As any major prize-giving event draws close, one notices a clamor for introducing fresh award types to recognize underappreciated efforts and satisfy the hearts of enthusiasts dedicated to specific genres.
A fellow writer previously argued for a horror game category. That would be fantastic. Equally deserving are tabletop games, representing someone's personal cause. Yet I need to apologize in advance if I try to elbow in front because like all blinkered fanatics, I have a cast-iron argument backing this proposal is the most urgent and significant. Here's the proposal: There should be a category for puzzle games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Classifying creative works defies precise measurement; it’s very subjective, and typically start arguments and end in fuzzy definitions. This explains why film award organizations don’t do it. However, it represents an unavoidable compromise in the world of interactive entertainment, that demonstrate such variety they barely qualify as a single art form.
To recognize the complete range of gaming accomplishments to be recognized, while allowing diverse titles to compete fairly, specific award classifications remain vital.
Existing Game Classification System
The major gaming awards presently include award types recognizing Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, RPG experiences, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Between them, these six categories effectively encompass a lot of ground, and you can find room for most games within them.
Not so for brain-teasing titles. No appropriate category exists to put them. Think about these outstanding current releases, all very different: structural challenges from a specific release, fast-paced pattern recognition of another game, engaging interpersonal challenges in another game. Which classification works within current classifications? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Acknowledgment Issues
There are dozens outstanding logic titles released every year lacking appropriate categories during gaming ceremonies, except when they manage to fit award groups including Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, or the intensely contested independent game categories.
- An iconic brain-teaser wasn’t nominated completely in 2014
- Another imaginative release missed out that year
- Well-received sorting experience was overlooked in 2021
- Just some logic titles barely qualified for small studio or handheld classifications
Importance of Logic Titles
Commonly they're compact experiences, however the design of the puzzle game is of massive significance. Iconic mobile puzzle games rank among the most-played games in the world continuing this trend for many years.
The legendary block-stacking game rivals famous sandbox experiences competing to become highest-selling title ever; it also contends for top gaming experience. Puzzle games are foundational for gaming as medium, and they are in conversation with diverse game types.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Logic titles wouldn't face that issue. One could readily select a field of five interesting, varied, worthy titles every year with ease — perhaps, with difficulty, given the need to exclude so many good games out.
Restating the point, these represent titles lacking appropriate categories in important events. Brain-teaser creators are working at the challenging frontier of video game design, developing some of most fundamental forms of the video game form. Similar to movie stunt professionals, they warrant appreciation. Don't make them wait decades.
