As any significant awards ceremony nears, one notices a clamor to include additional classifications to honor overlooked contributions and fill the hearts of enthusiasts dedicated to specific genres.
A fellow writer made the case for a horror game category. That would rule. Equally deserving are tabletop games, which is a passionate advocate's mission. But they will have to forgive me for pushing forward since similar to single-minded supporters, I possess a compelling case supporting my request remains most pressing above others. The demand is this: We need an award type for logic-based games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Organizing artistic expressions is not a science; it remains highly personal, and inevitably generate discussions resulting in unclear classifications. There’s a reason cinema institutions steer clear of genre categories. Yet it remains an unavoidable compromise for the industry of video games, which are so diverse they barely qualify a single creative category.
For the full spectrum of achievement in video games to receive acknowledgment, and to ensure all game types to have a chance for representation, classification by type becomes crucial.
Existing Game Classification System
Prominent interactive entertainment events currently feature genre categories for Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these award types effectively encompass many game types, making space possible for most games within them.
Different situation exists for logic-based experiences. No suitable classification appears for their placement. Think about these outstanding current releases, showing diverse approaches: building puzzles from a specific release, fast-paced pattern recognition from another release, engaging interpersonal challenges in another game. Where could they possibly go among existing types? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Acknowledgment Issues
Numerous examples exist excellent brain-teasers launched regularly that have no home at major award shows, except when they manage to fit classification types such as Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, or the extremely competitive independent game categories.
- An iconic brain-teaser got overlooked in any category during that awards season
- A different innovative game received no nominations in 2019
- A beloved organization game got ignored in 2021
- Just some brain-teasers managed to sneak into niche award types
Importance of Logic Titles
Frequently they represent small games, yet the craft of the puzzle game carries substantial weight. Famous handheld logic titles rank among most engaged experiences in the world and have been for an extended period.
The legendary block-stacking game competes with popular creative games for the title of most purchased experience; it’s also in the running for best game of all time. Puzzle games are foundational within interactive entertainment, and engaging with almost every other genre.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Logic titles wouldn't face such difficulty. You could fill a field of five interesting, varied, worthy titles every year with ease — actually, with challenge, because you’d have to leave many worthy titles.
Restating the point, these are games without proper classification in important events. Puzzle game makers operate at the demanding boundary of video game design, producing among the purest expressions within interactive entertainment. Just like movie stunt professionals, they warrant appreciation. Let’s not keep them waiting generations.
