As any prominent awards ceremony approaches, you'll find a clamor for introducing additional classifications to honor underappreciated efforts and delight the spirits of fans with niche passions.
My colleague has already made supporting a scary games classification. That would be fantastic. Equally deserving are strategy board titles, representing someone's personal cause. But they will have to forgive me for pushing forward because like all dedicated enthusiasts, there's a strong justification supporting my request stands as crucial and important of all. Here's the proposal: There should be a classification for brain-teasing titles.
Categorizing Game Types
Organizing artistic expressions is not a science; it remains highly personal, and inevitably spark debates concluding with vague boundaries. There’s a reason movie academies don’t do it. But it is an unavoidable compromise within the realm of video games, that demonstrate such variety it's challenging to consider them as a single art form.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of interactive entertainment excellence to be recognized, and to ensure all game types to compete fairly, specific award classifications remain vital.
Existing Game Classification System
Prominent interactive entertainment events currently feature classifications covering Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Together, these classifications successfully include numerous genres, and you can find room for numerous titles.
This doesn't apply to brain-teasing titles. No appropriate category exists for their placement. Examine these examples from this year’s best games, showing diverse approaches: structural challenges from a specific release, the pulse-pounding block-matching of another game, engaging interpersonal challenges in another game. What category would fit them between these six categories? Nowhere, that’s where.
Acknowledgment Issues
Many instances occur of brilliant puzzle games published annually that have no home in entertainment awards, unless they happen to qualify classification types such as Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the extremely competitive independent game categories.
- An iconic brain-teaser received no recognition in any category that year
- Another creative title was excluded that year
- A beloved organization game got ignored recently
- Limited numbers of logic titles barely qualified for independent or mobile categories
Significance of Puzzle Games
Commonly they're compact experiences, but the art of the puzzle game carries substantial weight. Iconic mobile puzzle games rank among most popular titles worldwide continuing this trend for many years.
The legendary block-stacking game challenges popular creative games claiming status as best-selling game of all time; it’s also in the running for best game of all time. Logic titles represent cornerstones for gaming as medium, while interacting with diverse game types.
The Solution and Justification
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter that issue. 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 are games that otherwise have no home at major gaming awards. Logic title developers function at the challenging frontier of video game design, developing some of essential manifestations within interactive entertainment. Just like cinema stunt performers, they merit acknowledgment. Don't make them wait generations.
