As any major honors show nears, one notices an outcry for the addition of new categories to recognize overlooked contributions and satisfy the passions of followers with niche passions.
Another commentator previously argued for a horror game category. That would be fantastic. So would board games, which is someone's personal cause. Yet I need to apologize in advance for pushing forward just as with other dedicated enthusiasts, I possess a compelling case supporting my request is the most urgent and significant. The demand is this: There should be a classification for brain-teasing titles.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Organizing artistic expressions isn't exact; it’s very subjective, and it will always spark debates resulting in unclear classifications. There’s a reason cinema institutions avoid this approach. But it is an essential concession within the realm of interactive entertainment, that demonstrate such variety it's challenging to consider them a single creative category.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of achievement in video games to be recognized, and for games of all stripes to compete fairly, specific award classifications remain vital.
Present Award Structure
The major gaming awards currently feature award types recognizing Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these six categories actually cover many game types, allowing placement accommodating various experiences.
Not so for puzzle games. There’s simply nowhere to put them. Consider three of this year’s best games, all very different: structural challenges in a particular game, the pulse-pounding block-matching in a different title, thought-provoking social scenarios of a third title. What category would fit them within current classifications? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Recognition Challenges
There are dozens outstanding logic titles published annually without proper recognition in entertainment awards, if they accidentally match for categories like Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, or the extremely competitive small studio competitions.
- A renowned logic title received no recognition in any category in 2014
- Another creative title missed out that year
- A beloved organization game was overlooked in 2021
- Limited numbers of brain-teasers managed to sneak into niche award types
Importance of Logic Titles
These are often modest productions, yet the craft behind logic titles carries substantial weight. Iconic mobile puzzle games rank among most popular titles worldwide maintaining this status for over a decade.
The iconic tile-matching title competes with famous sandbox experiences competing to become most purchased experience; it’s also in the running as greatest title ever. Logic titles represent cornerstones for gaming as medium, and engaging across multiple categories.
The Solution and Justification
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter that issue. It would be easy to populate a field of five engaging, different, qualified experiences annually without trouble — perhaps, with difficulty, given the need to exclude many worthy titles.
To emphasize again, these are games without proper classification during prominent ceremonies. Brain-teaser creators function at the demanding boundary game development, creating some of most fundamental forms of the video game form. Comparable to film action specialists, they merit acknowledgment. Let’s not keep them waiting generations.
