🔗 Share this article

As any prominent honors show draws close, one notices a demand for introducing fresh award types to acknowledge underappreciated efforts and fill the passions of enthusiasts dedicated to specific genres.

A fellow writer previously argued supporting a scary games classification. It would be amazing. The same goes for tabletop games, this being someone's personal cause. But they will have to forgive me when I prioritize since similar to single-minded supporters, there's a strong justification supporting my request remains most pressing and important of all. Here's the proposal: There should be an award type for logic-based games.

The Genre Classification Challenge

Organizing artistic expressions defies precise measurement; it’s very subjective, and inevitably start arguments resulting in unclear classifications. There’s a reason cinema institutions don’t do it. However, it represents an essential concession for the industry of video games, showing incredible range they barely qualify as a single art form.

For the full spectrum of achievement in video games to receive acknowledgment, and to ensure all game types to receive proper recognition, classification by type becomes crucial.

Existing Game Classification System

Leading game ceremonies currently feature award types recognizing Action, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Together, these award types successfully include many game types, allowing placement accommodating various experiences.

Different situation exists for brain-teasing titles. No suitable classification appears for their placement. Think about these outstanding current releases, showing diverse approaches: structural challenges from a specific release, intense tile-matching in a different title, thought-provoking social scenarios from additional release. Which classification works within current classifications? Unfortunately, nowhere.

The Representation Problem

There are dozens outstanding logic titles published annually lacking appropriate categories at major award shows, except when they manage to fit for categories like Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, and the highly challenging small studio competitions.

• An iconic brain-teaser got overlooked for anything in 2014
• Another creative title received no nominations in 2019
• A beloved organization game got ignored recently
• Only a few brain-teasers scraped into small studio or handheld classifications

Value of Brain-Teasers

Frequently they represent small games, yet the craft in brain-teasers is of massive significance. Iconic mobile puzzle games stand as most popular titles globally and have been for many years.

The legendary block-stacking game rivals well-known building titles claiming status as highest-selling title ever; it’s also in the running as greatest title ever. Puzzle games are foundational to the art of video games, and they are in conversation with diverse game types.

Proposal and Rationale

Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter that issue. It would be easy to populate multiple candidates engaging, different, qualified experiences each ceremony simply — or rather, with difficulty, since numerous excellent so many good games out.

And to reiterate, these represent titles without proper classification during prominent ceremonies. Logic title developers operate at the hard edge game development, developing some of the purest expressions of gaming itself. Comparable to cinema stunt performers, they merit acknowledgment. We shouldn't delay 35 years.