Each time a significant awards ceremony draws close, one notices an outcry to include of new categories to recognize overlooked contributions and fill the spirits of enthusiasts who have specialized interests.
My colleague made the case for a horror game category. That would rule. The same goes for board games, which is a passionate advocate's mission. But they will have to forgive me if I try to elbow in front because like all blinkered fanatics, there's a strong justification backing this proposal is the most urgent above others. Here's the proposal: There should be an award type for logic-based games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Organizing artistic expressions defies precise measurement; it’s very subjective, and inevitably generate discussions resulting in unclear classifications. It's understandable that film award organizations steer clear of genre categories. However, it represents an unavoidable compromise within the realm of video games, which are so diverse it's challenging to consider them as a single art form.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of achievement in video games to receive acknowledgment, and for games of all stripes to receive proper recognition, classification by type becomes crucial.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Leading game ceremonies offer these genre categories for Action, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these six categories successfully include many game types, allowing placement for most games within them.
Not so for brain-teasing titles. No appropriate category exists to accommodate them. Think about these outstanding current releases, all very different: structural challenges of one title, intense tile-matching of another game, engaging interpersonal challenges from additional release. What category would fit them between these six categories? Unfortunately, nowhere.
The Representation Problem
There are dozens excellent brain-teasers published annually lacking appropriate categories during gaming ceremonies, if they accidentally match award groups including Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, or the extremely competitive small studio competitions.
- An iconic brain-teaser received no recognition in any category in 2014
- A different innovative game received no nominations during that ceremony
- Well-received sorting experience got ignored in 2021
- Just some logic titles managed to sneak into independent or mobile categories
Value of Brain-Teasers
These are often small games, however the design in brain-teasers holds tremendous importance. Well-known matching games count as the most-played games in the world continuing this trend for over a decade.
The legendary block-stacking game rivals well-known building titles for the title of highest-selling title ever; it’s also in the running for top gaming experience. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks to the art of video games, and engaging with almost every other genre.
Proposal and Rationale
Puzzle games wouldn’t have this problem. It would be easy to populate a field of five interesting, varied, worthy titles annually without trouble — perhaps, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave many worthy titles.
And to reiterate, these represent titles that otherwise have no home at major gaming awards. Brain-teaser creators function at the demanding boundary interactive creation, developing some of the purest expressions within interactive entertainment. Comparable to cinema stunt performers, they warrant appreciation. Don't make them wait generations.
