As any prominent prize-giving event draws close, one notices an outcry for introducing of new categories to recognize unsung work and fill the spirits of enthusiasts dedicated to specific genres.
My colleague previously argued advocating for terror-themed awards. That would be fantastic. The same goes for tabletop games, which is someone's personal cause. However, I must insist when I prioritize just as with other blinkered fanatics, I have a cast-iron argument backing this proposal remains most pressing and significant. The demand is this: There should be an award type for logic-based games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Categorizing art by genre defies precise measurement; it’s very subjective, and inevitably spark debates concluding with vague boundaries. This explains why film award organizations avoid this approach. Yet it remains an unavoidable compromise within the realm of video games, showing incredible range they hardly constitute as a single art form.
For the full spectrum of achievement in video games to receive acknowledgment, while allowing diverse titles to receive proper recognition, genre categories are essential.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Leading game ceremonies offer these classifications covering Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Between them, these six categories effectively encompass many game types, making space possible for most games within them.
Different situation exists for puzzle games. There’s simply nowhere for their placement. Examine these examples from recent excellent titles, showing diverse approaches: structural challenges in a particular game, the pulse-pounding block-matching of another game, engaging interpersonal challenges of a third title. What category would fit them within current classifications? Simply put, no category fits.
The Representation Problem
There are dozens of brilliant puzzle games published annually without proper recognition during gaming ceremonies, except when they manage to fit award groups including Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, or the intensely contested small studio competitions.
- A renowned logic title received no recognition in any category during that awards season
- A different innovative game received no nominations in 2019
- Popular arranging title was overlooked recently
- Only a few logic titles scraped into independent or mobile categories
Importance of Logic Titles
These are often compact experiences, yet the craft of the puzzle game is of massive significance. Famous handheld logic titles count as the most-played games in the world maintaining this status for many years.
The legendary block-stacking game competes with well-known building titles competing to become most purchased experience; it also contends as greatest title ever. Puzzle games are foundational to the art of video games, and they are in conversation across multiple categories.
Proposal and Rationale
Logic titles wouldn't face that issue. It would be easy to populate multiple candidates with fascinating, diverse, deserving games every year with ease — or rather, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave so many good games out.
To emphasize again, these are games lacking appropriate categories during prominent ceremonies. Logic title developers operate at the challenging frontier interactive creation, developing some of the purest expressions of gaming itself. Similar to film action specialists, they merit acknowledgment. Don't make them wait generations.
