As any significant awards ceremony draws close, there’s always a demand to include additional classifications to acknowledge underappreciated efforts and satisfy the spirits of fans with niche passions.
Another commentator made the case advocating for terror-themed awards. It would be amazing. Equally deserving are strategy board titles, representing someone's personal cause. Yet I need to apologize in advance for pushing forward since similar to blinkered fanatics, I possess a compelling case for why my demand stands as crucial above others. The demand is this: We need a classification for brain-teasing titles.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Categorizing art by genre is not a science; it remains highly personal, and it will always start arguments resulting in unclear classifications. It's understandable that cinema institutions steer clear of genre categories. But it is a necessary evil for the industry of interactive entertainment, showing incredible range they barely qualify one unified medium.
To recognize the complete range of interactive entertainment excellence to receive acknowledgment, while allowing diverse titles to compete fairly, classification by type becomes crucial.
Current Gaming Award Categories
The major gaming awards presently include classifications covering Action, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these award types successfully include numerous genres, and you can find room for numerous titles.
Not so for logic-based experiences. No appropriate category exists for their placement. Examine these examples from recent excellent titles, showing diverse approaches: building puzzles of one title, intense tile-matching from another release, engaging interpersonal challenges from additional release. Which classification works within current classifications? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Acknowledgment Issues
There are dozens excellent brain-teasers published annually that have no home in entertainment awards, if they accidentally match classification types such as Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the intensely contested small studio competitions.
- A renowned logic title received no recognition in any category that year
- Another creative title was excluded during that ceremony
- Well-received sorting experience was overlooked that year
- Only a few puzzle games managed to sneak into small studio or handheld classifications
Value of Brain-Teasers
Commonly they're small games, yet the craft in brain-teasers carries substantial weight. Famous handheld logic titles rank among most popular titles globally continuing this trend for many years.
The iconic tile-matching title competes with well-known building titles for the title of most purchased experience; it also contends for best game of all time. Puzzle games are foundational to the art of video games, and engaging across multiple categories.
The Solution and Justification
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 so many good games out.
And to reiterate, these are games that otherwise have no home at major gaming awards. Logic title developers are working at the demanding boundary interactive creation, producing among essential manifestations of gaming itself. Just like movie stunt professionals, they deserve recognition. Don't make them wait decades.
