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Each time a major awards ceremony nears, you'll find a clamor to include fresh award types to honor unsung work and delight the spirits of fans who have specialized interests.

My colleague previously argued supporting a scary games classification. That would rule. So would board games, representing a passionate advocate's mission. But they will have to forgive me for pushing forward because like all single-minded supporters, I possess a compelling case backing this proposal is the most urgent and significant. The demand is this: We need an award type for logic-based games.

Organizing Gaming Categories

Categorizing art by genre defies precise measurement; it’s very subjective, and typically spark debates and end in fuzzy definitions. It's understandable that movie academies don’t do it. However, it represents an essential concession in the world of gaming, showing incredible range it's challenging to consider them a single creative category.

For comprehensive acknowledgment of achievement in video games to gain proper attention, and for games of all stripes to receive proper recognition, specific award classifications remain vital.

Current Gaming Award Categories

Prominent interactive entertainment events presently include classifications covering Action, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Collectively, these classifications actually cover many game types, making space possible for most games within them.

This doesn't apply to logic-based experiences. No appropriate category exists to accommodate them. Consider three of this year’s best games, all very different: the architectural riddles of one title, the pulse-pounding block-matching in a different title, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles from additional release. Which classification works between these six categories? Simply put, no category fits.

Acknowledgment Issues

Many instances occur outstanding logic titles published annually lacking appropriate categories at major award shows, except when they manage to fit award groups including Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, or the extremely competitive small studio competitions.

• An iconic brain-teaser wasn’t nominated completely that year
• A different innovative game received no nominations during that ceremony
• Well-received sorting experience was overlooked in 2021
• Just some puzzle games barely qualified for small studio or handheld classifications

Importance of Logic Titles

These are often modest productions, but the art of the puzzle game carries substantial weight. Famous handheld logic titles count as the most-played games in the world and have been for over a decade.

The legendary block-stacking game challenges popular creative games claiming status as best-selling game of all time; it’s also in the running for top gaming experience. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks to the art of video games, and engaging with diverse game types.

The Solution and Justification

Puzzle games wouldn’t have that issue. One could readily select a field of five engaging, different, qualified experiences each ceremony simply — or rather, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave so many good games out.

And to reiterate, these include experiences that otherwise have no home during prominent ceremonies. Puzzle game makers are working at the demanding boundary of video game design, producing among essential manifestations within interactive entertainment. Similar to film action specialists, they deserve recognition. Don't make them wait generations.