As any prominent prize-giving event approaches, there’s always an outcry for the addition additional classifications to acknowledge overlooked contributions and satisfy the spirits of fans with niche passions.
Another commentator has already made supporting a scary games classification. It would be amazing. The same goes for board games, which is a dedicated supporter's campaign. But they will have to forgive me if I try to elbow in front just as with other dedicated enthusiasts, there's a strong justification backing this proposal remains most pressing and significant. Here's the proposal: We need a classification for brain-teasing titles.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Classifying creative works isn't exact; opinions vary greatly, and it will always start arguments and end in fuzzy definitions. There’s a reason film award organizations don’t do it. Yet it remains an essential concession for the industry of gaming, showing incredible range they barely qualify one unified medium.
To recognize the complete range of achievement in video games to be recognized, while allowing diverse titles to compete fairly, classification by type becomes crucial.
Present Award Structure
The major gaming awards currently feature classifications covering Action, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Collectively, these award types successfully include a lot of ground, making space possible accommodating various experiences.
This doesn't apply to puzzle games. There’s simply nowhere for their placement. Think about these this year’s best games, showing diverse approaches: the architectural riddles in a particular game, fast-paced pattern recognition of another game, engaging interpersonal challenges in another game. Which classification works between these six categories? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Recognition Challenges
Many instances occur excellent brain-teasers released every year without proper recognition in entertainment awards, except when they manage to fit award groups including Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, or the extremely competitive independent game categories.
- A renowned logic title got overlooked for anything in 2014
- A different innovative game was excluded that year
- A beloved organization game was overlooked that year
- Only a few brain-teasers barely qualified for niche award types
Value of Brain-Teasers
These are often modest productions, but the art behind logic titles holds tremendous importance. Iconic mobile puzzle games count as the most-played games worldwide continuing this trend for over a decade.
The legendary block-stacking game competes with popular creative games claiming status as highest-selling title ever; it’s also in the running as greatest title ever. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks to the art of video games, while interacting with almost every other genre.
Proposal and Rationale
Puzzle games wouldn’t have this problem. It would be easy to populate five nominees interesting, varied, worthy titles each ceremony simply — perhaps, with difficulty, given the need to exclude so many good games out.
To emphasize again, these are games that otherwise have no home in important events. Puzzle game makers are working at the hard edge interactive creation, producing among essential manifestations within interactive entertainment. Similar to movie stunt professionals, they deserve recognition. We shouldn't delay 35 years.
