As any major awards ceremony approaches, there’s always a demand to include fresh award types to recognize underappreciated efforts and delight the passions of fans with niche passions.
A fellow writer made the case advocating for terror-themed awards. That would be fantastic. The same goes for board games, representing a passionate advocate's mission. But they will have to forgive me when I prioritize because like all single-minded supporters, I possess a compelling case for why my demand stands as crucial and significant. The demand is this: There should be an award type for logic-based games.
Categorizing Game Types
Organizing artistic expressions isn't exact; it’s very subjective, and typically start arguments and end in fuzzy definitions. This explains why movie academies avoid this approach. But it is an unavoidable compromise within the realm of video games, which are so diverse they barely qualify as a single art form.
For the full spectrum of gaming accomplishments to receive acknowledgment, and to ensure all game types to compete fairly, genre categories are essential.
Current Gaming Award Categories
The major gaming awards currently feature classifications covering Action, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Between them, these six categories successfully include many game types, allowing placement accommodating various experiences.
Not so for logic-based experiences. No appropriate category exists to accommodate them. Examine these examples from outstanding current releases, all very different: building puzzles of one title, the pulse-pounding block-matching of another game, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles from additional release. What category would fit them among existing types? Unfortunately, nowhere.
The Representation Problem
There are dozens excellent brain-teasers released every year without proper recognition at major award shows, unless they happen to qualify classification types such as Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging Indie races.
- One classic puzzle game received no recognition completely in 2014
- A different innovative game missed out during that ceremony
- Well-received sorting experience received no acknowledgment in 2021
- Limited numbers of logic titles managed to sneak into small studio or handheld classifications
Significance of Puzzle Games
These are often compact experiences, but the art behind logic titles carries substantial weight. Iconic mobile puzzle games stand as most popular titles globally continuing this trend for an extended period.
The legendary block-stacking game competes with well-known building titles competing to become best-selling game of all time; it’s also in the running as greatest title ever. Puzzle games are foundational within interactive entertainment, and engaging across multiple categories.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter such difficulty. You could fill a field of five interesting, varied, worthy titles every year with ease — or rather, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave numerous deserving experiences.
And to reiterate, these represent titles that otherwise have no home in important events. Logic title developers operate at the challenging frontier interactive creation, developing some of essential manifestations within interactive entertainment. Similar to cinema stunt performers, they warrant appreciation. Let’s not keep them waiting 35 years.
