Whenever a major honors show approaches, you'll find a demand for the addition fresh award types to recognize unsung work and fill the passions of followers who have specialized interests.
Another commentator previously argued advocating for terror-themed awards. That would rule. So would board games, representing a passionate advocate's mission. Yet I need to apologize in advance if I try to elbow in front since similar to single-minded supporters, I have a cast-iron argument for why my demand remains most pressing and significant. The demand is this: It's essential to create an award type for logic-based games.
Categorizing Game Types
Organizing artistic expressions is not a science; it’s very subjective, and it will always spark debates and end in fuzzy definitions. It's understandable that film award organizations steer clear of genre categories. But it is an unavoidable compromise in the world of interactive entertainment, which are so diverse they barely qualify as a single art form.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of achievement in video games to be recognized, and for games of all stripes to compete fairly, genre categories are essential.
Current Gaming Award Categories
The major gaming awards offer these award types recognizing Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Together, these classifications successfully include numerous genres, making space possible accommodating various experiences.
Different situation exists for puzzle games. No suitable classification appears for their placement. Examine these examples from this year’s best games, all very different: building puzzles from a specific release, intense tile-matching in a different title, thought-provoking social scenarios from additional release. Which classification works between these six categories? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Recognition Challenges
There are dozens outstanding logic titles released every year lacking appropriate categories at major award shows, except when they manage to fit award groups including Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, or the intensely contested independent game categories.
- One classic puzzle game got overlooked in any category that year
- Another imaginative release received no nominations in 2019
- Well-received sorting experience received no acknowledgment in 2021
- Only a few puzzle games scraped into niche award types
Significance of Puzzle Games
These are often compact experiences, however the design of the puzzle game is of massive significance. Iconic mobile puzzle games rank among most popular titles globally maintaining this status for many years.
The iconic tile-matching title challenges popular creative games claiming status as most purchased experience; it also contends as greatest title ever. Logic titles represent cornerstones for gaming as medium, and they are in conversation with diverse game types.
The Solution and Justification
Logic titles wouldn't face such difficulty. It would be easy to populate multiple candidates interesting, varied, worthy titles annually without trouble — actually, with challenge, given the need to exclude so many good games out.
And to reiterate, these include experiences without proper classification at major gaming awards. Puzzle game makers function at the demanding boundary of video game design, creating some of most fundamental forms within interactive entertainment. Similar to movie stunt professionals, they warrant appreciation. Let’s not keep them waiting 35 years.
