Each time a significant honors show approaches, there’s always a demand for introducing of new categories to acknowledge unsung work and satisfy the hearts of enthusiasts with niche passions.
My colleague previously argued for a horror game category. That would rule. The same goes for strategy board titles, this being 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, I possess a compelling case backing this proposal remains most pressing and significant. The demand is this: We need a category for puzzle games.
Categorizing Game Types
Categorizing art by genre isn't exact; it remains highly personal, and inevitably start arguments resulting in unclear classifications. There’s a reason movie academies steer clear of genre categories. Yet it remains an essential concession in the world of video games, which are so diverse they barely qualify a single creative category.
To recognize the complete range of achievement in video games to receive acknowledgment, while allowing diverse titles to have a chance for representation, genre categories are essential.
Current Gaming Award Categories
Prominent interactive entertainment events currently feature genre categories for Action, Adventure-action titles, RPG experiences, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Between them, these award types actually cover numerous genres, making space possible accommodating various experiences.
This doesn't apply to brain-teasing titles. No appropriate category exists for their placement. Consider three of outstanding current releases, each quite distinct: building puzzles from a specific release, intense tile-matching in a different title, engaging interpersonal challenges of a third title. Which classification works within current classifications? Unfortunately, nowhere.
The Representation Problem
Many instances occur excellent brain-teasers released every year that have no home at major award shows, except when they manage to fit classification types such as Handheld titles, Virtual reality experiences, and the highly challenging independent game categories.
- A renowned logic title wasn’t nominated for anything that year
- Another imaginative release was excluded during that ceremony
- Well-received sorting experience received no acknowledgment that year
- Limited numbers of brain-teasers managed to sneak into niche award types
Value of Brain-Teasers
Commonly they're modest productions, however the design in brain-teasers holds tremendous importance. Famous handheld logic titles rank among most popular titles worldwide continuing this trend for over a decade.
The legendary block-stacking game challenges famous sandbox experiences competing to become best-selling game of all time; it’s also in the running for best game of all time. Puzzle games are foundational for gaming as medium, and engaging across multiple categories.
The Solution and Justification
Logic titles wouldn't face this problem. It would be easy to populate multiple candidates with fascinating, diverse, deserving games each ceremony simply — or rather, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave so many good games out.
Restating the point, these are games that otherwise have no home during prominent ceremonies. Logic title developers are working at the demanding boundary of video game design, developing some of the purest expressions of the video game form. Just like cinema stunt performers, they merit acknowledgment. Let’s not keep them waiting generations.
