As any major prize-giving event nears, one notices an outcry for the addition additional classifications to honor overlooked contributions and satisfy the passions of followers who have specialized interests.
A fellow writer previously argued supporting a scary games classification. That would be fantastic. So would tabletop games, representing a passionate advocate's mission. But they will have to forgive me for pushing forward since similar to single-minded supporters, I possess a compelling case supporting my request is the most urgent and significant. This is the request: There should be a classification for brain-teasing titles.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Organizing artistic expressions is not a science; it remains highly personal, and it will always spark debates resulting in unclear classifications. There’s a reason film award organizations don’t do it. But it is an unavoidable compromise within the realm of interactive entertainment, which are so diverse they barely qualify a single creative category.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of interactive entertainment excellence to gain proper attention, and for games of all stripes to compete fairly, genre categories are essential.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Leading game ceremonies presently include genre categories for Action, Adventure-action titles, RPG experiences, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these classifications successfully include a lot of ground, and you can find room for numerous titles.
Different situation exists for brain-teasing titles. No appropriate category exists for their placement. Examine these examples from recent excellent titles, showing diverse approaches: building puzzles of one title, intense tile-matching of another game, thought-provoking social scenarios from additional release. What category would fit them among existing types? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Recognition Challenges
There are dozens outstanding logic titles released every year without proper recognition at major award shows, if they accidentally match award groups including Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, or the extremely competitive independent game categories.
- One classic puzzle game received no recognition in any category during that awards season
- Another imaginative release was excluded that year
- Popular arranging title was overlooked in 2021
- Only a few puzzle games managed to sneak into niche award types
Importance of Logic Titles
Frequently they represent small games, but the art in brain-teasers holds tremendous importance. Well-known matching games count as the most-played games in the world maintaining this status for many years.
The famous puzzle experience rivals well-known building titles for the title of best-selling game of all time; it additionally competes for best game of all time. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks for gaming as medium, and they are in conversation across multiple categories.
The Solution and Justification
Puzzle games wouldn’t have such difficulty. It would be easy to populate multiple candidates interesting, varied, worthy titles annually without trouble — perhaps, with difficulty, given the need to exclude many worthy titles.
Restating the point, these are games that otherwise have no home at major gaming awards. Brain-teaser creators are working at the challenging frontier of video game design, developing some of most fundamental forms of gaming itself. Comparable to cinema stunt performers, they warrant appreciation. We shouldn't delay generations.
