Whenever a major prize-giving event approaches, one notices an outcry to include of new categories to acknowledge overlooked contributions and satisfy the hearts of fans dedicated to specific genres.
Another commentator previously argued supporting a scary games classification. It would be amazing. So would tabletop games, this being someone's personal cause. However, I must insist for pushing forward since similar to single-minded supporters, I possess a compelling case for why my demand stands as crucial above others. The demand is this: There should be a category for puzzle games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Classifying creative works isn't exact; it remains highly personal, and inevitably start arguments concluding with vague boundaries. It's understandable that movie academies avoid this approach. But it is an essential concession within the realm of gaming, showing incredible range it's challenging to consider them a single creative category.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of interactive entertainment excellence to be recognized, while allowing diverse titles to have a chance for representation, genre categories are essential.
Current Gaming Award Categories
The major gaming awards presently include award types recognizing Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, plus athletic and racing experiences. Together, these award types actually cover numerous genres, making space possible accommodating various experiences.
This doesn't apply to puzzle games. No suitable classification appears for their placement. Think about these recent excellent titles, each quite distinct: building puzzles of one title, fast-paced pattern recognition of another game, engaging interpersonal challenges in another game. What category would fit them within current classifications? Unfortunately, nowhere.
Recognition Challenges
There are dozens excellent brain-teasers published annually that have no home during gaming ceremonies, except when they manage to fit award groups including Mobile Game, Virtual reality experiences, and the highly challenging independent game categories.
- An iconic brain-teaser wasn’t nominated completely during that awards season
- Another creative title was excluded in 2019
- Well-received sorting experience got ignored in 2021
- Just some logic titles barely qualified for independent or mobile categories
Significance of Puzzle Games
These are often compact experiences, however the design behind logic titles holds tremendous importance. Famous handheld logic titles count as most engaged experiences worldwide and have been for over a decade.
The legendary block-stacking game competes with famous sandbox experiences claiming status as best-selling game of all time; it also contends for best game of all time. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks within interactive entertainment, and engaging with diverse game types.
Recommendation and Reasoning
Logic titles wouldn't face that issue. It would be easy to populate five nominees with fascinating, diverse, deserving games every year with ease — perhaps, with difficulty, since numerous excellent so many good games out.
And to reiterate, these are games that otherwise have no home during prominent ceremonies. Puzzle game makers function at the challenging frontier game development, creating some of most fundamental forms of the video game form. Just like film action specialists, they deserve recognition. We shouldn't delay generations.
