Each time a significant honors show nears, you'll find a clamor for the addition of new categories to recognize underappreciated efforts and delight the spirits of enthusiasts dedicated to specific genres.
My colleague previously argued for a horror game category. That would be fantastic. So would tabletop games, this being someone's personal cause. However, I must insist if I try to elbow in front because like all blinkered fanatics, I have a cast-iron argument for why my demand stands as crucial above others. Here's the proposal: It's essential to create a category for puzzle games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Categorizing art by genre is not a science; it remains highly personal, and inevitably start arguments concluding with vague boundaries. This explains why cinema institutions steer clear of genre categories. However, it represents an unavoidable compromise for the industry of video games, which are so diverse they hardly constitute a single creative category.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of gaming accomplishments to gain proper attention, and to ensure all game types to receive proper recognition, specific award classifications remain vital.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Prominent interactive entertainment events currently feature award types recognizing Action, Adventure-action titles, RPG experiences, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these award types actually cover many game types, allowing placement for most games within them.
This doesn't apply to brain-teasing titles. No suitable classification appears for their placement. Examine these examples from recent excellent titles, each quite distinct: structural challenges of one title, intense tile-matching of another game, thought-provoking social scenarios in another game. Which classification works between these six categories? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Acknowledgment Issues
Numerous examples exist of brilliant puzzle games launched regularly that have no home in entertainment awards, except when they manage to fit for categories like Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, or the intensely contested independent game categories.
- An iconic brain-teaser got overlooked completely that year
- Another creative title missed out in 2019
- Popular arranging title received no acknowledgment recently
- Only a few puzzle games scraped into niche award types
Importance of Logic Titles
Frequently they represent small games, but the art behind logic titles holds tremendous importance. Iconic mobile puzzle games rank among the most-played games globally maintaining this status for an extended period.
The iconic tile-matching title competes with popular creative games claiming status as highest-selling title ever; it’s also in the running as greatest title ever. Logic titles represent cornerstones to the art of video games, and they are in conversation with diverse game types.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Puzzle games wouldn’t have this problem. It would be easy to populate multiple candidates interesting, varied, worthy titles each ceremony simply — or rather, with difficulty, since numerous excellent numerous deserving experiences.
And to reiterate, these are games lacking appropriate categories at major gaming awards. Brain-teaser creators are working at the demanding boundary interactive creation, developing some of most fundamental forms within interactive entertainment. Similar to cinema stunt performers, they warrant appreciation. Don't make them wait generations.
