As any major honors show nears, one notices a demand for introducing additional classifications to honor underappreciated efforts and delight the hearts of enthusiasts who have specialized interests.
A fellow writer previously argued supporting a scary games classification. That would be fantastic. The same goes for tabletop games, representing a dedicated supporter's campaign. Yet I need to apologize in advance if I try to elbow in front because like all blinkered fanatics, I possess a compelling case backing this proposal is the most urgent and significant. This is the request: We need an award type for logic-based games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Classifying creative works defies precise measurement; it’s very subjective, and typically generate discussions and end in fuzzy definitions. There’s a reason cinema institutions don’t do it. Yet it remains an unavoidable compromise for the industry of video games, that demonstrate such variety they hardly constitute a single creative category.
For the full spectrum of achievement in video games to be recognized, and to ensure all game types to have a chance for representation, genre categories are essential.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Prominent interactive entertainment events presently include classifications covering Action, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Together, these classifications effectively encompass a lot of ground, and you can find room for numerous titles.
Different situation exists for puzzle games. There’s simply nowhere to put them. Think about these recent excellent titles, showing diverse approaches: the architectural riddles in a particular game, intense tile-matching from another release, engaging interpersonal challenges of a third title. Where could they possibly go within current classifications? Unfortunately, nowhere.
The Representation Problem
There are dozens excellent brain-teasers released every year that have no home in entertainment awards, if they accidentally match classification types such as Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, or the intensely contested small studio competitions.
- A renowned logic title got overlooked for anything during that awards season
- Another creative title was excluded during that ceremony
- A beloved organization game was overlooked recently
- Limited numbers of puzzle games scraped into niche award types
Importance of Logic Titles
Frequently they represent compact experiences, however the design of the puzzle game carries substantial weight. Well-known matching games rank among most popular titles in the world and have been for many years.
The legendary block-stacking game challenges famous sandbox experiences competing to become highest-selling title ever; it additionally competes for top gaming experience. Logic titles represent cornerstones to the art of video games, and engaging across multiple categories.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Logic titles wouldn't face that issue. You could fill a field of five interesting, varied, worthy titles each ceremony simply — perhaps, with difficulty, given the need to exclude many worthy titles.
And to reiterate, these represent titles that otherwise have no home during prominent ceremonies. Brain-teaser creators operate at the hard edge of video game design, developing some of most fundamental forms of the video game form. Comparable to film action specialists, they deserve recognition. Don't make them wait generations.
