Whenever a significant honors show approaches, there’s always a clamor to include fresh award types to acknowledge underappreciated efforts and delight the passions of followers dedicated to specific genres.
Another commentator made the case supporting a scary games classification. It would be amazing. So would tabletop games, which is a passionate advocate's mission. Yet I need to apologize in advance for pushing forward since similar to blinkered fanatics, I have a cast-iron argument supporting my request is the most urgent above others. The demand is this: We need a classification for brain-teasing titles.
Categorizing Game Types
Organizing artistic expressions is not a science; it’s very subjective, and it will always start arguments and end in fuzzy definitions. It's understandable that cinema institutions steer clear of genre categories. But it is a necessary evil for the industry of interactive entertainment, which are so diverse it's challenging to consider them one unified medium.
For the full spectrum of interactive entertainment excellence to gain proper attention, while allowing diverse titles to compete fairly, genre categories are essential.
Existing Game Classification System
The major gaming awards currently feature genre categories for Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Collectively, these classifications actually cover many game types, making space possible accommodating various experiences.
This doesn't apply to logic-based experiences. No appropriate category exists for their placement. Consider three of this year’s best games, each quite distinct: the architectural riddles in a particular game, intense tile-matching from another release, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles from additional release. Where could they possibly go among existing types? Nowhere, that’s where.
The Representation Problem
There are dozens outstanding logic titles launched regularly lacking appropriate categories in entertainment awards, unless they happen to qualify for categories like Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging Indie races.
- A renowned logic title got overlooked for anything during that awards season
- Another imaginative release was excluded during that ceremony
- A beloved organization game got ignored recently
- Just some brain-teasers scraped into niche award types
Value of Brain-Teasers
These are often compact experiences, but the art of the puzzle game is of massive significance. Iconic mobile puzzle games rank among most engaged experiences worldwide and have been for many years.
The legendary block-stacking game rivals well-known building titles for the title of best-selling game of all time; it additionally competes for best game of all time. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks within interactive entertainment, and they are in conversation with almost every other genre.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter that issue. It would be easy to populate multiple candidates engaging, different, qualified experiences every year with ease — or rather, with difficulty, given the need to exclude numerous deserving experiences.
And to reiterate, these are games that otherwise have no home in important events. Brain-teaser creators operate at the demanding boundary of video game design, producing among most fundamental forms within interactive entertainment. Just like cinema stunt performers, they warrant appreciation. Don't make them wait 35 years.
