As any significant honors show nears, one notices a clamor to include additional classifications to recognize overlooked contributions and delight the hearts of followers with niche passions.
A fellow writer made the case advocating for terror-themed awards. That would rule. The same goes for tabletop games, representing a dedicated supporter's campaign. Yet I need to apologize in advance for pushing forward because like all single-minded supporters, I have a cast-iron argument supporting my request stands as crucial and important of all. The demand is this: There should be a category for puzzle games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Categorizing art by genre isn't exact; opinions vary greatly, and inevitably start arguments and end in fuzzy definitions. This explains why film award organizations steer clear of genre categories. However, it represents an essential concession within the realm of interactive entertainment, which are so diverse they barely qualify as a single art form.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of achievement in video games to gain proper attention, and to ensure all game types to receive proper recognition, specific award classifications remain vital.
Present Award Structure
Leading game ceremonies offer these genre categories for Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, RPG experiences, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these classifications successfully include many game types, allowing placement for most games within them.
Not so for logic-based experiences. No appropriate category exists for their placement. Examine these examples from recent excellent titles, showing diverse approaches: building puzzles from a specific release, the pulse-pounding block-matching from another release, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles from additional release. What category would fit them within current classifications? Nowhere, that’s where.
Acknowledgment Issues
Many instances occur outstanding logic titles released every year lacking appropriate categories at major award shows, unless they happen to qualify classification types such as Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, or the intensely contested small studio competitions.
- A renowned logic title wasn’t nominated for anything that year
- Another imaginative release received no nominations during that ceremony
- Well-received sorting experience received no acknowledgment that year
- Just some brain-teasers barely qualified for small studio or handheld classifications
Value of Brain-Teasers
These are often small games, however the design in brain-teasers holds tremendous importance. Well-known matching games count as most popular titles globally and have been for an extended period.
The legendary block-stacking game rivals popular creative games for the title of highest-selling title ever; it also contends as greatest title ever. Puzzle games are foundational for gaming as medium, and they are in conversation across multiple categories.
The Solution and Justification
Logic titles wouldn't face this problem. It would be easy to populate five nominees with fascinating, diverse, deserving games each ceremony simply — or rather, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave many worthy titles.
Restating the point, these include experiences lacking appropriate categories in important events. Puzzle game makers operate at the demanding boundary game development, producing among the purest expressions within interactive entertainment. Just like movie stunt professionals, they merit acknowledgment. Don't make them wait decades.
