Each time a prominent awards ceremony draws close, you'll find a clamor to include fresh award types to honor underappreciated efforts and satisfy the passions of followers with niche passions.
My colleague made the case advocating for terror-themed awards. That would rule. The same goes for tabletop games, this being a passionate advocate's mission. But they will have to forgive me for pushing forward because like all dedicated enthusiasts, I possess a compelling case supporting my request is the most urgent above others. This is the request: There should be a category for puzzle games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Classifying creative works isn't exact; opinions vary greatly, and it will always start arguments and end in fuzzy definitions. There’s a reason cinema institutions don’t do it. However, it represents a necessary evil in the world of gaming, that demonstrate such variety they hardly constitute one unified medium.
To recognize the complete range of achievement in video games to be recognized, and for games of all stripes to compete fairly, classification by type becomes crucial.
Current Gaming Award Categories
The major gaming awards offer these award types recognizing Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, plus athletic and racing experiences. Between them, these classifications effectively encompass numerous genres, and you can find room for most games within them.
This doesn't apply to puzzle games. There’s simply nowhere for their placement. Think about these this year’s best games, each quite distinct: the architectural riddles from a specific release, fast-paced pattern recognition in a different title, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles of a third title. Which classification works within current classifications? Simply put, no category fits.
Acknowledgment Issues
Many instances occur outstanding logic titles released every year without proper recognition at major award shows, if they accidentally match for categories like Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the extremely competitive Indie races.
- One classic puzzle game wasn’t nominated for anything in 2014
- Another imaginative release was excluded during that ceremony
- A beloved organization game was overlooked in 2021
- Limited numbers of brain-teasers managed to sneak into niche award types
Significance of Puzzle Games
These are often modest productions, yet the craft behind logic titles is of massive significance. Iconic mobile puzzle games stand as the most-played games in the world and have been for an extended period.
The legendary block-stacking game challenges famous sandbox experiences claiming status as best-selling game of all time; it’s also in the running for top gaming experience. Logic titles represent cornerstones for gaming as medium, and engaging with almost every other genre.
The Solution and Justification
Logic titles wouldn't face this problem. One could readily select a field of five interesting, varied, worthy titles each ceremony simply — perhaps, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave many worthy titles.
Restating the point, these are games without proper classification in important events. Brain-teaser creators are working at the challenging frontier game development, developing some of essential manifestations of gaming itself. Just like film action specialists, they warrant appreciation. We shouldn't delay generations.
