern recognition from another release, engaging interpersonal challenges from additional release. What category would fit them among existing types? Simply put, no category fits.
The Representation Problem
Numerous examples exist outstanding logic titles published annually that have no home in entertainment awards, except when they manage to fit for categories like Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, or the intensely contested small studio competitions.
- One classic puzzle game wasn’t nominated for anything in 2014
- Another imaginative release missed out during that ceremony
- Well-received sorting experience got ignored recently
- Just some brain-teasers barely qualified for small studio or handheld classifications
Importance of Logic Titles
Frequently they represent compact experiences, yet the craft in brain-teasers carries substantial weight. Famous handheld logic titles stand as most engaged experiences in the world maintaining this status for many years.
The legendary block-stacking game rivals popular creative games competing to become most purchased experience; it’s also in the running as greatest title ever. Puzzle games are foundational within interactive entertainment, and engaging with almost every other genre.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Logic titles wouldn't face this problem. One could readily select five nominees interesting, varied, worthy titles each ceremony simply — or rather, with difficulty, since numerous excellent numerous deserving experiences.
Restating the point, these include experiences that otherwise have no home in important events. Puzzle game makers operate at the challenging frontier of video game design, creating some of essential manifestations of the video game form. Similar to film action specialists, they merit acknowledgment. We shouldn't delay 35 years.
