Whenever a prominent prize-giving event nears, you'll find a demand for introducing fresh award types to acknowledge overlooked contributions and satisfy the hearts of enthusiasts dedicated to specific genres.
A fellow writer made the case advocating for terror-themed awards. It would be amazing. So would board games, which is a passionate advocate's mission. However, I must insist when I prioritize because like all blinkered fanatics, I possess a compelling case for why my demand is the most urgent and important of all. This is the request: There should be a category for puzzle games.
Organizing Gaming Categories
Categorizing art by genre defies precise measurement; it’s very subjective, and inevitably generate discussions resulting in unclear classifications. This explains why cinema institutions avoid this approach. However, it represents a necessary evil within the realm of gaming, which are so diverse they hardly constitute a single creative category.
For the full spectrum of gaming accomplishments to be recognized, and for games of all stripes to receive proper recognition, classification by type becomes crucial.
Existing Game Classification System
The major gaming awards presently include award types recognizing Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Fighting, Sim/Strategy, and Sports/Racing games. Together, these classifications effectively encompass a lot of ground, and you can find room accommodating various experiences.
This doesn't apply to logic-based experiences. No appropriate category exists to accommodate them. Consider three of recent excellent titles, showing diverse approaches: structural challenges from a specific release, the pulse-pounding block-matching of another game, and the sweetly sociological logic puzzles from additional release. Which classification works within current classifications? Simply put, no category fits.
The Representation Problem
Many instances occur outstanding logic titles launched regularly lacking appropriate categories during gaming ceremonies, if they accidentally match for categories like Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging independent game categories.
- A renowned logic title wasn’t nominated in any category that year
- Another imaginative release was excluded that year
- A beloved organization game was overlooked recently
- Limited numbers of puzzle games scraped into niche award types
Importance of Logic Titles
Frequently they represent compact experiences, however the design in brain-teasers carries substantial weight. Famous handheld logic titles stand as the most-played games globally and have been for an extended period.
The famous puzzle experience competes with popular creative games for the title of best-selling game of all time; it’s also in the running for top gaming experience. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks to the art of video games, while interacting across multiple categories.
The Solution and Justification
Puzzle games wouldn’t have such difficulty. One could readily select multiple candidates with fascinating, diverse, deserving games every year with ease — or rather, with difficulty, since numerous excellent so many good games out.
And to reiterate, these represent titles without proper classification at major gaming awards. Brain-teaser creators are working at the demanding boundary game development, creating some of the purest expressions of gaming itself. Comparable to cinema stunt performers, they warrant appreciation. Let’s not keep them waiting decades.