As any prominent awards ceremony nears, you'll find a demand for introducing additional classifications to acknowledge overlooked contributions and satisfy the passions of enthusiasts dedicated to specific genres.
Another commentator previously argued for a horror game category. It would be amazing. Equally deserving are board games, representing a dedicated supporter's campaign. However, I must insist when I prioritize because like all blinkered fanatics, I possess a compelling case supporting my request is the most urgent and important of all. Here's the proposal: We need an award type for logic-based games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Organizing artistic expressions defies precise measurement; it remains highly personal, and inevitably 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 video games, that demonstrate such variety they barely qualify a single creative category.
For the full spectrum of achievement in video games to receive acknowledgment, and to ensure all game types to have a chance for representation, classification by type becomes crucial.
Existing Game Classification System
Prominent interactive entertainment events currently feature classifications covering Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Collectively, these six categories successfully include numerous genres, making space possible for most games within them.
This doesn't apply to puzzle games. No appropriate category exists to put them. Examine these examples from recent excellent titles, all very different: structural challenges of one title, fast-paced pattern recognition of another game, thought-provoking social scenarios in another game. Where could they possibly go within current classifications? Nowhere, that’s where.
Acknowledgment Issues
Many instances occur outstanding logic titles published annually that have no home during gaming ceremonies, except when they manage to fit award groups including Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the intensely contested Indie races.
- An iconic brain-teaser received no recognition in any category that year
- Another imaginative release received no nominations during that ceremony
- Popular arranging title was overlooked in 2021
- Only a few puzzle games managed to sneak into niche award types
Importance of Logic Titles
These are often small games, but the art behind logic titles is of massive significance. Well-known matching games count as the most-played games worldwide continuing this trend for over a decade.
The legendary block-stacking game competes with popular creative games for the title of most purchased experience; it also contends for top gaming experience. Puzzle games are foundational to the art of video games, and engaging with almost every other genre.
The Solution and Justification
Logic titles wouldn't face that issue. It would be easy to populate multiple candidates interesting, varied, worthy titles every year with ease — actually, with challenge, given the need to exclude many worthy titles.
And to reiterate, these are games without proper classification in important events. Logic title developers function at the challenging frontier interactive creation, creating some of the purest expressions within interactive entertainment. Similar to cinema stunt performers, they deserve recognition. We shouldn't delay 35 years.