Whenever a major awards ceremony approaches, there’s always a demand for the addition fresh award types to acknowledge unsung work and fill the passions of enthusiasts with niche passions.
My colleague made the case advocating for terror-themed awards. That would be fantastic. Equally deserving are board games, representing a dedicated supporter's campaign. However, I must insist if I try to elbow in front because like all single-minded supporters, there's a strong justification supporting my request stands as crucial and important of all. This is the request: We need a category for puzzle games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Categorizing art by genre defies precise measurement; it remains highly personal, and it will always generate discussions and end in fuzzy definitions. There’s a reason movie academies steer clear of genre categories. But it is an unavoidable compromise for the industry of gaming, that demonstrate such variety they hardly constitute one unified medium.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of interactive entertainment excellence to gain proper attention, and to ensure all game types to compete fairly, genre categories are essential.
Present Award Structure
The major gaming awards offer these classifications covering Action, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Together, these six categories actually cover numerous genres, allowing placement for most games within them.
Not so for brain-teasing titles. No appropriate category exists to accommodate them. Consider three of outstanding current releases, all very different: structural challenges in a particular game, fast-paced pattern recognition of another game, engaging interpersonal challenges of a third title. Where could they possibly go among existing types? Simply put, no category fits.
The Representation Problem
Many instances occur of brilliant puzzle games released every year that have no home during gaming ceremonies, if they accidentally match classification types such as Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, or the extremely competitive small studio competitions.
- A renowned logic title got overlooked in any category during that awards season
- Another creative title received no nominations during that ceremony
- Popular arranging title was overlooked that year
- Only a few puzzle games barely qualified for independent or mobile categories
Importance of Logic Titles
Frequently they represent small games, but the art behind logic titles carries substantial weight. Iconic mobile puzzle games stand as most popular titles in the world continuing this trend for over a decade.
The famous puzzle experience challenges famous sandbox experiences for the title of best-selling game of all time; it also contends as greatest title ever. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks within interactive entertainment, and engaging with diverse game types.
The Solution and Justification
Logic titles wouldn't face such difficulty. One could readily select multiple candidates with fascinating, diverse, deserving games each ceremony simply — or rather, with difficulty, since numerous excellent so many good games out.
To emphasize again, these are games that otherwise have no home at major gaming awards. Brain-teaser creators function at the demanding boundary interactive creation, creating some of most fundamental forms of the video game form. Just like movie stunt professionals, they deserve recognition. Let’s not keep them waiting 35 years.
