Whenever a major prize-giving event approaches, one notices a demand to include of new categories to honor unsung work and fill the spirits of enthusiasts who have specialized interests.
My colleague has already made advocating for terror-themed awards. That would rule. The same goes for board games, this being someone's personal cause. Yet I need to apologize in advance for pushing forward because like all single-minded supporters, I possess a compelling case backing this proposal is the most urgent and important of all. This is the request: We need an award type for logic-based games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Organizing artistic expressions defies precise measurement; it remains highly personal, and inevitably spark debates resulting in unclear classifications. It's understandable that cinema institutions don’t do it. Yet it remains a necessary evil in the world of interactive entertainment, that demonstrate such variety it's challenging to consider them a single creative category.
To recognize the complete range of gaming accomplishments to gain proper attention, and to ensure all game types to have a chance for representation, specific award classifications remain vital.
Existing Game Classification System
The major gaming awards currently feature genre categories for Action, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Between them, these classifications successfully include numerous genres, and you can find room for most games within them.
Different situation exists for puzzle games. No suitable classification appears to put them. Examine these examples from recent excellent titles, all very different: the architectural riddles of one title, fast-paced pattern recognition of another game, thought-provoking social scenarios from additional release. Where could they possibly go between these six categories? Unfortunately, nowhere.
The Representation Problem
There are dozens of brilliant puzzle games published annually lacking appropriate categories at major award shows, unless they happen to qualify classification types such as Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, or the intensely contested Indie races.
- An iconic brain-teaser got overlooked in any category in 2014
- A different innovative game was excluded during that ceremony
- Well-received sorting experience was overlooked recently
- Only a few puzzle games managed to sneak into small studio or handheld classifications
Importance of Logic Titles
Commonly they're compact experiences, but the art of the puzzle game holds tremendous importance. Well-known matching games count as most engaged experiences in the world maintaining this status for an extended period.
The iconic tile-matching title rivals popular creative games claiming status as best-selling game of all time; it’s also in the running for top gaming experience. 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. You could fill five nominees with fascinating, diverse, deserving games annually without trouble — actually, with challenge, since numerous excellent many worthy titles.
To emphasize again, these represent titles without proper classification during prominent ceremonies. Logic title developers are working at the demanding boundary of video game design, creating some of the purest expressions of gaming itself. Similar to cinema stunt performers, they warrant appreciation. Let’s not keep them waiting 35 years.
