As any significant prize-giving event draws close, you'll find a demand for the addition of new categories to honor underappreciated efforts and delight the hearts of fans with niche passions.
My colleague previously argued supporting a scary games classification. It would be amazing. Equally deserving are tabletop games, representing a passionate advocate's mission. Yet I need to apologize in advance for pushing forward since similar to dedicated enthusiasts, I have a cast-iron argument supporting my request is the most urgent and important of all. This is the request: We need a classification for brain-teasing titles.
Categorizing Game Types
Categorizing art by genre defies precise measurement; opinions vary greatly, and typically generate discussions concluding with vague boundaries. This explains why film award organizations avoid this approach. But it is a necessary evil in the world of video games, showing incredible range they barely qualify as a single art form.
For the full spectrum of achievement in video games to be recognized, while allowing diverse titles to have a chance for representation, genre categories are essential.
Existing Game Classification System
Prominent interactive entertainment events presently include genre categories for Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Between them, these six categories effectively encompass many game types, making space possible accommodating various experiences.
Different situation exists for brain-teasing titles. There’s simply nowhere to accommodate them. Consider three of this year’s best games, showing diverse approaches: the architectural riddles from a specific release, the pulse-pounding block-matching from another release, engaging interpersonal challenges of a third title. What category would fit them between these six categories? Simply put, no category fits.
Recognition Challenges
There are dozens excellent brain-teasers released every year that have no home during gaming ceremonies, except when they manage to fit award groups including Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the extremely competitive independent game categories.
- An iconic brain-teaser wasn’t nominated in any category in 2014
- Another imaginative release received no nominations in 2019
- Well-received sorting experience received no acknowledgment that year
- Just some brain-teasers scraped into independent or mobile categories
Value of Brain-Teasers
Commonly they're compact experiences, but the art of the puzzle game holds tremendous importance. Famous handheld logic titles count as most popular titles worldwide and have been for many years.
The iconic tile-matching title challenges famous sandbox experiences claiming status as highest-selling title ever; it’s also in the running as greatest title ever. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks within interactive entertainment, and engaging with diverse game types.
Proposal and Rationale
Logic titles wouldn't face this problem. One could readily select five nominees with fascinating, diverse, deserving games every year with ease — perhaps, with difficulty, given the need to exclude so many good games out.
And to reiterate, these include experiences lacking appropriate categories during prominent ceremonies. Logic title developers function at the demanding boundary of video game design, producing among the purest expressions of the video game form. Similar to movie stunt professionals, they deserve recognition. Don't make them wait generations.
