Whenever a major honors show draws close, one notices a clamor for the addition of new categories to recognize overlooked contributions and satisfy the hearts of followers who have specialized interests.
My colleague has already made for a horror game category. That would rule. So would tabletop games, this being a dedicated supporter's campaign. But they will have to forgive me if I try to elbow in front since similar to dedicated enthusiasts, I possess a compelling case supporting my request is the most urgent and significant. Here's the proposal: There should be a category for puzzle games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Organizing artistic expressions is not a science; opinions vary greatly, and typically generate discussions resulting in unclear classifications. It's understandable that film award organizations avoid this approach. Yet it remains an unavoidable compromise for the industry of interactive entertainment, which are so diverse they hardly constitute a single creative category.
To recognize the complete range of achievement in video games to be recognized, and to ensure all game types to compete fairly, classification by type becomes crucial.
Present Award Structure
The major gaming awards presently include genre categories for Action-oriented games, Action/Adventure, RPG experiences, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Between them, these six categories effectively encompass a lot of ground, allowing placement for most games within them.
Not so for puzzle games. There’s simply nowhere to put them. Consider three of this year’s best games, 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? Simply put, no category fits.
Recognition Challenges
There are dozens excellent brain-teasers released every year that have no home in entertainment awards, if they accidentally match for categories like Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, or the extremely competitive Indie races.
- An iconic brain-teaser received no recognition for anything during that awards season
- A different innovative game was excluded in 2019
- A beloved organization game received no acknowledgment in 2021
- Just some puzzle games managed to sneak into independent or mobile categories
Significance of Puzzle Games
These are often modest productions, but the art of the puzzle game holds tremendous importance. Well-known matching games rank among the most-played games worldwide maintaining this status for over a decade.
The legendary block-stacking game competes with well-known building titles claiming status as highest-selling title ever; it additionally competes for best game of all time. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks for gaming as medium, and engaging with almost every other genre.
The Solution and Justification
Brain-teasers wouldn't encounter such difficulty. You could fill five nominees engaging, different, qualified experiences annually without trouble — or rather, with difficulty, given the need to exclude so many good games out.
Restating the point, these are games that otherwise have no home during prominent ceremonies. Logic title developers function at the challenging frontier interactive creation, developing some of essential manifestations of gaming itself. Comparable to cinema stunt performers, they warrant appreciation. We shouldn't delay 35 years.
