Whenever a significant awards ceremony draws close, there’s always a clamor for the addition of new categories to recognize underappreciated efforts and fill the passions of enthusiasts who have specialized interests.
A fellow writer previously argued advocating for terror-themed awards. It would be amazing. Equally deserving are tabletop games, representing 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 for why my demand remains most pressing and important of all. The demand is this: There should be a classification for brain-teasing titles.
Categorizing Game Types
Categorizing art by genre is not a science; opinions vary greatly, and inevitably start arguments concluding with vague boundaries. This explains why cinema institutions steer clear of genre categories. Yet it remains an essential concession in the world of video games, which are so diverse they barely qualify one unified medium.
To recognize the complete range of gaming accomplishments to receive acknowledgment, and to ensure all game types to receive proper recognition, genre categories are essential.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Leading game ceremonies presently include genre categories for Action, Adventure-action titles, RPG experiences, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Together, these classifications successfully include many game types, and you can find room for most games within them.
Not so for logic-based experiences. There’s simply nowhere for their placement. Think about these recent excellent titles, each quite distinct: structural challenges of one title, fast-paced pattern recognition in a different title, engaging interpersonal challenges from additional release. Which classification works among existing types? Simply put, no category fits.
Recognition Challenges
There are dozens of brilliant puzzle games published annually that have no home in entertainment awards, except when they manage to fit for categories like Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the intensely contested small studio competitions.
- A renowned logic title received no recognition in any category in 2014
- Another imaginative release received no nominations in 2019
- A beloved organization game received no acknowledgment in 2021
- Just some puzzle games managed to sneak into niche award types
Significance of Puzzle Games
These are often compact experiences, yet the craft behind logic titles is of massive significance. Iconic mobile puzzle games rank among most engaged experiences in the world continuing this trend for over a decade.
The legendary block-stacking game rivals well-known building titles competing to become highest-selling title ever; it also contends for best game of all time. Logic titles represent cornerstones to the art of video games, while interacting with diverse game types.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter this problem. You could fill five nominees engaging, different, qualified experiences every year with ease — actually, with challenge, since numerous excellent many worthy titles.
And to reiterate, these include experiences lacking appropriate categories during prominent ceremonies. Brain-teaser creators function at the challenging frontier of video game design, developing some of the purest expressions of gaming itself. Just like cinema stunt performers, they deserve recognition. We shouldn't delay generations.
