Each time a prominent honors show nears, you'll find an outcry for introducing additional classifications to honor underappreciated efforts and delight the hearts of enthusiasts who have specialized interests.
Another commentator has already made supporting a scary games classification. That would rule. Equally deserving are strategy board titles, representing a dedicated supporter's campaign. However, I must insist for pushing forward since similar to blinkered fanatics, there's a strong justification for why my demand is the most urgent above others. The demand is this: There should be a classification for brain-teasing titles.
Categorizing Game Types
Categorizing art by genre defies precise measurement; opinions vary greatly, and typically generate discussions and end in fuzzy definitions. This explains why film award organizations don’t do it. Yet it remains an essential concession within the realm of interactive entertainment, which are so diverse it's challenging to consider them one unified medium.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of achievement in video games to be recognized, and for games of all stripes to receive proper recognition, genre categories are essential.
Present Award Structure
The major gaming awards offer these classifications covering Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Collectively, these six categories successfully include a lot of ground, allowing placement accommodating various experiences.
Not so for logic-based experiences. No suitable classification appears to accommodate them. Examine these examples from outstanding current releases, all very different: structural challenges from a specific release, intense tile-matching in a different title, engaging interpersonal challenges in another game. Which classification works among existing types? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Recognition Challenges
There are dozens outstanding logic titles published annually lacking appropriate categories in entertainment awards, if they accidentally match classification types such as Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, and the highly challenging independent game categories.
- One classic puzzle game wasn’t nominated for anything in 2014
- A different innovative game missed out that year
- Well-received sorting experience was overlooked recently
- Just some brain-teasers managed to sneak into small studio or handheld classifications
Importance of Logic Titles
These are often modest productions, however the design behind logic titles holds tremendous importance. Well-known matching games rank among most engaged experiences in the world maintaining this status for many years.
The iconic tile-matching title competes with famous sandbox experiences competing to become most purchased experience; it’s also in the running for top gaming experience. Logic titles represent cornerstones within interactive entertainment, while interacting with almost every other genre.
The Solution and Justification
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter that issue. You could fill a field of five with fascinating, diverse, deserving games each ceremony simply — actually, with challenge, given the need to exclude so many good games out.
Restating the point, these represent titles lacking appropriate categories during prominent ceremonies. Logic title developers operate at the hard edge of video game design, developing some of the purest expressions of the video game form. Similar to movie stunt professionals, they warrant appreciation. Let’s not keep them waiting generations.
