As any major honors show draws close, you'll find a clamor for the addition fresh award types to acknowledge unsung work and fill the spirits of followers dedicated to specific genres.
Another commentator made the case supporting a scary games classification. That would rule. So would tabletop games, this being someone's personal cause. But they will have to forgive me if I try to elbow in front because like all dedicated enthusiasts, I have a cast-iron argument for why my demand remains most pressing and important of all. This is the request: We need a classification for brain-teasing titles.
Categorizing Game Types
Categorizing art by genre is not a science; it’s very subjective, and inevitably generate discussions resulting in unclear classifications. This explains why film award organizations don’t do it. But it is an unavoidable compromise in the world of interactive entertainment, which are so diverse they barely qualify as a single art form.
To recognize the complete range of interactive entertainment excellence to receive acknowledgment, and to ensure all game types to receive proper recognition, specific award classifications remain vital.
Present Award Structure
Leading game ceremonies offer these genre categories for Action, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these six categories successfully include many game types, making space possible for numerous titles.
Different situation exists for logic-based experiences. No suitable classification appears for their placement. Examine these examples from this year’s best games, each quite distinct: the architectural riddles in a particular game, the pulse-pounding block-matching from another release, engaging interpersonal challenges from additional release. Which classification works between these six categories? Nowhere, that’s where.
Recognition Challenges
Many instances occur excellent brain-teasers released every year without proper recognition during gaming ceremonies, except when they manage to fit classification types such as Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, or the intensely contested small studio competitions.
- One classic puzzle game received no recognition in any category in 2014
- Another creative title missed out during that ceremony
- Well-received sorting experience got ignored that year
- Limited numbers of brain-teasers scraped into small studio or handheld classifications
Value of Brain-Teasers
Frequently they represent modest productions, yet the craft behind logic titles carries substantial weight. Famous handheld logic titles count as most engaged experiences globally continuing this trend for over a decade.
The iconic tile-matching title rivals famous sandbox experiences claiming status as highest-selling title ever; it additionally competes for best game of all time. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks for gaming as medium, and they are in conversation with almost every other genre.
The Solution and Justification
Puzzle games wouldn’t have that issue. You could fill a field of five engaging, different, qualified experiences annually without trouble — perhaps, with difficulty, given the need to exclude many worthy titles.
To emphasize again, these include experiences lacking appropriate categories in important events. Puzzle game makers are working at the challenging frontier of video game design, creating some of most fundamental forms of the video game form. Comparable to movie stunt professionals, they merit acknowledgment. We shouldn't delay generations.
