Whenever a major honors show nears, one notices a clamor for the addition additional classifications to recognize overlooked contributions and fill the hearts of enthusiasts who have specialized interests.
Another commentator has already made supporting a scary games classification. That would be fantastic. So would tabletop games, this being a passionate advocate's mission. But they will have to forgive me for pushing forward just as with other blinkered fanatics, I have a cast-iron argument for why my demand stands as crucial and important of all. The demand is this: 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 spark debates concluding with vague boundaries. It's understandable that film award organizations steer clear of genre categories. Yet it remains a necessary evil for the industry of gaming, which are so diverse they barely qualify one unified medium.
To recognize the complete range of gaming accomplishments to receive acknowledgment, while allowing diverse titles to receive proper recognition, classification by type becomes crucial.
Existing Game Classification System
Prominent interactive entertainment events presently include award types recognizing Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Together, these six categories actually cover numerous genres, making space possible for most games within them.
This doesn't apply to logic-based experiences. There’s simply nowhere to put them. Examine these examples from this year’s best games, showing diverse approaches: building puzzles from a specific release, intense tile-matching from another release, engaging interpersonal challenges in another game. Which classification works between these six categories? Simply put, no category fits.
Recognition Challenges
Many instances occur outstanding logic titles launched regularly that have no home in entertainment awards, unless they happen to qualify award groups including Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the intensely contested Indie races.
- A renowned logic title received no recognition completely during that awards season
- Another imaginative release missed out that year
- A beloved organization game got ignored recently
- Limited numbers of logic titles barely qualified for independent or mobile categories
Value of Brain-Teasers
Frequently they represent compact experiences, but the art of the puzzle game carries substantial weight. Iconic mobile puzzle games count as most engaged experiences globally continuing this trend for over a decade.
The iconic tile-matching title competes with popular creative games claiming status as highest-selling title ever; it’s also in the running for best game of all time. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks to the art of video games, and they are in conversation with diverse game types.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Logic titles wouldn't face that issue. It would be easy to populate a field of five with fascinating, diverse, deserving games every year with ease — perhaps, with difficulty, since numerous excellent numerous deserving experiences.
And to reiterate, these represent titles that otherwise have no home at major gaming awards. Logic title developers operate at the demanding boundary interactive creation, creating some of most fundamental forms of gaming itself. Similar to film action specialists, they warrant appreciation. We shouldn't delay 35 years.
