Each time a major honors show draws close, one notices a clamor for introducing of new categories to acknowledge underappreciated efforts and delight the hearts of enthusiasts dedicated to specific genres.
A fellow writer has already made for a horror game category. It would be amazing. The same goes for board games, representing a passionate advocate's mission. However, I must insist when I prioritize since similar to dedicated enthusiasts, I possess a compelling case supporting my request 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
Categorizing art by genre is not a science; it remains highly personal, and inevitably spark debates resulting in unclear classifications. This explains why film award organizations avoid this approach. Yet it remains an essential concession in the world of video games, that demonstrate such variety it's challenging to consider them a single creative category.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of achievement in video games to receive acknowledgment, and for games of all stripes to have a chance for representation, specific award classifications remain vital.
Current Gaming Award Categories
The major gaming awards offer these classifications covering Action, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Together, these six categories effectively encompass many game types, and you can find room accommodating various experiences.
This doesn't apply to puzzle games. No appropriate category exists for their placement. Examine these examples from outstanding current releases, showing diverse approaches: the architectural riddles of one title, the pulse-pounding block-matching from another release, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles of a third title. Where could they possibly go within current classifications? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Recognition Challenges
Numerous examples exist outstanding logic titles released every year lacking appropriate categories during gaming ceremonies, if they accidentally match for categories like Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, or the intensely contested Indie races.
- A renowned logic title got overlooked completely that year
- Another creative title received no nominations in 2019
- A beloved organization game got ignored in 2021
- Limited numbers of logic titles scraped into small studio or handheld classifications
Value of Brain-Teasers
Commonly they're small games, however the design in brain-teasers is of massive significance. Famous handheld logic titles rank among the most-played games in the world maintaining this status for an extended period.
The legendary block-stacking game rivals famous sandbox experiences claiming status as best-selling game of all time; it additionally competes for best game of all time. Logic titles represent cornerstones to the art of video games, and engaging across multiple categories.
The Solution and Justification
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter this problem. It would be easy to populate a field of five interesting, varied, worthy titles every year with ease — or rather, with difficulty, given the need to exclude so many good games out.
And to reiterate, these are games that otherwise have no home in important events. Brain-teaser creators are working at the hard edge game development, developing some of the purest expressions of the video game form. Comparable to cinema stunt performers, they deserve recognition. We shouldn't delay generations.
