Each time a significant prize-giving event nears, there’s always an outcry for the addition fresh award types to honor overlooked contributions and fill the hearts of fans who have specialized interests.
A fellow writer has already made for a horror game category. It would be amazing. So would board games, this being a dedicated supporter's campaign. However, I must insist if I try to elbow in front because like all dedicated enthusiasts, I have a cast-iron argument backing this proposal remains most pressing above others. Here's the proposal: We need a classification for brain-teasing titles.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Categorizing art by genre isn't exact; opinions vary greatly, and typically start arguments and end in fuzzy definitions. There’s a reason movie academies avoid this approach. Yet it remains a necessary evil within the realm of video games, that demonstrate such variety they barely qualify a single creative category.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of achievement in video games to be recognized, and to ensure all game types to have a chance for representation, genre categories are essential.
Existing Game Classification System
Prominent interactive entertainment events offer these genre categories for Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Together, these classifications successfully include a lot of ground, allowing placement for most games within them.
Not so for brain-teasing titles. No suitable classification appears to put them. Consider three of outstanding current releases, showing diverse approaches: structural challenges from a specific release, intense tile-matching in a different title, engaging interpersonal challenges from additional release. What category would fit them among existing types? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Recognition Challenges
There are dozens excellent brain-teasers released every year that have no home at major award shows, if they accidentally match award groups including Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, or the extremely competitive independent game categories.
- An iconic brain-teaser got overlooked in any category in 2014
- Another creative title was excluded that year
- A beloved organization game was overlooked that year
- Only a few brain-teasers managed to sneak into niche award types
Value of Brain-Teasers
Commonly they're small games, yet the craft in brain-teasers carries substantial weight. Iconic mobile puzzle games rank among most popular titles worldwide continuing this trend for many years.
The legendary block-stacking game rivals popular creative games for the title of most purchased experience; it additionally competes for top gaming experience. Logic titles represent cornerstones for gaming as medium, and engaging with diverse game types.
The Solution and Justification
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter that issue. It would be easy to populate five nominees with fascinating, diverse, deserving games each ceremony simply — or rather, with difficulty, given the need to exclude so many good games out.
Restating the point, these are games without proper classification at major gaming awards. Logic title developers are working at the challenging frontier of video game design, creating some of most fundamental forms of gaming itself. Similar to cinema stunt performers, they deserve recognition. Don't make them wait 35 years.
