Each time a significant awards ceremony approaches, you'll find an outcry to include additional classifications to recognize unsung work and delight the hearts of enthusiasts who have specialized interests.
My colleague previously argued for a horror game category. It would be amazing. The same goes for tabletop games, which is a passionate advocate's mission. However, I must insist if I try to elbow in front since similar to dedicated enthusiasts, I have a cast-iron argument backing this proposal remains most pressing above others. The demand is this: There should be an award type for logic-based games.
Categorizing Game Types
Categorizing art by genre defies precise measurement; it remains highly personal, and typically spark debates and end in fuzzy definitions. This explains why film award organizations steer clear of genre categories. Yet it remains a necessary evil within the realm of interactive entertainment, which are so diverse they barely qualify as a single art form.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of interactive entertainment excellence to receive acknowledgment, while allowing diverse titles to have a chance for representation, genre categories are essential.
Present Award Structure
The major gaming awards currently feature award types recognizing Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Together, these award types actually cover numerous genres, making space possible for most games within them.
Not so for logic-based experiences. There’s simply nowhere to put them. Examine these examples from this year’s best games, showing diverse approaches: structural challenges from a specific release, intense tile-matching from another release, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles in another game. What category would fit them between these six categories? Unfortunately, nowhere.
The Representation Problem
There are dozens outstanding logic titles published annually that have no home during gaming ceremonies, if they accidentally match for categories like Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging independent game categories.
- One classic puzzle game wasn’t nominated in any category in 2014
- Another creative title received no nominations in 2019
- A beloved organization game was overlooked in 2021
- Limited numbers of logic titles barely qualified for niche award types
Value of Brain-Teasers
Commonly they're small games, yet the craft in brain-teasers is of massive significance. Iconic mobile puzzle games count as the most-played games worldwide and have been for over a decade.
The iconic tile-matching title rivals well-known building titles 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 with almost every other genre.
Proposal and Rationale
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter that issue. You could fill a field of five engaging, different, qualified experiences annually without trouble — or rather, with difficulty, given the need to exclude so many good games out.
Restating the point, these include experiences without proper classification at major gaming awards. Puzzle game makers function at the hard edge interactive creation, creating some of essential manifestations of gaming itself. Similar to movie stunt professionals, they deserve recognition. Don't make them wait 35 years.
