As any significant prize-giving event approaches, there’s always a demand for the addition fresh award types to recognize overlooked contributions and delight the hearts of followers who have specialized interests.
A fellow writer has already made supporting a scary games classification. That would be fantastic. So would tabletop games, this being a passionate advocate's mission. Yet I need to apologize in advance for pushing forward just as with other single-minded supporters, I possess a compelling case supporting my request remains most pressing and important of all. Here's the proposal: We need a classification for brain-teasing titles.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Classifying creative works isn't exact; it’s very subjective, and it will always generate discussions resulting in unclear classifications. This explains why film award organizations don’t do it. However, it represents an essential concession for the industry of video games, that demonstrate such variety they barely qualify a single creative category.
For the full spectrum of interactive entertainment excellence to gain proper attention, and to ensure all game types to compete fairly, genre categories are essential.
Present Award Structure
Prominent interactive entertainment events presently include classifications covering Action, Adventure-action titles, RPG experiences, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these award types actually cover many game types, making space possible for numerous titles.
Not so for brain-teasing titles. There’s simply nowhere to accommodate them. Consider three of this year’s best games, each quite distinct: building puzzles in a particular game, the pulse-pounding block-matching of another game, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles of a third title. Where could they possibly go among existing types? Nowhere, that’s where.
Recognition Challenges
Many instances occur excellent brain-teasers released every year without proper recognition at major award shows, except when they manage to fit for categories like Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, or the intensely contested Indie races.
- One classic puzzle game received no recognition in any category in 2014
- Another creative title missed out during that ceremony
- A beloved organization game was overlooked recently
- Limited numbers of puzzle games scraped into niche award types
Significance of Puzzle Games
These are often modest productions, however the design behind logic titles is of massive significance. Iconic mobile puzzle games stand as most popular titles globally continuing this trend for over a decade.
The legendary block-stacking game challenges well-known building titles for the title of highest-selling title ever; it additionally competes as greatest title ever. Logic titles represent cornerstones within interactive entertainment, and they are in conversation across multiple categories.
The Solution and Justification
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter this problem. One could readily select multiple candidates engaging, different, qualified experiences every year with ease — or rather, with difficulty, given the need to exclude numerous deserving experiences.
And to reiterate, these include experiences that otherwise have no home during prominent ceremonies. Puzzle game makers are working at the hard edge interactive creation, producing among the purest expressions of the video game form. Similar to film action specialists, they merit acknowledgment. We shouldn't delay 35 years.
