The Iconic Puzzle Game Wouldn't Win at The Game Awards — Another Award Type Might Solve This
As any significant honors show draws close, there’s always a demand for the addition of new categories to recognize overlooked contributions and fill the spirits of enthusiasts with niche passions.
A fellow writer previously argued for a horror game category. That would be fantastic. So would tabletop games, which is someone's personal cause. But they will have to forgive me when I prioritize since similar to blinkered fanatics, I possess a compelling case supporting my request stands as crucial above others. The demand is this: There should be an award type for logic-based games.
Categorizing Game Types
Organizing artistic expressions defies precise measurement; it’s very subjective, and inevitably generate discussions and end in fuzzy definitions. There’s a reason film award organizations steer clear of genre categories. Yet it remains an essential concession in the world of interactive entertainment, that demonstrate such variety they hardly constitute as a single art form.
To recognize the complete range of achievement in video games to be recognized, and for games of all stripes to receive proper recognition, genre categories are essential.
Present Award Structure
Prominent interactive entertainment events offer these classifications covering Action, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Collectively, these six categories actually cover a lot of ground, allowing placement for most games within them.
This doesn't apply to puzzle games. There’s simply nowhere to put them. Consider three of outstanding current releases, each quite distinct: structural challenges of one title, the pulse-pounding block-matching of another game, thought-provoking social scenarios from additional release. Where could they possibly go between these six categories? Simply put, no category fits.
Acknowledgment Issues
Many instances occur outstanding logic titles released every year that have no home in entertainment awards, unless they happen to qualify classification types such as Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, or the extremely competitive independent game categories.
- An iconic brain-teaser got overlooked in any category during that awards season
- Another imaginative release received no nominations in 2019
- Well-received sorting experience was overlooked that year
- Only a few logic titles scraped into niche award types
Importance of Logic Titles
Frequently they represent modest productions, but the art in brain-teasers carries substantial weight. Well-known matching games rank among most engaged experiences worldwide maintaining this status for an extended period.
The legendary block-stacking game challenges famous sandbox experiences competing to become most purchased experience; it also contends for best game of all time. Puzzle games are foundational for gaming as medium, and they are in conversation with almost every other genre.
Proposal and Rationale
Puzzle games wouldn’t have that issue. You could fill a field of five interesting, varied, worthy titles each ceremony simply — actually, with challenge, because you’d have to leave numerous deserving experiences.
Restating the point, these include experiences without proper classification during prominent ceremonies. Logic title developers are working at the demanding boundary interactive creation, producing among the purest expressions of the video game form. Similar to film action specialists, they warrant appreciation. We shouldn't delay decades.