As any major awards ceremony nears, there’s always a demand for introducing of new categories to honor unsung work and satisfy the passions of followers dedicated to specific genres.
My colleague made the case supporting a scary games classification. That would rule. Equally deserving are board games, representing a dedicated supporter's campaign. However, I must insist if I try to elbow in front because like all dedicated enthusiasts, there's a strong justification backing this proposal is the most urgent and important of all. Here's the proposal: There should be a classification for brain-teasing titles.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Classifying creative works is not a science; opinions vary greatly, and typically start arguments concluding with vague boundaries. There’s a reason cinema institutions don’t do it. But it is an unavoidable compromise in the world of video games, which are so diverse it's challenging to consider them one unified medium.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of gaming accomplishments to receive acknowledgment, and to ensure all game types to compete fairly, genre categories are essential.
Present Award Structure
Prominent interactive entertainment events presently include genre categories for Action, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Between them, these award types effectively encompass many game types, allowing placement accommodating various experiences.
Different situation exists for brain-teasing titles. There’s simply nowhere to accommodate them. Consider three of outstanding current releases, showing diverse approaches: the architectural riddles from a specific release, the pulse-pounding block-matching in a different title, thought-provoking social scenarios from additional release. Where could they possibly go between these six categories? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Acknowledgment Issues
There are dozens excellent brain-teasers launched regularly that have no home in entertainment awards, except when they manage to fit award groups including Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, or the intensely contested small studio competitions.
- A renowned logic title got overlooked for anything that year
- A different innovative game was excluded that year
- Well-received sorting experience received no acknowledgment in 2021
- Limited numbers of puzzle games scraped into small studio or handheld classifications
Importance of Logic Titles
These are often modest productions, yet the craft of the puzzle game carries substantial weight. Iconic mobile puzzle games stand as most popular titles globally and have been for over a decade.
The legendary block-stacking game challenges popular creative games claiming status as best-selling game of all time; it additionally competes for top gaming experience. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks within interactive entertainment, while interacting with diverse game types.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter this problem. You could fill multiple candidates engaging, different, qualified experiences each ceremony simply — or rather, with difficulty, given the need to exclude so many good games out.
And to reiterate, these include experiences without proper classification during prominent ceremonies. Logic title developers are working at the challenging frontier game development, creating some of the purest expressions within interactive entertainment. Just like cinema stunt performers, they warrant appreciation. We shouldn't delay 35 years.
