As any major honors show draws close, you'll find a clamor for the addition additional classifications to recognize underappreciated efforts and satisfy the spirits of fans dedicated to specific genres.
My colleague previously argued supporting a scary games classification. That would rule. So would tabletop games, which is a passionate advocate's mission. But they will have to forgive me for pushing forward just as with other single-minded supporters, there's a strong justification backing this proposal remains most pressing and significant. The demand is this: We need a classification for brain-teasing titles.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Classifying creative works defies precise measurement; it remains highly personal, and typically start arguments concluding with vague boundaries. There’s a reason film award organizations don’t do it. Yet it remains an essential concession for the industry of video games, showing incredible range it's challenging to consider them one unified medium.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of interactive entertainment excellence to gain proper attention, and to ensure all game types to have a chance for representation, specific award classifications remain vital.
Existing Game Classification System
Prominent interactive entertainment events presently include award types recognizing Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Together, these classifications actually cover many game types, and you can find room for numerous titles.
This doesn't apply to puzzle games. No appropriate category exists to accommodate them. Think about these recent excellent titles, showing diverse approaches: structural challenges of one title, the pulse-pounding block-matching from another release, thought-provoking social scenarios in another game. Where could they possibly go within current classifications? Unfortunately, nowhere.
The Representation Problem
Many instances occur outstanding logic titles launched regularly lacking appropriate categories at major award shows, except when they manage to fit for categories like Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the intensely contested Indie races.
- A renowned logic title received no recognition in any category in 2014
- A different innovative game missed out in 2019
- Well-received sorting experience was overlooked in 2021
- Only a few logic titles barely qualified for niche award types
Value of Brain-Teasers
Commonly they're small games, however the design of the puzzle game holds tremendous importance. Well-known matching games count as most engaged experiences globally maintaining this status for over a decade.
The legendary block-stacking game rivals famous sandbox experiences competing to become highest-selling title ever; it additionally competes for best game of all time. Logic titles represent cornerstones to the art of video games, and engaging with almost every other genre.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Logic titles wouldn't face that issue. One could readily select a field of five with fascinating, diverse, deserving games every year with ease — or rather, with difficulty, given the need to exclude many worthy titles.
To emphasize again, these are games that otherwise have no home during prominent ceremonies. Brain-teaser creators function at the demanding boundary interactive creation, producing among essential manifestations within interactive entertainment. Comparable to cinema stunt performers, they merit acknowledgment. Don't make them wait generations.
