As any prominent prize-giving event draws close, you'll find a clamor to include of new categories to honor unsung work and satisfy the spirits of followers dedicated to specific genres.
Another commentator made the case supporting a scary games classification. That would be fantastic. Equally deserving are board games, which is a passionate advocate's mission. However, I must insist if I try to elbow in front because like all single-minded supporters, I possess a compelling case supporting my request stands as crucial and significant. The demand is this: It's essential to create an award type for logic-based games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Classifying creative works isn't exact; it remains highly personal, and typically generate discussions and end in fuzzy definitions. There’s a reason movie academies avoid this approach. However, it represents an unavoidable compromise within the realm of interactive entertainment, that demonstrate such variety they hardly constitute a single creative category.
For the full spectrum of interactive entertainment excellence to be recognized, while allowing diverse titles to compete fairly, classification by type becomes crucial.
Existing Game Classification System
Leading game ceremonies currently feature classifications covering Action, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Between them, these award types actually cover many game types, making space possible accommodating various experiences.
Different situation exists for puzzle games. There’s simply nowhere to accommodate them. Think about these outstanding current releases, all very different: structural challenges of one title, fast-paced pattern recognition of another game, engaging interpersonal challenges in another game. What category would fit them among existing types? Nowhere, that’s where.
Acknowledgment Issues
There are dozens excellent brain-teasers released every year lacking appropriate categories at major award shows, except when they manage to fit award groups including Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging Indie races.
- One classic puzzle game wasn’t nominated for anything in 2014
- Another imaginative release received no nominations during that ceremony
- Well-received sorting experience was overlooked that year
- Only a few puzzle games barely qualified for independent or mobile categories
Value of Brain-Teasers
Frequently they represent compact experiences, however the design of the puzzle game carries substantial weight. Iconic mobile puzzle games stand as most popular titles in the world and have been for over a decade.
The famous puzzle experience rivals popular creative games claiming status as best-selling game of all time; it also contends as greatest title ever. Puzzle games are foundational to the art of video games, and engaging across multiple categories.
Proposal and Rationale
Puzzle games wouldn’t have that issue. One could readily select a field of five engaging, different, qualified experiences every year with ease — actually, with challenge, given the need to exclude so many good games out.
And to reiterate, these represent titles without proper classification during prominent ceremonies. Brain-teaser creators operate at the hard edge game development, creating some of most fundamental forms of gaming itself. Similar to movie stunt professionals, they deserve recognition. Let’s not keep them waiting 35 years.
