Whenever a significant honors show approaches, there’s always a clamor to include additional classifications to acknowledge underappreciated efforts and fill the passions of enthusiasts who have specialized interests.
Another commentator made the case for a horror game category. That would rule. So would tabletop games, representing someone's personal cause. Yet I need to apologize in advance for pushing forward since similar to dedicated enthusiasts, 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.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Organizing artistic expressions defies precise measurement; opinions vary greatly, and it will always generate discussions resulting in unclear classifications. It's understandable that film award organizations avoid this approach. However, it represents an unavoidable compromise for the industry of interactive entertainment, that demonstrate such variety they hardly constitute one unified medium.
For the full spectrum of gaming accomplishments to receive acknowledgment, and to ensure all game types to compete fairly, specific award classifications remain vital.
Present Award Structure
Prominent interactive entertainment events presently include classifications covering Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Combat games, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Between them, these classifications actually cover many game types, allowing placement for numerous titles.
Not so for logic-based experiences. There’s simply nowhere for their placement. Examine these examples from this year’s best games, all very different: building puzzles from a specific release, intense tile-matching from another release, engaging interpersonal challenges in another game. What category would fit them within current classifications? Unfortunately, nowhere.
The Representation Problem
Many instances occur of brilliant puzzle games published annually without proper recognition in entertainment awards, except when they manage to fit for categories like Handheld titles, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging independent game categories.
- An iconic brain-teaser got overlooked completely during that awards season
- Another creative title missed out in 2019
- Popular arranging title got ignored in 2021
- Just some puzzle games scraped into independent or mobile categories
Value of Brain-Teasers
These are often modest productions, however the design in brain-teasers carries substantial weight. Well-known matching games stand as most engaged experiences in the world maintaining this status for over a decade.
The iconic tile-matching title challenges popular creative games competing to become most purchased experience; it also contends for best game of all time. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks to the art of video games, and they are in conversation with diverse game types.
Proposal and Rationale
Puzzle games wouldn’t have such difficulty. You could fill five nominees interesting, varied, worthy titles annually without trouble — perhaps, with difficulty, because you’d have to leave so many good games out.
And to reiterate, these include experiences lacking appropriate categories at major gaming awards. Logic title developers function at the hard edge interactive creation, producing among essential manifestations of gaming itself. Comparable to movie stunt professionals, they deserve recognition. Don't make them wait decades.