As any major awards ceremony draws close, there’s always an outcry for introducing of new categories to honor overlooked contributions and delight the passions of followers dedicated to specific genres.
My colleague previously argued for a horror game category. That would be fantastic. So would board games, which is someone's personal cause. However, I must insist when I prioritize because like all blinkered fanatics, I possess a compelling case supporting my request is the most urgent and important of all. Here's the proposal: There should be an award type for logic-based games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Classifying creative works isn't exact; opinions vary greatly, and typically generate discussions resulting in unclear classifications. There’s a reason movie academies avoid this approach. However, it represents an unavoidable compromise for the industry of gaming, that demonstrate such variety they barely qualify one unified medium.
To recognize the complete range of interactive entertainment excellence to receive acknowledgment, and for games of all stripes to compete fairly, specific award classifications remain vital.
Present Award Structure
Prominent interactive entertainment events offer these genre categories for Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Together, these six categories actually cover many game types, allowing placement for most games within them.
Different situation exists for logic-based experiences. There’s simply nowhere to put them. Think about these recent excellent titles, all very different: structural challenges from a specific release, the pulse-pounding block-matching from another release, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles of a third title. What category would fit them between these six categories? Nowhere, that’s where.
The Representation Problem
Numerous examples exist of brilliant puzzle games published annually that have no home during gaming ceremonies, if they accidentally match award groups including Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, and the highly challenging Indie races.
- A renowned logic title got overlooked in any category in 2014
- Another creative title missed out in 2019
- Popular arranging title was overlooked in 2021
- Limited numbers of logic titles managed to sneak into independent or mobile categories
Importance of Logic Titles
Commonly they're modest productions, however the design in brain-teasers carries substantial weight. Iconic mobile puzzle games stand as the most-played games globally maintaining this status for an extended period.
The legendary block-stacking game competes with popular creative games claiming status as best-selling game of all time; it also contends as greatest title ever. Puzzle games are foundational for gaming as medium, while interacting across multiple categories.
The Solution and Justification
Logic titles wouldn't face this problem. You could fill a field of five with fascinating, diverse, deserving games annually without trouble — or rather, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave numerous deserving experiences.
To emphasize again, these are games that otherwise have no home at major gaming awards. Puzzle game makers are working at the challenging frontier interactive creation, creating some of most fundamental forms of gaming itself. Comparable to cinema stunt performers, they merit acknowledgment. Let’s not keep them waiting decades.
