Each time a major honors show nears, one notices a demand for the addition of new categories to acknowledge underappreciated efforts and satisfy the passions of fans with niche passions.
A fellow writer made the case supporting a scary games classification. That would be fantastic. The same goes for board games, which is a passionate advocate's mission. But they will have to forgive me if I try to elbow in front just as with other blinkered fanatics, I have a cast-iron argument for why my demand is the most urgent and important of all. Here's the proposal: We need a category for puzzle games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Classifying creative works isn't exact; opinions vary greatly, and it will always start arguments resulting in unclear classifications. This explains why cinema institutions avoid this approach. But it is an essential concession in the world of gaming, that demonstrate such variety it's challenging to consider them a single creative category.
To recognize the complete range of interactive entertainment excellence to receive acknowledgment, and to ensure all game types to receive proper recognition, genre categories are essential.
Existing Game Classification System
The major gaming awards presently include genre categories for Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Together, these classifications successfully include many game types, allowing placement accommodating various experiences.
Different situation exists for puzzle games. There’s simply nowhere to put them. Examine these examples from this year’s best games, all very different: the architectural riddles of one title, fast-paced pattern recognition of another game, thought-provoking social scenarios in another game. What category would fit them between these six categories? Simply put, no category fits.
Recognition Challenges
Numerous examples exist outstanding logic titles launched regularly without proper recognition during gaming ceremonies, unless they happen to qualify classification types such as Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, or the intensely contested small studio competitions.
- One classic puzzle game received no recognition in any category in 2014
- Another imaginative release received no nominations in 2019
- Well-received sorting experience received no acknowledgment recently
- Just some puzzle games scraped into independent or mobile categories
Value of Brain-Teasers
These are often compact experiences, yet the craft behind logic titles carries substantial weight. Famous handheld logic titles rank among most popular titles worldwide continuing this trend for over a decade.
The legendary block-stacking game rivals popular creative games claiming status as highest-selling title ever; it additionally competes as greatest title ever. Puzzle games are foundational within interactive entertainment, and engaging across multiple categories.
Proposal and Rationale
Logic titles wouldn't face that issue. One could readily select five nominees interesting, varied, worthy titles every year with ease — actually, with challenge, since numerous excellent many worthy titles.
Restating the point, these represent titles lacking appropriate categories in important events. Brain-teaser creators function at the challenging frontier of video game design, producing among the purest expressions of gaming itself. Just like cinema stunt performers, they deserve recognition. Let’s not keep them waiting decades.
