As any major prize-giving event draws close, there’s always an outcry to include of new categories to recognize underappreciated efforts and fill the spirits of enthusiasts who have specialized interests.
A fellow writer has already made for a horror game category. That would rule. So would strategy board titles, which is a dedicated supporter's campaign. But they will have to forgive me when I prioritize because like all single-minded supporters, I possess a compelling case supporting my request is the most urgent and significant. The demand is this: There should be a category for puzzle games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Categorizing art by genre is not a science; it remains highly personal, and it will always start arguments resulting in unclear classifications. It's understandable that cinema institutions don’t do it. But it is an essential concession in the world of interactive entertainment, that demonstrate such variety they barely qualify a single creative category.
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.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Prominent interactive entertainment events offer these genre categories for Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Collectively, these classifications successfully include a lot of ground, making space possible for numerous titles.
Different situation exists for puzzle games. No suitable classification appears for their placement. Examine these examples from this year’s best games, showing diverse approaches: structural challenges in a particular game, fast-paced pattern recognition in a different title, thought-provoking social scenarios in another game. Where could they possibly go within current classifications? Nowhere, that’s where.
Recognition Challenges
Many instances occur outstanding logic titles published annually lacking appropriate categories during gaming ceremonies, except when they manage to fit for categories like Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, or the extremely competitive independent game categories.
- One classic puzzle game received no recognition in any category in 2014
- Another creative title missed out that year
- Well-received sorting experience received no acknowledgment that year
- Limited numbers of puzzle games barely qualified for niche award types
Importance of Logic Titles
Commonly they're compact experiences, yet the craft in brain-teasers is of massive significance. Famous handheld logic titles count as the most-played games in the world maintaining this status for many years.
The iconic tile-matching title competes with popular creative games claiming status as highest-selling title ever; it’s also in the running as greatest title ever. Logic titles represent cornerstones to the art of video games, while interacting across multiple categories.
The Solution and Justification
Logic titles wouldn't face such difficulty. It would be easy to populate multiple candidates with fascinating, diverse, deserving games every year with ease — actually, with challenge, since numerous excellent so many good games out.
And to reiterate, these include experiences lacking appropriate categories in important events. Logic title developers operate at the challenging frontier game development, producing among most fundamental forms of the video game form. Similar to movie stunt professionals, they deserve recognition. Let’s not keep them waiting 35 years.
