Each time a major prize-giving event nears, one notices an outcry for introducing fresh award types to acknowledge unsung work and delight the passions of fans who have specialized interests.
My colleague previously argued for a horror game category. It would be amazing. So would board games, representing a dedicated supporter's campaign. But they will have to forgive me for pushing forward just as with other dedicated enthusiasts, I have a cast-iron argument supporting my request remains most pressing above others. Here's the proposal: It's essential to create a category for puzzle games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Categorizing art by genre is not a science; opinions vary greatly, and typically generate discussions concluding with vague boundaries. This explains why cinema institutions don’t do it. Yet it remains an unavoidable compromise in the world of video games, showing incredible range it's challenging to consider them a single creative category.
For the full spectrum of interactive entertainment excellence to receive acknowledgment, and to ensure all game types to have a chance for representation, genre categories are essential.
Existing Game Classification System
Prominent interactive entertainment events presently include classifications covering Action, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these award types effectively encompass a lot of ground, allowing placement for numerous titles.
Different situation exists for puzzle games. No suitable classification appears for their placement. Consider three of outstanding current releases, all very different: the architectural riddles in a particular game, the pulse-pounding block-matching from another release, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles of a third title. Which classification works among existing types? Nowhere, that’s where.
Acknowledgment Issues
Many instances occur outstanding logic titles released every year that have no home during gaming ceremonies, except when they manage to fit for categories like Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, or the extremely competitive independent game categories.
- One classic puzzle game got overlooked for anything during that awards season
- Another imaginative release was excluded in 2019
- A beloved organization game got ignored recently
- Only a few brain-teasers managed to sneak into niche award types
Value of Brain-Teasers
These are often modest productions, however the design behind logic titles carries substantial weight. Iconic mobile puzzle games rank among most popular titles globally maintaining this status for over a decade.
The iconic tile-matching title competes with well-known building titles for the title of highest-selling title ever; it additionally competes as greatest title ever. Logic titles represent cornerstones within interactive entertainment, while interacting with diverse game types.
The Solution and Justification
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter this problem. It would be easy to populate multiple candidates with fascinating, diverse, deserving games annually without trouble — or rather, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave numerous deserving experiences.
To emphasize again, these include experiences without proper classification during prominent ceremonies. Puzzle game makers function at the hard edge of video game design, developing some of most fundamental forms of the video game form. Just like movie stunt professionals, they merit acknowledgment. Let’s not keep them waiting decades.
