Whenever a prominent prize-giving event nears, one notices an outcry for introducing fresh award types to honor overlooked contributions and satisfy the spirits of enthusiasts with niche passions.
My colleague previously argued for a horror game category. That would be fantastic. Equally deserving are tabletop games, this being a dedicated supporter's campaign. But they will have to forgive me when I prioritize because like all dedicated enthusiasts, I possess a compelling case for why my demand remains most pressing and significant. Here's the proposal: There should be a category for puzzle games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Classifying creative works isn't exact; it remains highly personal, and typically generate discussions concluding with vague boundaries. This explains why film award organizations avoid this approach. Yet it remains an unavoidable compromise within the realm of gaming, which are so diverse they barely qualify as a single art form.
For the full spectrum of interactive entertainment excellence to receive acknowledgment, while allowing diverse titles to receive proper recognition, classification by type becomes crucial.
Present Award Structure
Leading game ceremonies currently feature classifications covering Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Collectively, these six categories successfully include many game types, making space possible accommodating various experiences.
Not so for logic-based experiences. No suitable classification appears to put them. Examine these examples from recent excellent titles, showing diverse approaches: the architectural riddles in a particular game, the pulse-pounding block-matching from another release, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles in another game. What category would fit them between these six categories? Simply put, no category fits.
Acknowledgment Issues
Numerous examples exist of brilliant puzzle games launched regularly lacking appropriate categories at major award shows, except when they manage to fit for categories like Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging independent game categories.
- One classic puzzle game received no recognition completely in 2014
- Another creative title was excluded during that ceremony
- Popular arranging title was overlooked recently
- Only a few puzzle games barely qualified for independent or mobile categories
Value of Brain-Teasers
These are often compact experiences, yet the craft of the puzzle game carries substantial weight. Famous handheld logic titles rank among the most-played games globally maintaining this status for many years.
The legendary block-stacking game competes with well-known building titles for the title of best-selling game of all time; it’s also in the running for best game of all time. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks to the art of video games, and engaging across multiple categories.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Logic titles wouldn't face this problem. One could readily select a field of five with fascinating, diverse, deserving games every year with ease — or rather, with difficulty, since numerous excellent numerous deserving experiences.
And to reiterate, these include experiences without proper classification during prominent ceremonies. Brain-teaser creators function at the hard edge game development, creating some of most fundamental forms of the video game form. Similar to movie stunt professionals, they deserve recognition. We shouldn't delay 35 years.
