Each time a major awards ceremony nears, you'll find an outcry for the addition additional classifications to acknowledge overlooked contributions and fill the hearts of fans who have specialized interests.
Another commentator has already made for a horror game category. That would be fantastic. Equally deserving are tabletop games, which is a dedicated supporter's campaign. Yet I need to apologize in advance for pushing forward since similar to dedicated enthusiasts, I possess a compelling case for why my demand remains most pressing and important of all. This is the request: We need an award type for logic-based games.
Categorizing Game Types
Classifying creative works is not a science; opinions vary greatly, and typically generate discussions and end in fuzzy definitions. There’s a reason cinema institutions don’t do it. But it is an essential concession within the realm of gaming, which are so diverse they hardly constitute as a single art form.
For the full spectrum of gaming accomplishments to gain proper attention, and for games of all stripes to compete fairly, classification by type becomes crucial.
Existing Game Classification System
Leading game ceremonies offer these classifications covering Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these six categories effectively encompass numerous genres, making space possible for most games within them.
Different situation exists for logic-based experiences. No suitable classification appears to put them. Think about these recent excellent titles, showing diverse approaches: building puzzles in a particular game, the pulse-pounding block-matching of another game, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles of a third title. Which classification works among existing types? Simply put, no category fits.
Acknowledgment Issues
There are dozens of brilliant puzzle games released every year without proper recognition at major award shows, if they accidentally match award groups including Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the intensely contested small studio competitions.
- An iconic brain-teaser got overlooked in any category in 2014
- A different innovative game missed out in 2019
- A beloved organization game was overlooked in 2021
- Only a few puzzle games scraped into small studio or handheld classifications
Importance of Logic Titles
Commonly they're compact experiences, but the art behind logic titles holds tremendous importance. Famous handheld logic titles stand as the most-played games worldwide continuing this trend 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’s also in the running for top gaming experience. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks to the art of video games, while interacting across multiple categories.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter such difficulty. You could fill multiple candidates engaging, different, qualified experiences every year with ease — perhaps, with difficulty, given the need to exclude many worthy titles.
Restating the point, these represent titles lacking appropriate categories during prominent ceremonies. Puzzle game makers are working at the hard edge interactive creation, producing among essential manifestations of the video game form. Comparable to cinema stunt performers, they warrant appreciation. We shouldn't delay decades.
