Whenever a significant awards ceremony approaches, there’s always an outcry for introducing additional classifications to acknowledge unsung work and delight the hearts of enthusiasts dedicated to specific genres.
Another commentator made the case supporting a scary games classification. That would be fantastic. Equally deserving are tabletop games, representing a passionate advocate's mission. Yet I need to apologize in advance when I prioritize since similar to single-minded supporters, I possess a compelling case supporting my request remains most pressing above others. The demand is this: It's essential to create an award type for logic-based games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Classifying creative works isn't exact; opinions vary greatly, and inevitably spark debates and end in fuzzy definitions. It's understandable that film award organizations avoid this approach. However, it represents an essential concession for the industry of interactive entertainment, showing incredible range they hardly constitute one unified medium.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of interactive entertainment excellence to gain proper attention, and for games of all stripes to receive proper recognition, genre categories are essential.
Present Award Structure
Prominent interactive entertainment events presently include award types recognizing Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, RPG experiences, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Collectively, these award types actually cover many game types, making space possible for numerous titles.
This doesn't apply to brain-teasing titles. No suitable classification appears to put them. Examine these examples from this year’s best games, all very different: structural challenges in a particular game, intense tile-matching of another game, engaging interpersonal challenges in another game. Which classification works within current classifications? Nowhere, that’s where.
The Representation Problem
Numerous examples exist outstanding logic titles launched regularly lacking appropriate categories in entertainment awards, unless they happen to qualify award groups including Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, and the highly challenging independent game categories.
- An iconic brain-teaser received no recognition for anything that year
- Another creative title received no nominations that year
- Well-received sorting experience was overlooked recently
- Just some logic titles scraped into small studio or handheld classifications
Significance of Puzzle Games
These are often compact experiences, yet the craft in brain-teasers is of massive significance. Famous handheld logic titles count as the most-played games worldwide continuing this trend for an extended period.
The iconic tile-matching title rivals famous sandbox experiences claiming status as highest-selling title ever; it’s also in the running for top gaming experience. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks for gaming as medium, and engaging with almost every other genre.
The Solution and Justification
Puzzle games wouldn’t have this problem. One could readily select multiple candidates engaging, different, qualified experiences every year with ease — perhaps, with difficulty, since numerous excellent many worthy titles.
And to reiterate, these include experiences lacking appropriate categories during prominent ceremonies. Brain-teaser creators are working at the hard edge game development, developing some of most fundamental forms within interactive entertainment. Just like movie stunt professionals, they deserve recognition. Let’s not keep them waiting decades.
