Whenever a major honors show approaches, there’s always a clamor to include fresh award types to acknowledge overlooked contributions and fill the passions of fans who have specialized interests.
A fellow writer previously argued advocating for terror-themed awards. That would rule. So would board games, representing a passionate advocate's mission. Yet I need to apologize in advance when I prioritize just as with other blinkered fanatics, I have a cast-iron argument for why my demand remains most pressing and significant. Here's the proposal: There should be a classification for brain-teasing titles.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Classifying creative works isn't exact; opinions vary greatly, and it will always start arguments resulting in unclear classifications. There’s a reason cinema institutions steer clear of genre categories. However, it represents a necessary evil in the world of interactive entertainment, that demonstrate such variety they hardly constitute a single creative category.
For the full spectrum of interactive entertainment excellence to be recognized, and to ensure all game types to have a chance for representation, classification by type becomes crucial.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Prominent interactive entertainment events presently include genre categories for Action, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Together, these classifications effectively encompass many game types, making space possible for most games within them.
This doesn't apply to brain-teasing titles. No appropriate category exists for their placement. Consider three of this year’s best games, all very different: the architectural riddles from a specific release, intense tile-matching from another release, engaging interpersonal challenges of a third title. Which classification works within current classifications? Simply put, no category fits.
Acknowledgment Issues
Numerous examples exist outstanding logic titles published annually without proper recognition at major award shows, except when they manage to fit award groups including Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the extremely competitive Indie races.
- One classic puzzle game wasn’t nominated in any category that year
- A different innovative game received no nominations that year
- A beloved organization game received no acknowledgment in 2021
- Only a few puzzle games scraped into niche award types
Value of Brain-Teasers
These are often compact experiences, however the design of the puzzle game holds tremendous importance. Iconic mobile puzzle games count as most engaged experiences globally continuing this trend for over a decade.
The iconic tile-matching title competes with well-known building titles competing to become highest-selling title ever; it additionally competes as greatest title ever. Logic titles represent cornerstones to the art of video games, and engaging with diverse game types.
Proposal and Rationale
Logic titles wouldn't face such difficulty. One could readily select multiple candidates with fascinating, diverse, deserving games each ceremony simply — actually, with challenge, since numerous excellent so many good games out.
Restating the point, these are games that otherwise have no home at major gaming awards. Logic title developers operate at the demanding boundary of video game design, producing among most fundamental forms within interactive entertainment. Comparable to cinema stunt performers, they warrant appreciation. Let’s not keep them waiting decades.
