Alex is a seasoned gamer and journalist who has covered London's gaming scene for over a decade.
Whenever a major prize-giving event approaches, you'll find a clamor for introducing of new categories to recognize overlooked contributions and delight the spirits of fans with niche passions.
A fellow writer made the case supporting a scary games classification. That would rule. The same goes for tabletop games, this being a dedicated supporter's campaign. Yet I need to apologize in advance if I try to elbow in front since similar to dedicated enthusiasts, there's a strong justification supporting my request stands as crucial above others. The demand is this: We need an award type for logic-based games.
Categorizing art by genre defies precise measurement; it remains highly personal, and inevitably generate discussions resulting in unclear classifications. It's understandable that movie academies steer clear of genre categories. However, it represents an unavoidable compromise within the realm of interactive entertainment, that demonstrate such variety they hardly constitute as a single art form.
For the full spectrum of achievement in video games to gain proper attention, and to ensure all game types to receive proper recognition, genre categories are essential.
The major gaming awards offer these classifications covering Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Collectively, these classifications successfully include many game types, and you can find room accommodating various experiences.
Different situation exists for logic-based experiences. No suitable classification appears to put them. Examine these examples from this year’s best games, all very different: structural challenges of one title, the pulse-pounding block-matching of another game, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles from additional release. What category would fit them between these six categories? Nowhere, that’s where.
There are dozens of brilliant puzzle games released every year without proper recognition during gaming ceremonies, except when they manage to fit classification types such as Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, and the highly challenging Indie races.
Frequently they represent compact experiences, yet the craft in brain-teasers holds tremendous importance. Famous handheld logic titles stand as most engaged experiences in the world and have been for many years.
The iconic tile-matching title competes with well-known building titles for the title of highest-selling title ever; it also contends for best game of all time. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks within interactive entertainment, while interacting across multiple categories.
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter such difficulty. 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 numerous deserving experiences.
Restating the point, these include experiences without proper classification during prominent ceremonies. Brain-teaser creators function at the challenging frontier interactive creation, developing some of most fundamental forms of the video game form. Comparable to cinema stunt performers, they deserve recognition. Don't make them wait generations.
Alex is a seasoned gamer and journalist who has covered London's gaming scene for over a decade.