Each time a major prize-giving event approaches, one notices a demand to include of new categories to honor unsung work and satisfy the spirits of fans dedicated to specific genres.
A fellow writer previously argued supporting a scary games classification. That would be fantastic. Equally deserving are tabletop games, this being a passionate advocate's mission. Yet I need to apologize in advance for pushing forward since similar to blinkered fanatics, I possess a compelling case backing this proposal stands as crucial and important of all. This is the request: There should be a classification for brain-teasing titles.
Categorizing Game Types
Categorizing art by genre is not a science; it remains highly personal, and it will always generate discussions and end in fuzzy definitions. There’s a reason film award organizations avoid this approach. But it is an unavoidable compromise within the realm of video games, which are so diverse they barely qualify a single creative category.
For the full spectrum of gaming accomplishments to receive acknowledgment, and to ensure all game types to have a chance for representation, specific award classifications remain vital.
Existing Game Classification System
The major gaming awards offer these award types recognizing Action, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Collectively, these classifications successfully include a lot of ground, allowing placement for most games within them.
This doesn't apply to puzzle games. There’s simply nowhere to accommodate them. Think about these recent excellent titles, showing diverse approaches: structural challenges of one title, the pulse-pounding block-matching of another game, thought-provoking social scenarios in another game. Which classification works between these six categories? Unfortunately, nowhere.
The Representation Problem
Numerous examples exist outstanding logic titles launched regularly that have no home during gaming ceremonies, except when they manage to fit for categories like Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, and the highly challenging small studio competitions.
- A renowned logic title wasn’t nominated in any category in 2014
- Another imaginative release missed out in 2019
- Popular arranging title received no acknowledgment recently
- Limited numbers of logic titles managed to sneak into niche award types
Significance of Puzzle Games
Frequently they represent small games, but the art behind logic titles holds tremendous importance. Famous handheld logic titles rank among most popular titles globally and have been for an extended period.
The iconic tile-matching title challenges popular creative games competing to become most purchased experience; it additionally competes for best game of all time. Puzzle games are foundational for gaming as medium, while interacting with almost every other genre.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter this problem. One could readily select a field of five engaging, different, qualified experiences every year with ease — perhaps, with difficulty, since numerous excellent so many good games out.
And to reiterate, these include experiences without proper classification at major gaming awards. Puzzle game makers operate at the challenging frontier game development, developing some of essential manifestations of gaming itself. Similar to movie stunt professionals, they warrant appreciation. Let’s not keep them waiting 35 years.
