Each time a significant honors show approaches, there’s always a demand to include fresh award types to acknowledge unsung work and delight the passions of followers with niche passions.
Another commentator made the case for a horror game category. That would be fantastic. Equally deserving are board games, which is a dedicated supporter's campaign. But they will have to forgive me for pushing forward since similar to dedicated enthusiasts, there's a strong justification backing this proposal stands as crucial and significant. Here's the proposal: There should be an award type for logic-based games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Organizing artistic expressions isn't exact; it’s very subjective, and inevitably generate discussions concluding with vague boundaries. There’s a reason movie academies steer clear of genre categories. But it is a necessary evil in the world of video games, that demonstrate such variety they barely qualify a single creative category.
For the full spectrum of achievement in video games to receive acknowledgment, while allowing diverse titles to have a chance for representation, classification by type becomes crucial.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Leading game ceremonies offer these classifications covering Action, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Between them, these classifications effectively encompass many game types, making space possible for numerous titles.
This doesn't apply to logic-based experiences. No appropriate category exists to put them. Consider three of outstanding current releases, showing diverse approaches: the architectural riddles in a particular game, intense tile-matching in a different title, thought-provoking social scenarios from additional release. What category would fit them between these six categories? Simply put, no category fits.
The Representation Problem
Numerous examples exist excellent brain-teasers released every year that have no home during gaming ceremonies, if they accidentally match award groups including Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, or the extremely competitive Indie races.
- One classic puzzle game got overlooked in any category that year
- Another creative title received no nominations in 2019
- A beloved organization game got ignored recently
- Limited numbers of logic titles barely qualified for small studio or handheld classifications
Importance of Logic Titles
These are often modest productions, but the art of the puzzle game carries substantial weight. Iconic mobile puzzle games stand as most engaged experiences worldwide maintaining this status for over a decade.
The legendary block-stacking game rivals famous sandbox experiences for the title of most purchased experience; it’s also in the running as greatest title ever. Puzzle games are foundational for gaming as medium, and they are in conversation with diverse game types.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter that issue. One could readily select a field of five engaging, different, qualified experiences annually without trouble — perhaps, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave so many good games out.
Restating the point, these are games that otherwise have no home at major gaming awards. Puzzle game makers function at the hard edge game development, producing among essential manifestations within interactive entertainment. Similar to movie stunt professionals, they warrant appreciation. Don't make them wait decades.
