Each time a major prize-giving event approaches, there’s always a clamor to include of new categories to honor overlooked contributions and fill the spirits of enthusiasts with niche passions.
My colleague previously argued advocating for terror-themed awards. It would be amazing. The same goes for tabletop games, this being someone's personal cause. Yet I need to apologize in advance if I try to elbow in front just as with other blinkered fanatics, I possess a compelling case backing this proposal remains most pressing and important of all. The demand is this: We need a category for puzzle games.
Categorizing Game Types
Categorizing art by genre defies precise measurement; it’s very subjective, and typically start arguments and end in fuzzy definitions. It's understandable that film award organizations steer clear of genre categories. However, it represents a necessary evil within the realm of interactive entertainment, showing incredible range it's challenging to consider them as a single art form.
For the full spectrum of interactive entertainment excellence to gain proper attention, and for games of all stripes to compete fairly, specific award classifications remain vital.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Prominent interactive entertainment events presently include genre categories for Action, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Collectively, these classifications successfully include a lot of ground, allowing placement for numerous titles.
Different situation exists for logic-based experiences. There’s simply nowhere to put them. Think about these recent excellent titles, each quite distinct: structural challenges in a particular game, fast-paced pattern recognition in a different title, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles from additional release. Which classification works among existing types? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Recognition Challenges
Numerous examples exist outstanding logic titles launched regularly without proper recognition during gaming ceremonies, if they accidentally match for categories like Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, or the extremely competitive small studio competitions.
- An iconic brain-teaser got overlooked completely during that awards season
- Another imaginative release received no nominations that year
- Popular arranging title was overlooked recently
- Just some logic titles scraped into niche award types
Value of Brain-Teasers
These are often small games, however the design in brain-teasers holds tremendous importance. Well-known matching games count as most popular titles worldwide and have been for an extended period.
The iconic tile-matching title challenges well-known building titles claiming status as most purchased experience; it’s also in the running as greatest title ever. Logic titles represent cornerstones for gaming as medium, and they are in conversation with almost every other genre.
Proposal and Rationale
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter such difficulty. One could readily select a field of five interesting, varied, worthy titles every year with ease — or rather, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave so many good games out.
To emphasize again, these include experiences lacking appropriate categories during prominent ceremonies. Brain-teaser creators operate at the hard edge interactive creation, developing some of the purest expressions of the video game form. Similar to cinema stunt performers, they deserve recognition. We shouldn't delay generations.
