As any significant honors show nears, there’s always a clamor for introducing additional classifications to recognize underappreciated efforts and delight the passions of enthusiasts who have specialized interests.
A fellow writer previously argued for a horror game category. It would be amazing. Equally deserving are tabletop games, which is someone's personal cause. However, I must insist if I try to elbow in front since similar to single-minded supporters, there's a strong justification for why my demand stands as crucial above others. The demand is this: We need a category for puzzle games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Categorizing art by genre is not a science; opinions vary greatly, and inevitably generate discussions resulting in unclear classifications. There’s a reason film award organizations steer clear of genre categories. Yet it remains an essential concession for the industry of interactive entertainment, that demonstrate such variety it's challenging to consider them one unified medium.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of achievement in video games to gain proper attention, while allowing diverse titles to receive proper recognition, specific award classifications remain vital.
Existing Game Classification System
Prominent interactive entertainment events currently feature award types recognizing Action, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Together, these six categories successfully include many game types, and you can find room for numerous titles.
This doesn't apply to logic-based experiences. No appropriate category exists for their placement. Examine these examples from outstanding current releases, all very different: the architectural riddles from a specific release, the pulse-pounding block-matching of another game, engaging interpersonal challenges of a third title. Where could they possibly go between these six categories? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Acknowledgment Issues
Many instances occur excellent brain-teasers released every year that have no home in entertainment awards, unless they happen to qualify classification types such as Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, and the highly challenging small studio competitions.
- An iconic brain-teaser got overlooked completely in 2014
- Another imaginative release received no nominations during that ceremony
- Well-received sorting experience received no acknowledgment that year
- Only a few logic titles scraped into independent or mobile categories
Value of Brain-Teasers
Commonly they're modest productions, but the art behind logic titles carries substantial weight. Famous handheld logic titles stand as most popular titles worldwide maintaining this status for over a decade.
The famous puzzle experience challenges famous sandbox experiences competing to become highest-selling title ever; it’s also in the running for best game of all time. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks to the art of video games, and engaging with almost every other genre.
The Solution and Justification
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter such difficulty. One could readily select multiple candidates with fascinating, diverse, deserving games every year with ease — actually, with challenge, because you’d have to leave many worthy titles.
Restating the point, these are games that otherwise have no home in important events. Brain-teaser creators are working at the challenging frontier interactive creation, creating some of most fundamental forms of gaming itself. Just like film action specialists, they merit acknowledgment. Don't make them wait 35 years.
