Each time a major honors show draws close, you'll find a demand for introducing of new categories to acknowledge underappreciated efforts and fill the spirits of fans who have specialized interests.
My colleague previously argued for a horror game category. That would be fantastic. So would board games, which is a passionate advocate's mission. However, I must insist when I prioritize because like all dedicated enthusiasts, I have a cast-iron argument supporting my request is the most urgent above others. This is the request: It's essential to create a classification for brain-teasing titles.
Categorizing Game Types
Categorizing art by genre defies precise measurement; it’s very subjective, and inevitably start arguments and end in fuzzy definitions. It's understandable that movie academies steer clear of genre categories. Yet it remains a necessary evil in the world of interactive entertainment, showing incredible range 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 receive proper recognition, specific award classifications remain vital.
Existing Game Classification System
Prominent interactive entertainment events currently feature genre categories for Action, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these classifications successfully include a lot of ground, allowing placement accommodating various experiences.
Different situation exists for brain-teasing titles. There’s simply nowhere for their placement. Consider three of outstanding current releases, each quite distinct: structural challenges in a particular game, intense tile-matching of another game, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles of a third title. What category would fit them between these six categories? Unfortunately, nowhere.
The Representation Problem
Many instances occur excellent brain-teasers launched regularly without proper recognition at major award shows, if they accidentally match award groups including Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, or the intensely contested Indie races.
- An iconic brain-teaser wasn’t nominated for anything in 2014
- Another creative title was excluded that year
- Well-received sorting experience received no acknowledgment that year
- Just some puzzle games managed to sneak into niche award types
Value of Brain-Teasers
Commonly they're modest productions, but the art of the puzzle game carries substantial weight. Well-known matching games count as most engaged experiences globally and have been for over a decade.
The legendary block-stacking game competes with famous sandbox experiences competing to become most purchased experience; it additionally competes for best game of all time. Logic titles represent cornerstones to the art of video games, and engaging with almost every other genre.
Proposal and Rationale
Logic titles wouldn't face that issue. One could readily select a field of five interesting, varied, worthy titles each ceremony simply — or rather, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave so many good games out.
And to reiterate, these represent titles that otherwise have no home in important events. Brain-teaser creators are working at the hard edge interactive creation, creating some of essential manifestations within interactive entertainment. Similar to cinema stunt performers, they merit acknowledgment. Don't make them wait generations.
