As any major honors show nears, one notices a demand to include of new categories to honor unsung work and satisfy the hearts of fans dedicated to specific genres.
My colleague previously argued for a horror game category. It would be amazing. The same goes for board games, representing a dedicated supporter's campaign. But they will have to forgive me if I try to elbow in front because like all blinkered fanatics, I possess a compelling case backing this proposal stands as crucial above others. The demand is this: There should be an award type for logic-based games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Categorizing art by genre isn't exact; opinions vary greatly, and inevitably generate discussions concluding with vague boundaries. It's understandable that cinema institutions steer clear of genre categories. But it is an essential concession within the realm of interactive entertainment, which are so diverse it's challenging to consider them one unified medium.
For the full spectrum of gaming accomplishments to gain proper attention, and for games of all stripes to compete fairly, genre categories are essential.
Existing Game Classification System
Leading game ceremonies offer these award types recognizing Action, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Together, these award types actually cover many game types, and you can find room for most games within them.
Not so for brain-teasing titles. No appropriate category exists for their placement. Consider three of outstanding current releases, each quite distinct: the architectural riddles in a particular game, the pulse-pounding block-matching in a different title, thought-provoking social scenarios of a third title. Where could they possibly go among existing types? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Acknowledgment Issues
Numerous examples exist excellent brain-teasers launched regularly that have no home in entertainment awards, except when they manage to fit for categories like Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, or the extremely competitive independent game categories.
- One classic puzzle game got overlooked for anything in 2014
- Another imaginative release was excluded that year
- Well-received sorting experience received no acknowledgment in 2021
- Limited numbers of brain-teasers scraped into small studio or handheld classifications
Value of Brain-Teasers
These are often compact experiences, but the art of the puzzle game is of massive significance. Well-known matching games stand as most popular titles worldwide maintaining this status for over a decade.
The legendary block-stacking game rivals famous sandbox experiences claiming status as best-selling game of all time; it additionally competes for best game of all time. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks for gaming as medium, and engaging with almost every other genre.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Puzzle games wouldn’t have this problem. It would be easy to populate a field of five interesting, varied, worthy titles every year with ease — or rather, with difficulty, since numerous excellent so many good games out.
And to reiterate, these include experiences that otherwise have no home at major gaming awards. Brain-teaser creators operate at the challenging frontier of video game design, developing some of essential manifestations of gaming itself. Comparable to cinema stunt performers, they merit acknowledgment. Let’s not keep them waiting 35 years.
