As any prominent honors show draws close, there’s always a demand for the addition fresh award types to acknowledge unsung work and delight the spirits of enthusiasts who have specialized interests.
My colleague previously argued advocating for terror-themed awards. That would be fantastic. Equally deserving are tabletop games, which is a passionate advocate's mission. But they will have to forgive me when I prioritize since similar to blinkered fanatics, there's a strong justification for why my demand stands as crucial above others. Here's the proposal: It's essential to create a classification for brain-teasing titles.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Categorizing art by genre is not a science; opinions vary greatly, and inevitably start arguments and end in fuzzy definitions. There’s a reason movie academies steer clear of genre categories. However, it represents an essential concession for the industry of interactive entertainment, showing incredible range they hardly constitute one unified medium.
For the full spectrum of interactive entertainment excellence to receive acknowledgment, and to ensure all game types to compete fairly, specific award classifications remain vital.
Present Award Structure
Leading game ceremonies currently feature genre categories for Action, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these award types effectively encompass many game types, making space possible for most games within them.
Not so for brain-teasing titles. There’s simply nowhere to accommodate them. Examine these examples from this year’s best games, all very different: the architectural riddles of one title, intense tile-matching in a different title, engaging interpersonal challenges of a third title. Which classification works between these six categories? Nowhere, that’s where.
Recognition Challenges
Numerous examples exist outstanding logic titles published annually lacking appropriate categories in entertainment awards, unless they happen to qualify for categories like Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, or the extremely competitive Indie races.
- A renowned logic title wasn’t nominated completely during that awards season
- Another creative title missed out that year
- A beloved organization game received no acknowledgment in 2021
- Just some brain-teasers barely qualified for independent or mobile categories
Value of Brain-Teasers
Commonly they're small games, however the design in brain-teasers carries substantial weight. Well-known matching games stand as the most-played games worldwide maintaining this status for over a decade.
The famous puzzle experience rivals famous sandbox experiences claiming status as most purchased experience; it also contends for top gaming experience. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks within interactive entertainment, and engaging with almost every other genre.
The Solution and Justification
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter such difficulty. One could readily select multiple candidates with fascinating, diverse, deserving games annually without trouble — actually, with challenge, because you’d have to leave many worthy titles.
And to reiterate, these include experiences without proper classification in important events. Logic title developers are working at the hard edge game development, producing among most fundamental forms of gaming itself. Just like movie stunt professionals, they merit acknowledgment. Let’s not keep them waiting 35 years.
