Whenever a significant prize-giving event approaches, there’s always an outcry for the addition of new categories to acknowledge unsung work and satisfy the passions of followers dedicated to specific genres.
Another commentator has already made supporting a scary games classification. It would be amazing. So would strategy board titles, which is someone's personal cause. However, I must insist if I try to elbow in front because like all dedicated enthusiasts, there's a strong justification backing this proposal stands as crucial above others. The demand is this: We need an award type for logic-based games.
Organizing artistic expressions is not a science; it’s very subjective, and inevitably generate discussions and end in fuzzy definitions. It's understandable that film award organizations steer clear of genre categories. But it is an essential concession in the world of interactive entertainment, which are so diverse it's challenging to consider them one unified medium.
To recognize the complete range of gaming accomplishments to gain proper attention, and for games of all stripes to receive proper recognition, specific award classifications remain vital.
Leading game ceremonies offer these award types recognizing Action, Adventure-action titles, RPG experiences, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Between them, these six categories successfully include numerous genres, allowing placement for most games within them.
Not so for brain-teasing titles. There’s simply nowhere for their placement. Consider three of outstanding current releases, all very different: structural challenges of one title, fast-paced pattern recognition from another release, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles from additional release. Which classification works among existing types? Nowhere, that’s where.
There are dozens of brilliant puzzle games published annually without proper recognition in entertainment awards, except when they manage to fit award groups including Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, and the highly challenging Indie races.
Frequently they represent small games, yet the craft behind logic titles holds tremendous importance. Famous handheld logic titles stand as most engaged experiences in the world continuing this trend for many years.
The famous puzzle experience competes with popular creative games claiming status as highest-selling title ever; it also contends for top gaming experience. Puzzle games are foundational to the art of video games, and engaging with almost every other genre.
Puzzle games wouldn’t have this problem. You could fill five nominees with fascinating, diverse, deserving games each ceremony simply — or rather, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave many worthy titles.
And to reiterate, these include experiences that otherwise have no home at major gaming awards. Brain-teaser creators function at the challenging frontier of video game design, producing among essential manifestations of the video game form. Comparable to film action specialists, they warrant appreciation. We shouldn't delay generations.
Lena is een creatieve strateeg met een passie voor merkbouw en storytelling, gespecialiseerd in digitale transformatie.