Each time a major prize-giving event nears, there’s always a clamor to include fresh award types to acknowledge overlooked contributions and satisfy the passions of enthusiasts who have specialized interests.
My colleague made the case advocating for terror-themed awards. It would be amazing. So would board games, which is someone's personal cause. However, I must insist if I try to elbow in front because like all single-minded supporters, there's a strong justification for why my demand stands as crucial and important of all. The demand is this: It's essential to create an award type for logic-based games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Classifying creative works is not a science; opinions vary greatly, and typically start arguments concluding with vague boundaries. It's understandable that movie academies don’t do it. However, it represents an essential concession for the industry of video games, which are so diverse they barely qualify a single creative category.
For the full spectrum of gaming accomplishments to be recognized, and to ensure all game types to receive proper recognition, genre categories are essential.
Present Award Structure
The major gaming awards presently include genre categories for Action, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these six categories actually cover a lot of ground, and you can find room for numerous titles.
Different situation exists for puzzle games. No suitable classification appears for their placement. Consider three of this year’s best games, each quite distinct: structural challenges from a specific release, the pulse-pounding block-matching from another release, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles in another game. Which classification works within current classifications? Nowhere, that’s where.
Recognition Challenges
There are dozens excellent brain-teasers published annually that have no home during gaming ceremonies, unless they happen to qualify for categories like Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, or the intensely contested independent game categories.
- An iconic brain-teaser got overlooked in any category during that awards season
- Another imaginative release missed out during that ceremony
- A beloved organization game got ignored that year
- Limited numbers of puzzle games managed to sneak into niche award types
Importance of Logic Titles
These are often modest productions, however the design of the puzzle game holds tremendous importance. Iconic mobile puzzle games count as most popular titles in the world maintaining this status for many years.
The iconic tile-matching title rivals popular creative games competing to become highest-selling title ever; it additionally competes for best game of all time. Puzzle games are foundational within interactive entertainment, while interacting with almost every other genre.
The Solution and Justification
Logic titles wouldn't face that issue. One could readily select five nominees interesting, varied, worthy titles every year with ease — actually, with challenge, since numerous excellent many worthy titles.
And to reiterate, these include experiences that otherwise have no home during prominent ceremonies. Logic title developers function at the demanding boundary game development, developing some of the purest expressions within interactive entertainment. Just like film action specialists, they merit acknowledgment. We shouldn't delay generations.
