Whenever a major honors show nears, there’s always a demand to include fresh award types to recognize underappreciated efforts and satisfy the hearts of followers with niche passions.
My colleague previously argued for a horror game category. It would be amazing. So would tabletop games, representing a passionate advocate's mission. However, I must insist when I prioritize since similar to dedicated enthusiasts, I possess a compelling case supporting my request is the most urgent and significant. This is the request: We need a category for puzzle games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Categorizing art by genre is not a science; opinions vary greatly, and typically start arguments concluding with vague boundaries. There’s a reason cinema institutions steer clear of genre categories. However, it represents an unavoidable compromise for the industry of gaming, showing incredible range they hardly constitute a single creative category.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of interactive entertainment excellence to receive acknowledgment, and for games of all stripes to have a chance for representation, specific award classifications remain vital.
Present Award Structure
Leading game ceremonies offer these genre categories for Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Collectively, these classifications successfully include a lot of ground, making space possible for numerous titles.
Not so for logic-based experiences. There’s simply nowhere to put them. Think about these outstanding current releases, showing diverse approaches: the architectural riddles in a particular game, fast-paced pattern recognition in a different title, engaging interpersonal challenges of a third title. Which classification works among existing types? Unfortunately, nowhere.
The Representation Problem
Numerous examples exist excellent brain-teasers launched regularly that have no home during gaming ceremonies, except when they manage to fit classification types such as Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging Indie races.
- A renowned logic title wasn’t nominated in any category during that awards season
- A different innovative game received no nominations that year
- Well-received sorting experience received no acknowledgment recently
- Only a few brain-teasers scraped into small studio or handheld classifications
Value of Brain-Teasers
These are often compact experiences, however the design of the puzzle game is of massive significance. Iconic mobile puzzle games rank among most engaged experiences globally continuing this trend for over a decade.
The iconic tile-matching title rivals well-known building titles claiming status as best-selling game of all time; it’s also in the running as greatest title ever. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks for gaming as medium, and engaging with diverse game types.
The Solution and Justification
Logic titles wouldn't face this problem. It would be easy to populate a field of five with fascinating, diverse, deserving games every year with ease — or rather, with difficulty, since numerous excellent so many good games out.
To emphasize again, these represent titles that otherwise have no home at major gaming awards. Brain-teaser creators function at the challenging frontier interactive creation, producing among essential manifestations of gaming itself. Similar to movie stunt professionals, they deserve recognition. We shouldn't delay 35 years.
