Each time a major awards ceremony draws close, one notices a clamor for introducing fresh award types to honor overlooked contributions and satisfy the spirits of followers dedicated to specific genres.
My colleague made the case advocating for terror-themed awards. It would be amazing. So would tabletop games, representing someone's personal cause. But they will have to forgive me if I try to elbow in front just as with other dedicated enthusiasts, I possess a compelling case backing this proposal remains most pressing and significant. The demand is this: We need a category for puzzle games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Classifying creative works defies precise measurement; it remains highly personal, and typically spark debates resulting in unclear classifications. There’s a reason movie academies steer clear of genre categories. But it is an unavoidable compromise in the world of interactive entertainment, that demonstrate such variety they hardly constitute as a single art form.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of achievement in video games to receive acknowledgment, and for games of all stripes to receive proper recognition, classification by type becomes crucial.
Present Award Structure
Leading game ceremonies offer these genre categories for Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Together, these classifications successfully include numerous genres, allowing placement for numerous titles.
Not so for logic-based experiences. No suitable classification appears for their placement. Consider three of outstanding current releases, each quite distinct: structural challenges of one title, the pulse-pounding block-matching from another release, thought-provoking social scenarios of a third title. Where could they possibly go among existing types? Nowhere, that’s where.
Recognition Challenges
Many instances occur outstanding logic titles released every year that have no home at major award shows, if they accidentally match award groups including Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, or the intensely contested small studio competitions.
- An iconic brain-teaser got overlooked for anything that year
- Another imaginative release missed out that year
- Well-received sorting experience received no acknowledgment that year
- Just some logic titles barely qualified for niche award types
Value of Brain-Teasers
Commonly they're compact experiences, but the art behind logic titles carries substantial weight. Iconic mobile puzzle games stand as most popular titles globally continuing this trend for an extended period.
The legendary block-stacking game challenges famous sandbox experiences for the title of best-selling game of all time; it also contends as greatest title ever. Puzzle games are foundational for gaming as medium, while interacting with diverse game types.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter that issue. One could readily select five nominees with fascinating, diverse, deserving games every year with ease — actually, with challenge, because you’d have to leave numerous deserving experiences.
Restating the point, these represent titles that otherwise have no home at major gaming awards. Logic title developers are working at the hard edge game development, producing among the purest expressions of the video game form. Just like film action specialists, they merit acknowledgment. Don't make them wait generations.
