As any prominent honors show approaches, there’s always a clamor to include additional classifications to recognize overlooked contributions and delight the hearts of followers dedicated to specific genres.
A fellow writer has already made for a horror game category. That would rule. The same goes for tabletop games, this being a passionate advocate's mission. Yet I need to apologize in advance if I try to elbow in front just as with other single-minded supporters, I have a cast-iron argument for why my demand is the most urgent and important of all. The demand is this: It's essential to create an award type for logic-based games.
Categorizing Game Types
Organizing artistic expressions is not a science; it’s very subjective, and it will always start arguments concluding with vague boundaries. There’s a reason movie academies don’t do it. However, it represents an unavoidable compromise within the realm of interactive entertainment, that demonstrate such variety they barely qualify as a single art form.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of gaming accomplishments to gain proper attention, and to ensure all game types to receive proper recognition, genre categories are essential.
Present Award Structure
The major gaming awards currently feature genre categories for Action, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Together, these classifications effectively encompass a lot of ground, allowing placement for most games within them.
Different situation exists for logic-based experiences. No suitable classification appears to put them. Consider three of outstanding current releases, each quite distinct: structural challenges of one title, the pulse-pounding block-matching of another game, thought-provoking social scenarios in another game. Which classification works between these six categories? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Acknowledgment Issues
There are dozens of brilliant puzzle games launched regularly without proper recognition at major award shows, except when they manage to fit classification types such as Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, or the intensely contested small studio competitions.
- A renowned logic title got overlooked completely during that awards season
- Another imaginative release missed out that year
- A beloved organization game received no acknowledgment that year
- Limited numbers of logic titles scraped into niche award types
Importance of Logic Titles
Frequently they represent small games, however the design in brain-teasers is of massive significance. Famous handheld logic titles count as the most-played games globally and have been for over a decade.
The famous puzzle experience rivals famous sandbox experiences claiming status as best-selling game of all time; it’s also in the running for top gaming experience. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks for gaming as medium, and engaging with diverse game types.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Puzzle games wouldn’t have this problem. You could fill multiple candidates with fascinating, diverse, deserving games annually without trouble — perhaps, with difficulty, given the need to exclude so many good games out.
Restating the point, these represent titles lacking appropriate categories at major gaming awards. Logic title developers operate at the challenging frontier of video game design, developing some of most fundamental forms within interactive entertainment. Comparable to cinema stunt performers, they merit acknowledgment. Don't make them wait 35 years.
