As any significant awards ceremony approaches, there’s always a demand to include additional classifications to honor unsung work and delight the spirits of followers dedicated to specific genres.
A fellow writer previously argued for a horror game category. That would rule. So would tabletop games, this being a passionate advocate's mission. However, I must insist if I try to elbow in front since similar to dedicated enthusiasts, I have a cast-iron argument backing this proposal remains most pressing above others. The demand is this: We need an award type for logic-based games.
Categorizing Game Types
Categorizing art by genre is not a science; opinions vary greatly, and inevitably start arguments and end in fuzzy definitions. This explains why cinema institutions avoid this approach. But it is an unavoidable compromise for the industry of gaming, showing incredible range they hardly constitute as a single art form.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of gaming accomplishments to gain proper attention, and to ensure all game types to compete fairly, genre categories are essential.
Current Gaming Award Categories
The major gaming awards presently include classifications covering Action, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Between them, these classifications effectively encompass a lot of ground, allowing placement accommodating various experiences.
Not so for puzzle games. No appropriate category exists to put them. Consider three of this year’s best games, all very different: the architectural riddles in a particular game, fast-paced pattern recognition in a different title, engaging interpersonal challenges of a third title. What category would fit them within current classifications? Simply put, no category fits.
Acknowledgment Issues
Many instances occur of brilliant puzzle games released every year without proper recognition during gaming ceremonies, unless they happen to qualify for categories like Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, or the intensely contested independent game categories.
- An iconic brain-teaser wasn’t nominated for anything in 2014
- Another imaginative release missed out during that ceremony
- Popular arranging title got ignored in 2021
- Limited numbers of brain-teasers scraped into small studio or handheld classifications
Value of Brain-Teasers
Commonly they're compact experiences, yet the craft of the puzzle game carries substantial weight. Iconic mobile puzzle games count as most popular titles worldwide maintaining this status for many years.
The famous puzzle experience competes with popular creative games for the title of best-selling game of all time; it also contends for top gaming experience. Logic titles represent cornerstones within interactive entertainment, and engaging with diverse game types.
Proposal and Rationale
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter that issue. One could readily select five nominees with fascinating, diverse, deserving games every year with ease — or rather, with difficulty, given the need to exclude many worthy titles.
To emphasize again, these represent titles lacking appropriate categories in important events. Puzzle game makers are working at the challenging frontier interactive creation, producing among most fundamental forms within interactive entertainment. Similar to movie stunt professionals, they deserve recognition. Don't make them wait generations.
