Each time a major awards ceremony draws close, one notices a demand to include fresh award types to acknowledge overlooked contributions and satisfy the spirits of fans with niche passions.
A fellow writer previously argued supporting a scary games classification. That would rule. The same goes for tabletop games, this being someone's personal cause. However, I must insist when I prioritize just as with other blinkered fanatics, there's a strong justification supporting my request is the most urgent and important of all. Here's the proposal: We need a category for puzzle games.
Categorizing Game Types
Categorizing art by genre isn't exact; opinions vary greatly, and typically spark debates concluding with vague boundaries. It's understandable that film award organizations don’t do it. However, it represents an unavoidable compromise in the world of video games, which are so diverse they barely qualify one unified medium.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of interactive entertainment excellence to receive acknowledgment, while allowing diverse titles to compete fairly, specific award classifications remain vital.
Present Award Structure
Leading game ceremonies presently include award types recognizing Action, Adventure-action titles, RPG experiences, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Collectively, these six categories actually cover many game types, allowing placement accommodating various experiences.
This doesn't apply to puzzle games. No appropriate category exists to accommodate them. Examine these examples from this year’s best games, all very different: building puzzles of one title, fast-paced pattern recognition in a different title, thought-provoking social scenarios from additional release. Where could they possibly go between these six categories? Nowhere, that’s where.
The Representation Problem
Numerous examples exist outstanding logic titles released every year lacking appropriate categories during gaming ceremonies, if they accidentally match award groups including Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, or the intensely contested independent game categories.
- A renowned logic title wasn’t nominated in any category during that awards season
- Another imaginative release was excluded that year
- Well-received sorting experience received no acknowledgment that year
- Just some brain-teasers barely qualified for independent or mobile categories
Value of Brain-Teasers
Frequently they represent small games, yet the craft of the puzzle game carries substantial weight. Iconic mobile puzzle games rank among most popular titles globally and have been for an extended period.
The famous puzzle experience competes with famous sandbox experiences for the title of most purchased experience; it additionally competes for top gaming experience. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks within interactive entertainment, and they are in conversation with diverse game types.
The Solution and Justification
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter that issue. You could fill multiple candidates engaging, different, qualified experiences each ceremony simply — actually, with challenge, since numerous excellent many worthy titles.
And to reiterate, these are games that otherwise have no home during prominent ceremonies. Puzzle game makers function at the challenging frontier interactive creation, producing among the purest expressions of the video game form. Comparable to cinema stunt performers, they deserve recognition. Don't make them wait decades.
