Each time a significant honors show draws close, one notices a clamor for the addition additional classifications to honor unsung work and fill the hearts of fans who have specialized interests.
My colleague previously argued for a horror game category. That would rule. The same goes for tabletop games, representing a passionate advocate's mission. However, I must insist when I prioritize because like all single-minded supporters, there's a strong justification for why my demand remains most pressing and important of all. This is the request: It's essential to create a classification for brain-teasing titles.
Categorizing Game Types
Organizing artistic expressions defies precise measurement; it’s very subjective, and typically spark debates and end in fuzzy definitions. It's understandable that movie academies avoid this approach. But it is a necessary evil for the industry of video games, that demonstrate such variety they barely qualify one unified medium.
For the full spectrum of gaming accomplishments 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-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Together, these award types actually cover a lot of ground, allowing placement for numerous titles.
Different situation exists for brain-teasing titles. No suitable classification appears to put them. Examine these examples from outstanding current releases, each quite distinct: the architectural riddles 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.
Acknowledgment Issues
There are dozens excellent brain-teasers released every year lacking appropriate categories during gaming ceremonies, except when they manage to fit award groups including Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging Indie races.
- One classic puzzle game got overlooked for anything during that awards season
- Another creative title was excluded during that ceremony
- Well-received sorting experience got ignored that year
- Just some brain-teasers barely qualified for independent or mobile categories
Value of Brain-Teasers
These are often compact experiences, but the art in brain-teasers holds tremendous importance. Well-known matching games rank among most engaged experiences worldwide continuing this trend for an extended period.
The legendary block-stacking game challenges popular creative games claiming status as highest-selling title ever; it also contends for best game of all time. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks for gaming as medium, while interacting with almost every other genre.
Proposal and Rationale
Puzzle games wouldn’t have this problem. One could readily select a field of five with fascinating, diverse, deserving games each ceremony simply — perhaps, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave many worthy titles.
And to reiterate, these represent titles without proper classification in important events. Brain-teaser creators are working at the demanding boundary game development, developing some of the purest expressions within interactive entertainment. Similar to film action specialists, they deserve recognition. Let’s not keep them waiting generations.
