As any prominent honors show approaches, one notices a demand to include fresh award types to acknowledge unsung work and fill the spirits of enthusiasts who have specialized interests.
A fellow writer has already made advocating for terror-themed awards. That would rule. Equally deserving are tabletop games, which is a dedicated supporter's campaign. But they will have to forgive me if I try to elbow in front because like all single-minded supporters, there's a strong justification supporting my request is the most urgent above others. This is the request: We need a category for puzzle games.
Categorizing Game Types
Categorizing art by genre isn't exact; opinions vary greatly, and it will always generate discussions concluding with vague boundaries. There’s a reason movie academies avoid this approach. Yet it remains a necessary evil in the world of gaming, that demonstrate such variety it's challenging to consider them one unified medium.
For the full spectrum of achievement in video games to be recognized, and to ensure all game types to receive proper recognition, classification by type becomes crucial.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Leading game ceremonies presently include award types recognizing Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, RPG experiences, Combat games, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Between them, these classifications successfully include many game types, making space possible for most games within them.
Different situation exists for puzzle games. No suitable classification appears to accommodate them. Examine these examples from this year’s best games, showing diverse approaches: building puzzles in a particular game, fast-paced pattern recognition of another game, thought-provoking social scenarios of a third title. Where could they possibly go among existing types? Nowhere, that’s where.
The Representation Problem
Many instances occur excellent brain-teasers published annually lacking appropriate categories in entertainment awards, except when they manage to fit classification types such as Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, and the highly challenging small studio competitions.
- An iconic brain-teaser wasn’t nominated for anything during that awards season
- Another imaginative release was excluded in 2019
- Popular arranging title was overlooked in 2021
- Just some puzzle games managed to sneak into independent or mobile categories
Value of Brain-Teasers
Frequently they represent small games, yet the craft in brain-teasers is of massive significance. Well-known matching games count as most engaged experiences globally continuing this trend for an extended period.
The iconic tile-matching title challenges popular creative games claiming status as highest-selling title ever; it’s also in the running for top gaming experience. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks for gaming as medium, while interacting with almost every other genre.
Proposal and Rationale
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter this problem. You could fill a field of five with fascinating, diverse, deserving games annually without trouble — or rather, with difficulty, since numerous excellent many worthy titles.
To emphasize again, these include experiences lacking appropriate categories at major gaming awards. Logic title developers operate at the demanding boundary of video game design, producing among essential manifestations within interactive entertainment. Similar to film action specialists, they warrant appreciation. Let’s not keep them waiting 35 years.
