As any significant prize-giving event nears, one notices an outcry for the addition fresh award types to recognize overlooked contributions and delight the passions of followers dedicated to specific genres.
My colleague made the case for a horror game category. That would rule. So would board games, representing someone's personal cause. However, I must insist for pushing forward just as with other blinkered fanatics, there's a strong justification supporting my request remains most pressing and significant. Here's the proposal: We need a classification for brain-teasing titles.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Classifying creative works defies precise measurement; it remains highly personal, and it will always generate discussions concluding with vague boundaries. This explains why film award organizations avoid this approach. Yet it remains an unavoidable compromise for the industry of gaming, showing incredible range it's challenging to consider them one unified medium.
For the full spectrum of interactive entertainment excellence to receive acknowledgment, and for games of all stripes to compete fairly, specific award classifications remain vital.
Existing Game Classification System
The major gaming awards offer these award types recognizing Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Together, these classifications effectively encompass many game types, allowing placement for numerous titles.
Not so for brain-teasing titles. No suitable classification appears for their placement. Think about these outstanding current releases, each quite distinct: structural challenges from a specific release, the pulse-pounding block-matching from another release, thought-provoking social scenarios from additional release. What category would fit them within current classifications? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Recognition Challenges
Many instances occur outstanding logic titles launched regularly that have no home at major award shows, except when they manage to fit award groups including Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging Indie races.
- An iconic brain-teaser got overlooked for anything in 2014
- A different innovative game was excluded in 2019
- A beloved organization game received no acknowledgment recently
- Only a few brain-teasers barely qualified for independent or mobile categories
Importance of Logic Titles
Commonly they're small games, but the art of the puzzle game carries substantial weight. Famous handheld logic titles rank among most popular titles worldwide continuing this trend for many years.
The legendary block-stacking game competes with popular creative games competing to become highest-selling title ever; it also contends as greatest title ever. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks for gaming as medium, and they are in conversation with diverse game types.
The Solution and Justification
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter this problem. One could readily select a field of five with fascinating, diverse, deserving games annually without trouble — perhaps, with difficulty, since numerous excellent numerous deserving experiences.
To emphasize again, these include experiences without proper classification in important events. Brain-teaser creators function at the challenging frontier of video game design, developing some of most fundamental forms of gaming itself. Similar to film action specialists, they warrant appreciation. Let’s not keep them waiting 35 years.
