Whenever a significant prize-giving event nears, there’s always a clamor for the addition of new categories to recognize overlooked contributions and satisfy the passions of followers dedicated to specific genres.
A fellow writer has already made advocating for terror-themed awards. That would rule. So would board games, representing a dedicated supporter's campaign. However, I must insist if I try to elbow in front since similar to single-minded supporters, I possess a compelling case for why my demand stands as crucial and important of all. This is the request: We need a category for puzzle games.
Categorizing Game Types
Categorizing art by genre is not a science; it remains highly personal, and typically start arguments and end in fuzzy definitions. There’s a reason cinema institutions don’t do it. Yet it remains an essential concession in the world of gaming, showing incredible range they barely qualify one unified medium.
To recognize the complete range of interactive entertainment excellence to receive acknowledgment, and for games of all stripes to receive proper recognition, specific award classifications remain vital.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Prominent interactive entertainment events offer these classifications covering Action, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Together, these award types actually cover a lot of ground, making space possible accommodating various experiences.
This doesn't apply to puzzle games. No suitable classification appears to put them. Consider three of recent excellent titles, each quite distinct: structural challenges from a specific release, the pulse-pounding block-matching of another game, thought-provoking social scenarios from additional release. Where could they possibly go within current classifications? Simply put, no category fits.
The Representation Problem
Many instances occur of brilliant puzzle games launched regularly that have no home at major award shows, except when they manage to fit classification types such as Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging small studio competitions.
- An iconic brain-teaser got overlooked completely in 2014
- A different innovative game received no nominations in 2019
- A beloved organization game was overlooked recently
- Limited numbers of brain-teasers barely qualified for independent or mobile categories
Importance of Logic Titles
These are often modest productions, however the design behind logic titles is of massive significance. Well-known matching games stand as most popular titles worldwide maintaining this status for many years.
The famous puzzle experience rivals well-known building titles competing to become best-selling game of all time; it additionally competes as greatest title ever. Puzzle games are foundational for gaming as medium, and engaging with almost every other genre.
Proposal and Rationale
Puzzle games wouldn’t have such difficulty. It would be easy to populate five nominees with fascinating, diverse, deserving games every year with ease — perhaps, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave many worthy titles.
And to reiterate, these are games without proper classification in important events. Puzzle game makers operate at the challenging frontier interactive creation, developing some of the purest expressions of the video game form. Comparable to film action specialists, they deserve recognition. Let’s not keep them waiting decades.
