Each time a major honors show nears, one notices an outcry for introducing additional classifications to recognize unsung work and delight the passions of followers with niche passions.
Another commentator previously argued for a horror game category. It would be amazing. The same goes for tabletop games, representing a passionate advocate's mission. Yet I need to apologize in advance if I try to elbow in front because like all single-minded supporters, I possess a compelling case for why my demand is the most urgent above others. Here's the proposal: It's essential to create a category for puzzle games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Classifying creative works is not a science; it remains highly personal, and it will always spark debates concluding with vague boundaries. It's understandable that movie academies don’t do it. But it is an essential concession in the world of interactive entertainment, showing incredible range it's challenging to consider them as a single art form.
To recognize the complete range of achievement in video games to be recognized, and to ensure all game types to compete fairly, genre categories are essential.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Leading game ceremonies offer these award types recognizing Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these classifications actually cover a lot of ground, allowing placement for most games within them.
Not so for brain-teasing titles. No appropriate category exists to accommodate them. Consider three of this year’s best games, all very different: building puzzles from a specific release, intense tile-matching of another game, engaging interpersonal challenges in another game. Which classification works within current classifications? Simply put, no category fits.
Acknowledgment Issues
Numerous examples exist of brilliant puzzle games released every year that have no home at major award shows, except when they manage to fit classification types such as Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, or the extremely competitive Indie races.
- An iconic brain-teaser wasn’t nominated in any category in 2014
- Another creative title was excluded in 2019
- Popular arranging title was overlooked recently
- Only a few brain-teasers scraped into niche award types
Significance of Puzzle Games
Frequently they represent compact experiences, however the design in brain-teasers is of massive significance. Iconic mobile puzzle games stand as most popular titles globally maintaining this status for an extended period.
The iconic tile-matching title competes with famous sandbox experiences claiming status as highest-selling title ever; it additionally competes for top gaming experience. Logic titles represent cornerstones for gaming as medium, and engaging across multiple categories.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Puzzle games wouldn’t have this problem. You could fill five nominees engaging, different, qualified experiences each ceremony simply — actually, with challenge, given the need to exclude numerous deserving experiences.
And to reiterate, these are games without proper classification in important events. Logic title developers function at the demanding boundary of video game design, developing some of the purest expressions within interactive entertainment. Comparable to movie stunt professionals, they warrant appreciation. Let’s not keep them waiting 35 years.
