As any major honors show nears, you'll find a clamor for the addition fresh award types to acknowledge unsung work and satisfy the hearts of followers dedicated to specific genres.
Another commentator previously argued for a horror game category. That would be fantastic. The same goes for board games, representing someone's personal cause. Yet I need to apologize in advance for pushing forward since similar to single-minded supporters, I have a cast-iron argument backing this proposal remains most pressing and important of all. This is the request: There should be an award type for logic-based games.
Categorizing Game Types
Organizing artistic expressions isn't exact; it remains highly personal, and inevitably generate discussions concluding with vague boundaries. This explains why film award organizations don’t do it. However, it represents an unavoidable compromise in the world of interactive entertainment, which are so diverse they barely qualify a single creative category.
For the full spectrum of gaming accomplishments to receive acknowledgment, and for games of all stripes to have a chance for representation, specific award classifications remain vital.
Present Award Structure
Prominent interactive entertainment events currently feature award types recognizing Action, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Collectively, these award types successfully include numerous genres, making space possible accommodating various experiences.
Not so for puzzle games. No suitable classification appears for their placement. Consider three of this year’s best games, each quite distinct: structural challenges of one title, fast-paced pattern recognition of another game, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles from additional release. What category would fit them between these six categories? Unfortunately, nowhere.
The Representation Problem
Many instances occur of brilliant puzzle games published annually without proper recognition in entertainment awards, unless they happen to qualify for categories like Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the intensely contested Indie races.
- An iconic brain-teaser wasn’t nominated in any category during that awards season
- A different innovative game was excluded during that ceremony
- Well-received sorting experience got ignored in 2021
- Only a few brain-teasers scraped into small studio or handheld classifications
Value of Brain-Teasers
Frequently they represent compact experiences, yet the craft in brain-teasers holds tremendous importance. Well-known matching games rank among the most-played games in the world maintaining this status for an extended period.
The famous puzzle experience rivals well-known building titles claiming status as best-selling game of all time; it additionally competes for top gaming experience. Logic titles represent cornerstones for gaming as medium, and engaging across multiple categories.
Proposal and Rationale
Logic titles wouldn't face such difficulty. One could readily select five nominees interesting, varied, worthy titles annually without trouble — or rather, with difficulty, since numerous excellent numerous deserving experiences.
And to reiterate, these represent titles lacking appropriate categories in important events. Logic title developers operate at the challenging frontier of video game design, developing some of essential manifestations of the video game form. Comparable to cinema stunt performers, they warrant appreciation. Don't make them wait 35 years.
