As any major honors show approaches, there’s always a demand for the addition additional classifications to recognize overlooked contributions and fill the hearts of fans who have specialized interests.
My colleague previously argued advocating for terror-themed awards. It would be amazing. Equally deserving are strategy board titles, this being someone's personal cause. Yet I need to apologize in advance when I prioritize because like all single-minded supporters, I have a cast-iron argument supporting my request remains most pressing and significant. Here's the proposal: It's essential to create a category for puzzle games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Categorizing art by genre is not a science; opinions vary greatly, and typically start arguments concluding with vague boundaries. There’s a reason film award organizations don’t do it. However, it represents a necessary evil within the realm of interactive entertainment, that demonstrate such variety they hardly constitute one unified medium.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of achievement in video games to receive acknowledgment, while allowing diverse titles to compete fairly, genre categories are essential.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Leading game ceremonies currently feature award types recognizing Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Collectively, these award types effectively encompass many game types, allowing placement for most games within them.
Different situation exists for puzzle games. No suitable classification appears for their placement. Consider three of outstanding current releases, each quite distinct: structural challenges from a specific release, fast-paced pattern recognition in a different title, engaging interpersonal challenges from additional release. What category would fit them within current classifications? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Recognition Challenges
Numerous examples exist of brilliant puzzle games published annually that have no home at major award shows, unless they happen to qualify award groups including Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging Indie races.
- A renowned logic title got overlooked in any category during that awards season
- A different innovative game missed out in 2019
- A beloved organization game got ignored that year
- Just some puzzle games managed to sneak into niche award types
Importance of Logic Titles
Commonly they're modest productions, but the art of the puzzle game is of massive significance. Famous handheld logic titles rank among most popular titles in the world continuing this trend for an extended period.
The famous puzzle experience rivals famous sandbox experiences claiming status as most purchased experience; it also contends as greatest title ever. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks for gaming as medium, and they are in conversation across multiple categories.
Proposal and Rationale
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter such difficulty. One could readily select five nominees engaging, different, qualified experiences every year with ease — perhaps, with difficulty, given the need to exclude many worthy titles.
Restating the point, these represent titles that otherwise have no home during prominent ceremonies. Brain-teaser creators are working at the challenging frontier game development, developing some of essential manifestations within interactive entertainment. Just like cinema stunt performers, they merit acknowledgment. Let’s not keep them waiting generations.
