Each time a prominent prize-giving event draws close, there’s always a clamor for introducing fresh award types to recognize underappreciated efforts and delight the spirits of fans who have specialized interests.
My colleague made the case supporting a scary games classification. That would be fantastic. The same goes for tabletop games, this being someone's personal cause. 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 stands as crucial and important of all. This is the request: It's essential to create a category for puzzle games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Categorizing art by genre isn't exact; it’s very subjective, and inevitably generate discussions concluding with vague boundaries. There’s a reason film award organizations avoid this approach. Yet it remains a necessary evil within the realm of interactive entertainment, that demonstrate such variety it's challenging to consider them one unified medium.
For the full spectrum of gaming accomplishments to be recognized, and to ensure all game types to receive proper recognition, genre categories are essential.
Existing Game Classification System
Leading game ceremonies currently feature genre categories for Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Collectively, these six categories actually cover many game types, and you can find room for most games within them.
Not so for logic-based experiences. No appropriate category exists for their placement. Consider three of recent excellent titles, all very different: structural challenges from a specific release, the pulse-pounding block-matching from another release, engaging interpersonal challenges from additional release. Which classification works within current classifications? Nowhere, that’s where.
The Representation Problem
Many instances occur excellent brain-teasers published annually that have no home during gaming ceremonies, if they accidentally match for categories like Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, or the intensely contested small studio competitions.
- A renowned logic title got overlooked in any category that year
- A different innovative game missed out in 2019
- A beloved organization game was overlooked recently
- Just some puzzle games barely qualified for small studio or handheld classifications
Value of Brain-Teasers
Frequently they represent small games, yet the craft of the puzzle game is of massive significance. Famous handheld logic titles stand as the most-played games globally maintaining this status for over a decade.
The legendary block-stacking game competes with famous sandbox experiences for the title of best-selling game of all time; it additionally competes as greatest title ever. Logic titles represent cornerstones to the art of video games, while interacting with almost every other genre.
The Solution and Justification
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter such difficulty. You could fill multiple candidates engaging, different, qualified experiences each ceremony simply — perhaps, with difficulty, given the need to exclude so many good games out.
And to reiterate, these include experiences that otherwise have no home at major gaming awards. Brain-teaser creators function at the hard edge of video game design, producing among essential manifestations of the video game form. Similar to movie stunt professionals, they merit acknowledgment. We shouldn't delay generations.
