Each time a significant honors show nears, there’s always a clamor to include additional classifications to acknowledge unsung work and satisfy the passions of enthusiasts with niche passions.
My colleague has already made advocating for terror-themed awards. That would be fantastic. The same goes for board games, which is a passionate advocate's mission. Yet I need to apologize in advance if I try to elbow in front because like all blinkered fanatics, I possess a compelling case backing this proposal is the most urgent and important of all. Here's the proposal: We need an award type for logic-based games.
Categorizing Game Types
Categorizing art by genre defies precise measurement; it’s very subjective, and typically spark debates concluding with vague boundaries. This explains why film award organizations steer clear of genre categories. Yet it remains a necessary evil within the realm of gaming, that demonstrate such variety they barely qualify a single creative category.
To recognize the complete range of achievement in video games to gain proper attention, while allowing diverse titles to compete fairly, classification by type becomes crucial.
Current Gaming Award Categories
The major gaming awards currently feature award types recognizing Action, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Together, these classifications actually cover many game types, and you can find room for numerous titles.
Not so for puzzle games. No appropriate category exists to accommodate them. Consider three of outstanding current releases, all very different: the architectural riddles from a specific release, the pulse-pounding block-matching from another release, thought-provoking social scenarios from additional release. Where could they possibly go among existing types? Simply put, no category fits.
Recognition Challenges
Numerous examples exist excellent brain-teasers launched regularly lacking appropriate categories during gaming ceremonies, if they accidentally match classification types such as Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging Indie races.
- A renowned logic title wasn’t nominated for anything in 2014
- Another imaginative release received no nominations that year
- Well-received sorting experience was overlooked that year
- Only a few brain-teasers scraped into independent or mobile categories
Value of Brain-Teasers
Frequently they represent small games, however the design behind logic titles holds tremendous importance. Famous handheld logic titles stand as most engaged experiences worldwide continuing this trend for an extended period.
The legendary block-stacking game competes with popular creative games competing to become most purchased experience; it’s also in the running for best game of all time. Logic titles represent cornerstones within interactive entertainment, while interacting across multiple categories.
The Solution and Justification
Logic titles wouldn't face such difficulty. One could readily select five nominees engaging, different, qualified experiences every year with ease — perhaps, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave many worthy titles.
And to reiterate, these represent titles without proper classification during prominent ceremonies. Logic title developers operate at the challenging frontier of video game design, creating some of the purest expressions within interactive entertainment. Just like cinema stunt performers, they deserve recognition. Don't make them wait 35 years.
